Water for Elephants Audiobook By Sara Gruen cover art

Water for Elephants

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Water for Elephants

By: Sara Gruen
Narrated by: David LeDoux, John Randolph Jones, Various
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About this listen

Jacob Jankowski reflects back on his wild and wondrous days with a circus. In the Depression era, 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: Marlena, beautiful star of the equestrian act; August, her charismatic but twisted husband (and the circus' animal trainer); and Rosie, the seemingly untrainable elephant Jacob cares for.

©2006 Sara Gruen (P)2006 HighBridge Company Historical Fiction Women's Fiction
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Critic reviews

"This marvelously exciting and satisfying book has been given the engaging audio production it deserves." ( Audiofile)
" Water for Elephants is fun, sweet and thrilling and will pull you into the mysterious life of the circus so far that you won't want to leave." ( Guardian)
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"Water for Elephants" tells the story of circus life during the Great Depression with themes of love, loss, and redemption. The novel follows the journey of Jacob Jankowski, a young man who finds himself swept into the world of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth after a series of unfortunate events.

Gruen's storytelling is rich in detail, transporting readers to the colorful and chaotic world of the circus. The characters each with their own flaws and vulnerabilities but except for a select few they don't stand out all that much. Jacob's narrative is, luckily, quite compelling as he navigates the complexities of life under the big top.

However, the portrayal of August Rosenthul, the circus' volatile animal trainer, raises some (ethical) concerns. Rather late in the story, it is revealed that August suffers from schizophrenia. (He never says this himself and it is -as far as the reader knows- never officially diagnosed by a doctor in the story. It has been told to Jacob by two other characters and could, I suppose, still be considered an unreliable fact.) This aspect of his character potentially perpetuates harmful stereotypes about mental illness because of his abusive behavior towards both humans and animals.

Despite this issue, "Water for Elephants" remains a captivating read. While it may not offer groundbreaking insights or profound philosophical depth, it is an entertaining and enjoyable novel that offers a glimpse into a fascinating chapter of American history.

Perhaps not THE most spectacular show on earth

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Glorious audio book, start to finish. Beautiful love story set in a 1930’s traveling circus setting. I cried at the end.

Beautiful- my new favorite audio book.

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