Scan barcode
ludivinev's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
twomoon71's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent book - completely unexpected as I knew nothing about it going in. I had no earthly idea what this book was about before starting - only that Nadia loved it and insisted that I read it too. I really loved the setting, a circus in the 1930s, and I especially loved the main character. This is one of those books that deserves to be re-read every few years.
lisabee614's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved it! I didn't want it to end, and the author's note at the end is really interesting. She really did her research before starting the book.
janizm's review against another edition
3.0
I forgot how violent it was. Hope the movie tones it down a bit.
elleyotter's review against another edition
5.0
Water for Elephants had a sort of tatty beauty about it that I absolutely fell in love with. Glitz, glamour, and grit. Sara Gruen's writing style is very real, natural and flowing, while at the same time exciting and prodding you into a frenzy to know what will come next. The characters are all very REAL and multi-dimensional, and no one is out-and-out a good guy or a villian. Like real people, Gruen's characters are made up of good characteristics and bad, painted in shades of grey and cast into situations where they make the wrong choices for the right reasons (and vice versa).
The plot... Oh, the plot. It's JUST bizarre enough to make the story compelling, just believable enough to suck you into Gruen's world. A tale of running away to join the circus during the Great Depression, about the illusions and grandeur of the circus and its (often bizarre) folk, of love and adventure and danger and excitement.
I started reading Water for Elephants at 8:30 on a Saturday evening and didn't put it down until 3 a.m. when I'd turned the last page AND read the author interviews and author's note at the back of the book. It's extremely well-researched, which likely attributes to the very natural flow and realistic setting of the book. I was shocked to learn that Gruen took many of the more outrageous events of her book from real-life facts (and legends).
Water for Elephants was beautifully written, and I absolutely recommend it to everyone, everywhere.
The plot... Oh, the plot. It's JUST bizarre enough to make the story compelling, just believable enough to suck you into Gruen's world. A tale of running away to join the circus during the Great Depression, about the illusions and grandeur of the circus and its (often bizarre) folk, of love and adventure and danger and excitement.
I started reading Water for Elephants at 8:30 on a Saturday evening and didn't put it down until 3 a.m. when I'd turned the last page AND read the author interviews and author's note at the back of the book. It's extremely well-researched, which likely attributes to the very natural flow and realistic setting of the book. I was shocked to learn that Gruen took many of the more outrageous events of her book from real-life facts (and legends).
Water for Elephants was beautifully written, and I absolutely recommend it to everyone, everywhere.
dr_dick's review against another edition
2.0
was enthusiastic at the beginning thinking it would be an entertaining read. i thought it bogged down mid-way through. i thought the characters were unbelievable, they were flat and predictable. Marlena and August bothered me the most. hated the animal abuse.
inkinherveins's review against another edition
5.0
This is a beautiful book with a great view at the traveling circuses in the 30s. It's also a heartbreaking look at the abuses we inflict on animals and the elderly. Definitely worth a read.
lori82's review against another edition
5.0
This book was fantastically writen. I enjoyed every minute of it. I felt so bad for present day Jacob I wanted to jump into the book and take him to the circus.