ktkilroy's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really good book. Maybe even a 4.5 star book. An easy read, with great characters and story. Would definitely recommend this one!
leilabp4's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
mwbuntin's review against another edition
4.0
not as good as I thought it was going to be, but still very good.
janko27's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book, even though I think I may have cried through at least 1/2 of it. I'm what some call "animal sensitive" so some of the subject matter was difficult for me, but overall a great book and good reminder of how we treat our elderly.
megea's review against another edition
3.0
I can't decide if this is a 3- or a 4- star read. It is very entertaining, and it baits and switches you with a foreshadowing prologue and a trick ending, but is it good? I'm just not sure. It was certainly melodramatic, and I generally feel that melodrama is unnecessary to quality literature. If a novel is good and well written, it can be gripping without page-turning hijinks. But must literature eschew melodrama? Undoubtedly no. The novels of Dostoevsky and Thomas Hardy were published as serials, which is obvious from the soap opera dynamics of their plots. Yet they still stood the test of time. Sara Gruen, however, is no Dostoevsky. Probably not even a Hardy.
Water for Elephants does begin to touch on some of the devices popular in contemporary fiction, especially the question of narrator reliability. However, I don't think that Water for Elephants accomplishes this as thought provokingly here as other recent novels have and it tends to stretch the bounds of credibility, especially as regards the interpersonal relationships and human interactions it contains.
Oops. I didn't mean for this to be a treatise on melodrama and literature, or even a justification of my rating.
Water for Elephants does begin to touch on some of the devices popular in contemporary fiction, especially the question of narrator reliability. However, I don't think that Water for Elephants accomplishes this as thought provokingly here as other recent novels have and it tends to stretch the bounds of credibility, especially as regards the interpersonal relationships and human interactions it contains.
Oops. I didn't mean for this to be a treatise on melodrama and literature, or even a justification of my rating.
jenkittycatfrog's review against another edition
4.0
Very good, well written I felt like I was along for the ride. Gruen gave wonderful insite to what the elderly must feel.
briwoelk21's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
alanabythebook's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
cad34's review against another edition
On the first couple of chapters. Just found out there's a movie coming out next year. exciting. So far, I love this quote:
"Age is a terrible thief. Just when you're getting the hang of life, it knocks your legs out from under you and stoops your back. It makes you ache and muddies your head and silently spreads cancer throughout your spouse."
"Age is a terrible thief. Just when you're getting the hang of life, it knocks your legs out from under you and stoops your back. It makes you ache and muddies your head and silently spreads cancer throughout your spouse."