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Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen Paperback
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“Book Condition: Great a little wrinking on back cover - all pages in great condition”
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- 97.8% positive feedback
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eBay item number:276132817478
Item specifics
- Condition
- Good
- Seller Notes
- “Book Condition: Great a little wrinking on back cover - all pages in great condition”
- Narrative Type
- Fiction
- Type
- Novel
- Intended Audience
- Young Adults, Adults
- ISBN
- 9781565125605
- Book Title
- Water for Elephants : a Novel
- Item Length
- 8.2in
- Publisher
- Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
- Publication Year
- 2007
- Format
- Trade Paperback
- Language
- English
- Item Height
- 0.8in
- Genre
- Fiction
- Topic
- Romance / Historical / 20th Century, Romance / Historical / General, Coming of Age, Historical
- Item Width
- 5.5in
- Item Weight
- 10.3 Oz
- Number of Pages
- 352 Pages
About this product
Product Information
As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
ISBN-10
1565125606
ISBN-13
9781565125605
eBay Product ID (ePID)
56997435
Product Key Features
Book Title
Water for Elephants : a Novel
Format
Trade Paperback
Language
English
Topic
Romance / Historical / 20th Century, Romance / Historical / General, Coming of Age, Historical
Publication Year
2007
Genre
Fiction
Number of Pages
352 Pages
Dimensions
Item Length
8.2in
Item Height
0.8in
Item Width
5.5in
Item Weight
10.3 Oz
Additional Product Features
Lc Classification Number
Ps3607.R696w38 2007
Reviews
" At its finest, "Water for Elephants" resembles stealth hits like 'The Giant's House, ' by Elizabeth McCracken, or 'The Lovely Bones, ' by Alice Sebold, books that combine outrageously whimsical premises with crowd-pleasing romanticism. . . . Black-and-white photographs of real American circus scenes from the first half of the century are interspersed throughout the novel, and they brilliantly evoke the dignified power contained in the quieter moments of this unusual brotherhood. . . . With a showman's expert timing, [Gruen] saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of Americana into an enchanting escapist fairy tale." -- "New York Times" Book Review, & " Gritty, sensual and charged with dark secrets involving love, murder and a majestic, mute heroine (Rosie the Elephant).& " & - Parade, ""Water for Elephants" resembles stealth hits like "The Giant's House," by Elizabeth McCracken, or "The Lovely Bones," by Alice Sebold, books that combine outrageously whimsical premises with crowd-pleasing romanticism. . . . With a showman's expert timing, [Gruen] saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of Americana into an enchanting escapist fairy tale."--The New York Times Book Review, & " Water for Elephants resembles stealth hits like The Giant's House, by Elizabeth McCracken, or The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, books that combine outrageously whimsical premises with crowd-pleasing romanticism. . . . With a showman's expert timing, [Gruen] saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of Americana into an enchanting escapist fairy tale.& " -- The New York Times Book Review, "Lively with historical detail and unexpected turns. . . . Water for Elephants is a rich surprise, a delightful gem springing from a fascinating footnote to history that absolutely deserved to be mined." --The Denver Post, " Novelist Gruen unearths a lost world with her rich and surprising portrayal of life in a traveling circus in the '30s. An emotional tale that will please history buffs-- and others." "-- People", When his parents are killed in a traffic accident, Jacob Jankowski hops a train after walking out on his final exams at Cornell, where he had hoped to earn a veterinary degree. The train turns out to be a circus train, and since it's the Depression, when someone with a vet's skills can attach himself to a circus if he's lucky, Jacob soon finds himself involved with the animal acts-specifically with the beautiful young Marlena, the horse rider, and her husband, August. Jacob falls for Marlena immediately, and the ensuing triangle is at the center of this novel, which follows the circus across the states. Jacob learns the ins and outs of circus life, in this case under the rule of the treacherous Uncle Al, who cheats the workers and deals roughly with patrons who complain about blatant false advertising and rip-off exhibits. Jacob and Marlena are attracted to each other, but their relationship is fairly innocent until it becomes clear that August is not merely jealous but dangerously mentally deranged. Old-fashioned and endearing, this is an enjoyable, fast-paced story told by the older Jacob, now in his nineties in a nursing home. From the author of "Riding Lessons"; recommended for all libraries., You'll get lost in the tatty glamour of Gruen's meticulously researched world, from spangled equestrian pageantry and the sleazy side show to an ill-fated night at a Chicago speak-easy, "For pure story, this colorful, headlong tale of a Depression-era circus simply can't be beat. Heroes, villains, romance, a wild-animal stampede! Big fun from page 1."-Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly: "Best & Worst 2007", "Gritty, sensual and charged with dark secrets involving love, murder and a majestic, mute heroine (Rosie the Elephant)."--Parade, " "Water for Elephants" resembles stealth hits like "The Giant's House," by Elizabeth McCracken, or "The Lovely Bones," by Alice Sebold, books that combine outrageously whimsical premises with crowd-pleasing romanticism. . . . With a showman's expert timing, [Gruen] saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of Americana into an enchanting escapist fairy tale." -- The New York Times Book Review, ""Water for Elephants" resembles stealth hits like "The Giant's House", by Elizabeth McCracken, or "The Lovely Bones", by Alice Sebold, books that combine outrageously whimsical premises with crowd-pleasing romanticism. . . . With a showman's expert timing, [Gruen] saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of Americana into an enchanting escapist fairy tale."--The New York Times Book Review, " You'll get lost in the tatty glamour of Gruen's meticulously researched world, from spangled equestrian pageantry and the sleazy side show to an ill-fated night at a Chicago speak-easy." -- "Washington Post", "Gritty, sensual and charged with dark secrets involving love,murder and a majestic,mute heroine (Rosie the Elephant)."-Parade, " Gritty, sensual and charged with dark secrets involving love, murder and a majestic, mute heroine (Rosie the Elephant)." -- Parade, "Gritty, sensual and charged with dark secrets involving love,murder and a majestic,mute heroine (Rosie the Elephant)."--Parade
Lccn
2007-280214
Dewey Decimal
813/.6
Intended Audience
Trade
Dewey Edition
22
Illustrated
Yes
Item description from the seller
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eBay item number:276132817478
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Product ratings and reviews
Most relevant reviews
- Jan 26, 2022Top favourable review
Water for Elephants? Great book.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-OwnedSold by: second.sale
- Mar 22, 2009
Loved it... until the end
- Aug 03, 2008
A real page turner
- Sep 03, 2007
Book Review: Water for Elephants
- Jan 20, 2009
Water for Elephants
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