Latest reviews about Water for Elephants

jujubaker says "you will never guess the ending!" about Water for Elephants

jujubaker — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:35:02 GMT

what happens when the circus meets bygone days and one man intersects in his twighlight years?

Jacob Jankowski is over ninety years old and spending his days in a nursing home where is is miserable. We learn over the course of the book that he spent the majority of his life working for a circus. This was not the circus that dreams are made of. This is a second rate circus where both the staff and the animals are abused. Jacob in his youth studied veterinary medicine so he made himself useful to the owners.

The novel is particularly enlightening on circus history and class issues of the times. At the end of the story, Jacob is drawn back in remarkable ways to his old life. The book is uplifting in surprising ways.

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njchicaa says "Water for Elephants is an incredible book. " about Water for Elephants

njchicaa — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:52:44 GMT

I must admit that I am a book snob in some respects. When my sister gave me a book about a child in 19th century China, I was sure that I'd hate it. (but I wound up loving it!) When my mother gave me a book about a Depression-era traveling circus, again, I figured that I wouldn't like it. WRONG. WRONG. WRONG. Water for Elephants is one of the best books that I've read in the past year and probably even longer than that.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen follows Jacob Janowski back and forth from the present as a 90-something year old nursing home resident and a twenty-something year old young man who unexpectedly winds up joining the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth Circus. Because young Jacob was an almost-graduate from the Cornell Veterinary School, he quickly secures a job caring for the liberty horses, lions, primates, giraffes, hippos, and eventually even an elephant named Rosie. The politics involved in a shady train circus are extremely complicated...

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dgambrell says "Ignore the name - read the book!!" about Water for Elephants

dgambrell — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 03:42:40 GMT

Really liked this book. I never would have bought it if not for the recommendation, it just didn't look like anything I normally read. The title just doesn't grab you from the first. This book is compelling, catches your interest from the start, and is very unique. It will be one of the books that I actually remember out of the hundreds I read. I highly recommend reading this book to anyone - it will appeal to many different types of people. I liked the story, and by the end of the book I understood the title. Very well written, easy to read, great story line, and poignant. The characters are memorable, there are some unique twists to the book, and it is not just your average tale. The main character is very real and his feelings are well described. His journey is interesting, different and unique. Again, although it might not be my alltime "favorite" book, it is one that I remember very well and am glad to have read it. Take a chance - read the book. You will...

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walkermom says "You won't be able to put this book down." about Water for Elephants

walkermom — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:18:08 GMT

This book was one that I wouldn't have chosen off the shelf. However it was chosen for our book club and I am so happy it was. It was an enlightening story that was captivating. I couldn't put the book down.

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Meredith says "Water for Elephants is simply an incredible story" about Water for Elephants

Meredith — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:42:16 GMT

Water for Elephants is a really lovely story. As a historical fiction fan, I loved how the booked tied a made up love story into actual events. The characters are all really well developed. You really fall in love with some the characters and loathe some others. The story paints a seemingly realistic picture on how the old traveling circus days must have been. This book is a quick read... funny, heartwarming, heart wrenching and thoughtful. Great lessons about love, loss, life and getting old. I highly recommend it.

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DSZ says ""Water for Elephants" is an awesome story." about Water for Elephants

DSZ — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:12:51 GMT

You will never guess whodunit. "Water for Elephants," by Sara Gruen, is more than just a good story. "Water for Elephants" is both a mystery and a romance, and it is a coming of age story set in a depression era circus. Sara Gruen also gives us a wonderful glimpse into what circus life in the 1930’s was like, including some wonderful old photographs of period circuses and circus performers. And to top it off, "Water for Elephants" has an ending that I never saw coming.

"Water for Elephants" should definitely be on your "must read" list....

aadhu says "A highly enjoyable, well-researched, somewhat romantic read.." about Water for Elephants

aadhu — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:15:05 GMT

An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of star-crossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of Riding Lessons.

When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, drifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her.

Beautifully written, Water for Elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can......

lilaichee says "Couldn't put it down." about Water for Elephants

lilaichee — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:02:47 GMT

Water for Elephants is one of the most interesting books I've read recently.

To be honest, I hadn't read a book in a while. Then I gave this a shot, and I found myself wanting to read it every free minute.

The story, characters, feel, are all just so interesting...love, adventure, unique personalities, a traveling circus, an old man with an attitude. Even just the prologue kept me wanting to find out what happens in the end.

I wish every book I've read since this book, which was a few months ago, were as interesting as this one. I find myself putting down many books after a few chapters because they're just not as interesting or as rich as this one. Not that this was even a feel-good book - parts definitely made me squrim (gets very sexual at times), and it can get heavy. But for anyone who wants something engrossing, colorful, unique...this is a book for you....

mamasa says "Water for Elephants is a glimpse into life " about Water for Elephants

mamasa — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:37:25 GMT

Water for Elephants was a great book, especially good for discussions in book clubs. I enjoyed the characters, especially how descriptive the author made me see them. The fact that the main character was telling his story in the past as a memory, as well as in the present made it seem as though he was two separate characters. The theme of the carnival was something I had not read before, and while it was interesting to learn about the lives of those in that business, I found it more interesting to realize that people really did live that way. I had not given much thought to those who work in the carnival and how they lived. The way it goes back and forth between present and past was excellently done. I truly enjoyed this book and recommend it not only to those in book clubs, but to anyone who enjoys a good read....

tldittmer04 says "Great story line " about Water for Elephants

tldittmer04 — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 15:14:54 GMT

Water for Elephants is an excellent choice for the avid and not-so-avid reader. Not only is it well written, it has a great plot line and character development. I've passed it along to several others who have enjoyed it immensely. It's defenitely one of the books I keep in my permanent library.

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lisaanneoc says "Poignant, fabulous way to go on in your nineties" about Water for Elephants

lisaanneoc — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 01:33:32 GMT

Water for Elephants is well written, descriptive and poignant. It details the life history and feelings of the main character as he comes of age, his life as a circus worker and the life he was forced to live as he aged. The perception between past and present was enlightening and entertaining. It puts first person light on aging, nursing homes and losing control over the way you want to live your life. The main protagonist had much left to say and more to give to life. While I enjoyed the book, while reading it I told people it was too dark to say I loved it. However, I loved the ending. My Aunt and I often shared books. Water for Elephants was one of the last books that my Aunt read before she passed on. My only hope is that it wasn't the last book she read, I'd like to think she left on a lighter note.

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padlocke says "Water for Elephants is an amazing story." about Water for Elephants

padlocke — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:35:51 GMT

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MaureenJ88 says "Ever dream of running away to the circus?" about Water for Elephants

MaureenJ88 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:21:11 GMT

I read this book over the summer, thinking I would take my time with it. Boy was I wrong! Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. The author's writing style is so engaging, and she really does a good job of making the characters come alive. This book flips back and forth between the present day with the narrator now in his nineties wanting to go to the circus that came to town and flashbacks of his younger days as the circus vet. I cannot recommend this book highly enough....

sadiebaby22 says "Great fast read with a lasting impact" about Water for Elephants

sadiebaby22 — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:37:31 GMT

This is by far one of my favorite books I have read in the past year. My only complaint was that I would have liked it to be more on the PG or at least PG-13 side of the scale, but a very few parts were R and beyond. Otherwise it was a wonderful book and I would definitely recommend it....I just wish I knew about the "rating" before hand....

bigsharpei1 says "if you love elephants-you will ADORE this book" about Water for Elephants

bigsharpei1 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:17:43 GMT

I read Water For Elephants when it first came out. I always have been fascinated by elephants, and this book just confirmed what I have always believed about their intelligence level. Depression era traveling circuses and amusement parks have also always interested me. This is a quick read, I will be looking to read other works by this author....