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Water for Elephants
- Narrated by: David LeDoux, John Randolph Jones
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
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Publisher's summary
Nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski reflects back on his wild and wondrous days with a circus. It's the Depression Era and Jacob, finding himself parentless and penniless, joins the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. There he meets the freaks, grifters, and misfits that populate this world. Jacob introduces us to Marlena, beautiful star of the equestrian act; to August, her charismatic but twisted husband (and the circus' animal trainer); and to Rosie, a seemingly untrainable elephant.
Beautifully written, with a luminous sense of time and place, Water for Elephants tells of love in a world in which love's a luxury few can afford.
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Story
As a world-class equestrian and Olympic contender, Annemarie Zimmer lived for the thrill of flight atop a strong, graceful animal. Then, at 18, a tragic accident destroyed her riding career and Harry, the beautiful horse she cherished. Now, 20 years later, Annemarie is coming home to her dying father’s New Hampshire horse farm. Jobless and abandoned, she is bringing her troubled teenage daughter to this place of pain and memory, where ghosts of an unresolved youth still haunt the fields and stables.
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Love the book but what’s with the random music?
- By Anonymous User on 07-31-24
By: Sara Gruen
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At the Water's Edge
- A Novel
- By: Sara Gruen
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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After disgracing themselves at a high society New Year's Eve party in Philadelphia in 1944, Madeline Hyde and her husband, Ellis, are cut off financially by his father, a former army colonel who is already ashamed of his son’s inability to serve in the war. Ellis and his best friend, Hank, decide that the only way to regain the colonel's favor is to succeed where the colonel very publicly failed - by hunting down the famous Loch Ness monster.
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Can't get past the narrator to finish the story.
- By tkenter on 04-01-15
By: Sara Gruen
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Trade Winds
- By: Christina Courtenay
- Narrated by: Cathleen McCarron
- Length: 12 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Sweden, 1732. Strong-willed Jess van Sandt knows only too well that it's a man's world. She believes she's being swindled out of her inheritance by her stepfather and she's determined to stop it. When help appears in the unlikely form of handsome Scotsman Killian Kinross, Jess finds herself both intrigued and infuriated by him. In an attempt to recover her fortune, she proposes a marriage of convenience.
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Fabulous narrator
- By Britgrrl on 02-08-19
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Rock Bottom
- A Novel
- By: Erin Brockovich, CJ Lyons
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Ten years ago, a pregnant 17-year-old, Angela Joy Palladino, fled her hometown, Scotia, West Virginia, as a pariah. Over time, AJ succeeded in establishing herself as an environmental activist, dubbed "The People’s Champion", only to be forced to retreat from the spotlight in the wake of a crushing media disaster. When AJ is offered a job with a lawyer who is crusading against mountaintop removal mining, she is torn. It will mean returning to the West Virginia hometown she left in disgrace so long ago.
By: Erin Brockovich, and others
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The Time Traveler's Wife
- By: Audrey Niffenegger
- Narrated by: Fred Berman, Phoebe Strole
- Length: 17 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Clare and Henry have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was 36. They were married when Clare was 23 and Henry was 31. Impossible but true, because Henry is one of the first people diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder: periodically his genetic clock resets and he finds himself misplaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. His disappearances are spontaneous, his experiences unpredictable, alternately harrowing and amusing.
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One of my favorite books
- By Joey on 01-13-08
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Ape House
- A Novel
- By: Sara Gruen
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Sam, Bonzi, Lola, Mbongo, Jelani, and Makena are no ordinary apes. These bonobos, like others of their species, are capable of reason and carrying on deep relationships - but unlike most bonobos, they also know American Sign Language. Isabel Duncan, a scientist at the Great Ape Language Lab, doesn’t understand people, but animals she gets - especially the bonobos. Isabel feels more comfortable in their world than she’s ever felt among humans...until she meets John Thigpen.
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Interesting Premise
- By Pamela Harvey on 09-10-10
By: Sara Gruen
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Riding Lessons
- A Novel (The Riding Lessons Series, Book 1)
- By: Sara Gruen
- Narrated by: Maggi-Meg Reed
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
As a world-class equestrian and Olympic contender, Annemarie Zimmer lived for the thrill of flight atop a strong, graceful animal. Then, at 18, a tragic accident destroyed her riding career and Harry, the beautiful horse she cherished. Now, 20 years later, Annemarie is coming home to her dying father’s New Hampshire horse farm. Jobless and abandoned, she is bringing her troubled teenage daughter to this place of pain and memory, where ghosts of an unresolved youth still haunt the fields and stables.
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Love the book but what’s with the random music?
- By Anonymous User on 07-31-24
By: Sara Gruen
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At the Water's Edge
- A Novel
- By: Sara Gruen
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
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Performance
-
Story
After disgracing themselves at a high society New Year's Eve party in Philadelphia in 1944, Madeline Hyde and her husband, Ellis, are cut off financially by his father, a former army colonel who is already ashamed of his son’s inability to serve in the war. Ellis and his best friend, Hank, decide that the only way to regain the colonel's favor is to succeed where the colonel very publicly failed - by hunting down the famous Loch Ness monster.
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Can't get past the narrator to finish the story.
- By tkenter on 04-01-15
By: Sara Gruen
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Trade Winds
- By: Christina Courtenay
- Narrated by: Cathleen McCarron
- Length: 12 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sweden, 1732. Strong-willed Jess van Sandt knows only too well that it's a man's world. She believes she's being swindled out of her inheritance by her stepfather and she's determined to stop it. When help appears in the unlikely form of handsome Scotsman Killian Kinross, Jess finds herself both intrigued and infuriated by him. In an attempt to recover her fortune, she proposes a marriage of convenience.
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Fabulous narrator
- By Britgrrl on 02-08-19
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Rock Bottom
- A Novel
- By: Erin Brockovich, CJ Lyons
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ten years ago, a pregnant 17-year-old, Angela Joy Palladino, fled her hometown, Scotia, West Virginia, as a pariah. Over time, AJ succeeded in establishing herself as an environmental activist, dubbed "The People’s Champion", only to be forced to retreat from the spotlight in the wake of a crushing media disaster. When AJ is offered a job with a lawyer who is crusading against mountaintop removal mining, she is torn. It will mean returning to the West Virginia hometown she left in disgrace so long ago.
By: Erin Brockovich, and others
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The Time Traveler's Wife
- By: Audrey Niffenegger
- Narrated by: Fred Berman, Phoebe Strole
- Length: 17 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Clare and Henry have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was 36. They were married when Clare was 23 and Henry was 31. Impossible but true, because Henry is one of the first people diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder: periodically his genetic clock resets and he finds himself misplaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. His disappearances are spontaneous, his experiences unpredictable, alternately harrowing and amusing.
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One of my favorite books
- By Joey on 01-13-08
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The Torment of Rachel Ames
- By: Jeff Gunhus
- Narrated by: Lisa Stathoplos
- Length: 4 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Suffering from writer's block, novelist Rachel Ames escapes to a lake cabin to calm her mind and regain a sense of herself. The location is perfect. Isolated. Beautiful. Inspiring. It even comes with a good-looking landlord who shows an interest in her. But she can't shake the sense that something terrible has followed her to the lake, something just beyond her consciousness, something out on the edge where the sounds of a raging fire and sirens linger whenever she slows down to listen.
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It surprised me...
- By Aysha Lil on 07-18-18
By: Jeff Gunhus
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Land of Enchantment
- By: Leigh Stein
- Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie
- Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Leigh first met Jason at an audition for a tragic play. He was 19 and troubled and intensely magnetic, a dead ringer for James Dean. Leigh was 22 and living at home with her parents, trying to figure out what to do with her young-adult life. Within months they had fallen in love and moved to New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment, a place neither of them had ever been. But what was supposed to be a romantic adventure quickly turned sinister.
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Great memoir; distractingly bad narration
- By darren on 01-21-22
By: Leigh Stein
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Summer in Tuscany
- By: Elizabeth Adler
- Narrated by: Celeste Lawson
- Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Gemma Jericho is an overworked New York doctor with a handful of a teenaged daughter and a mother who worries that Gemma has no life. So when her mother receives a mysterious letter telling her about an even more mysterious inheritance in Tuscany, Gemma sees her chance. The three of them throw caution and convention to the wind and leave for Italy.
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Don't be fooled.
- By Alice Curtis on 07-05-04
By: Elizabeth Adler
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Still Time
- A Novel
- By: Jean Hegland
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
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Until John Wilson met the warm, wise woman who became his fourth wife, the object of his most intense devotion had always been the work of William Shakespeare. From his feat of memorizing Romeo and Juliet and half a dozen other plays as a student to his evangelical zeal as a professor, John's faith in the Bard has shaped his life. But now his mental powers have been diminished by dementia, and his wife has reluctantly moved him to a residential care facility.
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Dementia and Shakespeare
- By Joan Price on 05-31-16
By: Jean Hegland
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North and South
- By: Elizabeth Gaskell
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 18 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Written at the request of Charles Dickens, North and South is a book about rebellion that poses fundamental questions about the nature of social authority and obedience. Gaskell expertly blends individual feeling with social concern and her heroine, Margaret Hale, is one of the most original creations of Victorian literature. When Margaret Hale's father leaves the Church in a crisis of conscience she is forced to leave her comfortable home in the tranquil countryside of Hampshire....
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Delightful
- By Sally on 01-04-10
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Flying Changes
- By: Sara Gruen
- Narrated by: Catherine Gaffney
- Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Anxiety rules Annemarie Zimmer's days - the fear that her relationship with the man she loves is growing stagnant; the fear that equestrian daughter Eva's dreams of Olympic glory will carry her far away from her mother . . . and into harm's way. For five months, Annemarie has struggled to make peace with her past. But if she cannot let go, the personal battles she has won and the heights she has achieved will have all been for naught.
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Dreadful narration! Don't bother downloading!
- By Karen on 06-19-11
By: Sara Gruen
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The Summer Girls
- The Lowcountry Summer Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Mary Alice Monroe
- Narrated by: Mary Alice Monroe
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Three sisters reunite on Sullivan’s Island off the coast of South Carolina after years of separation in this heartwarming first novel in a new trilogy from a beloved author. 80-year-old Marietta Muir is a dowager of Charleston society who has retired to her historic summer home on Sullivan’s Island. At the onset of summer, Marietta - "Mamaw" - seeks to gather her three granddaughters - Carson, Eudora, and Harper - with the intent to reunite them after years apart.
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The summer girls
- By Eveline Howells on 01-05-17
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The Christmas Hirelings
- By: Mary Elizabeth Braddon
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage
- Length: 3 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Sir John Penlyon is planning to spend Christmas at his estate with his niece and his friend Danby, the closest thing he has to family since disowning his daughter years ago. (She eloped with the parson, who was, of course, penniless.) Danby suggests that at Christmastime the estate needs the presence of small children, and offers to find some - the “hirelings” - despite Sir John’s skepticism. Three children duly arrive, and the youngest, precocious four year-old Moppet, quickly endears herself to Sir John.
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Boring
- By Allen on 12-10-18
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Far from the Madding Crowd
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Nathaniel Parker
- Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Hardy's first major literary success, here brought to life by narrator Nathaniel Parker, is the story of the independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene, who inherits her uncle's farm, the largest estate in the area. She surprises the villagers of Weatherbury by deciding to run it herself. Attracted to this bold young woman are three suitors all vying for her affections. They include the lonely gentleman-farmer Boldwood, the young and handsome but inconsiderate Sergeant Troy and the faithful shepherd Gabriel Oak.
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Does Thomas Hardy justice
- By vhuggins on 06-11-13
By: Thomas Hardy
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Sisters
- By: Lisa Wingate
- Narrated by: Sybil Johnson, Xe Sands, Abby Craden
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Experience three novellas about the joys and trials of sisterhood.
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Repeat of 2 books i previously listened to
- By Jamey Ann Harvey on 10-07-20
By: Lisa Wingate
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The Redhead of Auschwitz
- A True Story
- By: Nechama Birnbaum
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Rosie was always told her red hair was a curse, but she never believed it. She often dreamed what it would look like under a white veil with the man of her dreams by her side. However, her life takes a harrowing turn in 1944 when she is forced out of her home and sent to the most gruesome of places: Auschwitz. Upon arrival, Rosie’s head is shaved and along with the loss of her beautiful hair, she loses the life she once cherished.
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It’s so real…
- By Diane Findley on 07-02-22
By: Nechama Birnbaum
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The Virgin Suicides
- By: Jeffrey Eugenides
- Narrated by: Nick Landrum
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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This nationally best-selling novel from Pulitzer Prize-winner Jeffrey Eugenides was adapted into an acclaimed film by Academy Award-winner Sofia Coppola. A haunting yet wickedly funny tale, The Virgin Suicides has captivated countless readers with its intoxicating portrait of lost innocence. A brilliant fusion of dark humor and tragedy, it is an atmospheric, allegorical masterpiece about five oppressed, suicidal sisters and the boys who dream of rescuing them.
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Read this if you want to enjoy this audiobook
- By Lexi Lou on 11-06-13
What listeners say about Water for Elephants
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Anita Coon
- 03-25-10
Swept away
This beautifully written story was wonderfully narrated by the two gentlemen as Jacob at 23 & 90...or 93. I absolutely loved it and was sorry when it ended. I especially enjoyed the elder Jacob's view of life in a nursing home. I would highly recommend this as a transporting read. I am listening to it again and enjoying the second time around.
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22 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Kelli
- 03-15-11
I guess I expected too much.
While I didn't actively dislike this audio book, I wasn't really enchanted with it and expected much more because of the high ranking in audible favorites.
I did like certain story lines, like the Walter/Jacob relationship the and the Rosemary/Jacob (older Jacob) story line that was so realistic, other lines were touched on, like the Elephant and man connection or the horse and woman connection, but were left fairly sketchy and under developed.
I also felt that some of the descriptions, especially of the uncomfortably sexy type were overly graphic and didn't add much to my understanding of the characters and the story line. I even found myself fast forwarding through those spots.
I could easily imagine some of the scenes as if they were happening on a movie screen due to the abundance of incidental details and descriptive captures of the characters' movements and mannerisms.
So I won't say that it is a waste of time, but just that it is fairly easy and unchallenging and I prefer something possibly a little bit more "meaty" and interesting. I liked the ending.
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16 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Julie A Quinn
- 04-23-09
Who doesn't love the circus?
So how could I resist a story with a circus, a love story, and a right good curmudgeon? I couldn't. This is a wonderful book which hasn't recieved nearly enough attention.
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10 people found this helpful
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- C. Hankins
- 12-22-11
What's all the hype about?
Would you try another book from Sara Gruen and/or David LeDoux and John Randolph Jones ?
I probably wouldn't read another book by this author simply because I didn't enjoy this book. The story was well developed, the characters also, but I just didn't like the story line. I didn't care for the various characters. Perhaps the circus just isn't my thing.
What about David LeDoux and John Randolph Jones ’s performance did you like?
The readers were fine. Rather harsh vocals, but they fit the characters and setting.
Was Water for Elephants worth the listening time?
Not in my book.
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9 people found this helpful
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Performance
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- Shahab Sabet
- 05-01-15
Overhyped
Any additional comments?
Water for Elephants had me excited to begin with. I had not watched the movie, and I didn't know what it was about, but I was looking forward to finding out. The book starts off with a bang and really sets the mood for what kind of a crazy, exciting story it will be. Unfortunately, it falls flat shortly after, and all the way until the end. Sure I was charmed by the 90 (or 93) year old Jacob, and I sat with a huge grin on my face at the end of the book, but I could not relate to young Jacob and the main storyline at all.
The bond between Jacob and Marlena is watery thin, I really wish Sara Gruen had spent more time creating a better reason for why they fell so in love with each other. Considering their romantic interest with each other is the main drive of the story, it is beyond me how shallow it is. Because of this, I struggled to find the story interesting and found Jacobs old nursery home and life more interesting than the circus life, which is rather unfortunate.
Even if you're just looking for a love story, there are far better books out there, like the outlander series! I was quite disappointed by Water for Elephants, and spent most my time wishing it would end sooner rather than later.
The performance by the narrators was absolutely delightful, and the music added in the background made it more magical than it deserved to be. Performance gets a well deserved 5/5, I wouldn't have finished the book without the help of David and John
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8 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Richard T
- 11-23-08
tough to get through
I thought this book was far from great I found it to be boring.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Joshua
- 02-13-15
Excellent book, even for someone who craves action
This is not my usual genre of choice. I tend to lean towards sci-fi, fantasy, or thrillers. But, I'm always trying to expand my horizons, so I thought I'd try literary fiction for a change.
The well-written characters and dialog sucked me in. The plot lacked some of pizzazz that I generally prefer, but it was gripping, full of drama and danger. I was satisfied.
I would have given this book 4 stars across the board, but the incredible writing and narration of the old man in the nursing home was A+ work, and some of the best listening audible has shown me so far.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Amy Patricia Komar Hare
- 02-06-20
Makes reality magical
Eater for Elephants is spectacular. Written with grace and compassion, the story intertwines youth and old age with equal pain, humor, and our irresistible search for adventure.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Margaret
- 04-05-08
Loved this story
The story was beautiful written and extremely engaging, it was a great listen and really enjoyed the voices of the two readers.
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2 people found this helpful
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- stacey
- 01-05-19
water for elephants
loved this book! so so so much better than the movie! You won't be disappointed!
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2 people found this helpful