From the Bookshelf of Romance Readers Reading Challenges…

Water for Elephants

Sara Gruen

Finish date: December 19, 2010

Discussion: Monthly Challenges

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What Members Thought

Oct 02, 2008 Tien rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

Well, I sat in bed thinking oh, I'll just read a few chapters before I sleep but I read the whole book! I couldn't put it down, it was so rich of description of life in a circus and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Jacob Jankowski is ninety or ninety-three or he's not particularly sure how old he is now. A circus has come to town and everybody is excited. For him though, it transported him back 70 years ago when he first joined the circus and met the love of his life.

I appreciate books with endings that ...more

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Dec 16, 2010 Robin DeJarnett rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reading-challenges, 2011-read

I intended to read this before seeing the movie, but it ended up that I saw the movie after reading only 5 chapters. It didn't matter though - I loved them both.

What really intrigued me about this book was the historical aspect. Water for Elephants is really the story of the 1930's train circus. "Running away to the circus" was the fantasy of many, but this story shows all the dirt, blood, and heartlessness that lies beneath the glamour of the big top.

Our hero, Jacob is literally thrown into thi ...more

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Nov 25, 2009 Ana rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I would suggest this book, it’s a great read.

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Jan 02, 2011 Jessica McQuinn rated it it was amazing

I think I loved this more the second time around! Beautiful story!

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Oct 27, 2011 Nancy H rated it it was amazing

Water for Elephants is an amazing book! It is a look at an old-time circus from the point of view of a nonagenarian who worked in one for many years. The human story that unfolds just keeps the reader turning pages, while the view of what a circus was really like was fascinating.

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