This item is out of stock.

BUY 3, GET 1 FREE (add 4 to cart)See all eligible items and terms

Picture 1 of 1

Have one to sell?

Sell now

Water for Elephants: A Novel - Paperback By Gruen, Sara - VERY GOOD

SecondSalecom

(3285508)

US $3.73

Condition:

Very Good

Quantity:

Out of Stock / 569 sold

Add to watchlist

Shipping:

Free Economy Shipping. See detailsfor shipping

Located in: Montgomery, Illinois, United States

Delivery:

Estimated between Fri, May 10 and Tue, May 14 to 43230

Returns:

30 days returns. Seller pays for return shipping. See details- for more information about returns

Payments:

Special financing available. See terms and apply now- for PayPal Credit, opens in a new window or tab

Earn up to 5x points when you use your eBay Mastercard®. Learn moreabout earning points with eBay Mastercard

Shop with confidence

Top Rated Plus

Trusted seller, fast shipping, and easy returns. Learn more- Top Rated Plus - opens in a new window or tab

eBay Money Back Guarantee

Get the item you ordered or your money back. Learn moreeBay Money Back Guarantee - opens new window or tab

Report this item - opens in new window or tab

Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing.

eBay item number:274275732872

Last updated on May 01, 2024 13:54:23 PDTView all revisionsView all revisions

Item specifics

Condition: Very Good: An item that is used but still in very good condition. No damage to the jewel case or ... Very Good: An item that is used but still in very good condition. No damage to the jewel case or item cover, no scuffs, scratches, cracks, or holes. The cover art and liner notes are included. The VHS or DVD box is included. The video game instructions and box are included. The teeth of disk holder are undamaged. Minimal wear on the exterior of item. No skipping on CD/DVD. No fuzzy/snowy frames on VHS tape. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections. See all condition definitionsopens in a new window or tab

Brand: Unbranded

MPN: Does not apply

ISBN: 1565125606

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

Author: Sara Gruen

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

Author

Sara Gruen

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

Illustrated

Yes

Item description from the seller

Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing.

eBay item number:274275732872

Last updated on May 01, 2024 13:54:23 PDTView all revisionsView all revisions

Shipping and handling

Item location:

Montgomery, Illinois, United States

Ships to:

Canada, Mexico, United States

Excludes:

Africa, Asia, Barbados, Bermuda, Central America and Caribbean, Europe, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Libya, Martinique, Middle East, New Caledonia, Oceania, Reunion, Russian Federation, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, South America, Southeast Asia, Ukraine, Venezuela

Shipping and handling	To	Service	Delivery*See Delivery notes
Free shipping	United States	Economy Shipping (USPS Media MailTM)	Estimated between Fri, May 10 and Tue, May 14 to 43230
US $4.95	United States	Standard Shipping (DGM SmartMail Expedited)	Estimated between Fri, May 10 and Mon, May 13 to 43230
US $10.95	United States	Expedited Shipping (FedEx 2Day®)	Estimated between Thu, May 9 and Fri, May 10 to 43230

Notes - Delivery *Estimated delivery dates include seller's handling time, origin ZIP Code, destination ZIP Code and time of acceptance and will depend on shipping service selected and receipt of cleared payment. Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods.

Handling time

Will usually ship within 1 business day of receiving cleared payment.

Taxes

Taxes may be applicable at checkout. Learn moreLearn more about paying tax on eBay purchases.

Return policy

After receiving the item, contact seller within	Refund will be given as	Return shipping
30 days	Money Back	Seller pays for return shipping

Refer to eBay Return policyopens in a new tab or window for more details. You are covered by the eBay Money Back Guaranteeopens in a new tab or window if you receive an item that is not as described in the listing.

Payment details

Payment methods

Special financing available

Select PayPal Credit at checkout to have the option to pay over time.

Qualifying purchases could enjoy No Interest if paid in full in 6 months on purchases of $99 or more. Other offers may also be available.

Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the balance is not paid in full within 6 months. Minimum monthly payments are required. Subject to credit approval. See terms- for PayPal Credit, opens in a new window or tab

The PayPal Credit account is issued by Synchrony Bank.

SecondSalecom

98.1% positive feedback

24.3M items sold

Visit store Contact

Joined Aug 2002

Detailed seller ratings

Average for the last 12 months

Accurate description

4.9

Reasonable shipping cost

5.0

Shipping speed

5.0

Communication

5.0

Popular categories from this store

See allcategories

BooksCDDVD & Blu-RayVideo GamesOther

Seller feedback (5,854,892)

This item (93)

All items (5,854,892)

s***i (276)- Feedback left by buyer.

Past month

Verified purchase

Arrived as pictured and as scheduled. Thank you.

n***e (1451)- Feedback left by buyer.

Past month

Verified purchase

Great transaction! Fast Shipping and Super Service! Highly Recommended! AA++

n***a (160)- Feedback left by buyer.

Past year

Verified purchase

Really good book got it in the timely manner thank you

See all feedback

Product ratings and reviews

Learn more

Write a review

4.8

149 product ratings

126 users rated this 5 out of 5 stars
19 users rated this 4 out of 5 stars
2 users rated this 3 out of 5 stars
1 users rated this 2 out of 5 stars
1 users rated this 1 out of 5 stars

Would recommend

Good value

Compelling content

Most relevant reviews

See all 146 reviews

by bar650491
Jan 26, 2022Top favorable review
Water for Elephants? Great book.
I enjoyed this book. I had seen the movie but wanted to see how the book informed the screen writers.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-OwnedSold by: second.sale
by beagle_hq
Mar 22, 2009
Loved it... until the end
The title of my review pretty much says it all. This was a very easy, enjoyable read full of characters you can't help but love - and love to hate. There were some inconsistencies in details, but most of them would sail right past the average person and weren't a big deal to me. It is almost always hard for me to initially get into a book, I don't know why, but it is. This book was different, it had my rapt attention from start to finish - though the end was disappointing to me. After chapters of such a great story, I found the almost ridiculous improbability of the ending to be quite out of place. I also could have happily lived without the animal abuse and the unnecessary deaths of Walter & Camel, but the ending sat particularly poorly with me. In addition, the final chapter seemed to ... The title of my review pretty much says it all. This was a very easy, enjoyable read full of characters you can't help but love - and love to hate. There were some inconsistencies in details, but most of them would sail right past the average person and weren't a big deal to me. It is almost always hard for me to initially get into a book, I don't know why, but it is. This book was different, it had my rapt attention from start to finish - though the end was disappointing to me. After chapters of such a great story, I found the almost ridiculous improbability of the ending to be quite out of place. I also could have happily lived without the animal abuse and the unnecessary deaths of Walter & Camel, but the ending sat particularly poorly with me. In addition, the final chapter seemed to bring the previously well paced story to a very abrupt halt that felt all wrong. I enjoyed the rest of the book, however, and feel it's well worth the read.
by WF0gsBsUS6K@Deleted
Aug 03, 2008
A real page turner
The story line takes you in right away. It gives one a surprising look into the past and what circus life most likely was like for those traveling from place to place. The characters are rich and complex in their own ways. You like some, you can't stand others. The book evokes many human emotions and also gives one some thoughts to ponder over. Life certainly can change in an instant for any one of us. Are we prepared? What would we have done? And old age...lawdy be, please let me be surrounded by those with patience and understanding! This book will evoke sadness, dispair, happiness, joy and gives one hope too. A great read and a real page turner!The story line takes you in right away. It gives one a surprising look into the past and what circus life most likely was like for those traveling from place to place. The characters are rich and complex in their own ways. You like some, you can't stand others. The book evokes many human emotions and also gives one some thoughts to ponder over. Life certainly can change in an instant for any one of us. Are we prepared? What would we have done? And old age...lawdy be, please let me be surrounded by those with patience and understanding! This book will evoke sadness, dispair, happiness, joy and gives one hope too. A great read and a real page turner!
by regalion2006
Sep 03, 2007
Book Review: Water for Elephants
The Entertainment Critic Book Review, By James Myers WATER FOR ELEPHANTS By Sara Gruen Published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill A Division of Workman Publishing 350 Pages ISBN # 978-1-56512-499-8 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LOS ANGLES TIMES BESTSELLER WALL STREET JOURNAL BEST SELLER A NEWSDAY FAVORITE BOOK OF 2006 USA TODAY BESTSELLER AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION ALEX AWARD WINNER ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY NOMINEE FOR BEST NOVEL BOOKSENSE # 1 PICK FOR JUNE, 2006 WINNER OF THE 2007 BOOKBROWSE AWARD FOR MOST POPULAR BOOK Four Star Rating**** I’ve read close to 100 books so far this year, and I have written reviews for many of those books. The publishers, when the send review copies to a reviewer, also send promotional material. I’m rarely surprised by the content that I read. Every once in a ... The Entertainment Critic Book Review, By James Myers WATER FOR ELEPHANTS By Sara Gruen Published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill A Division of Workman Publishing 350 Pages ISBN # 978-1-56512-499-8 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LOS ANGLES TIMES BESTSELLER WALL STREET JOURNAL BEST SELLER A NEWSDAY FAVORITE BOOK OF 2006 USA TODAY BESTSELLER AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION ALEX AWARD WINNER ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY NOMINEE FOR BEST NOVEL BOOKSENSE # 1 PICK FOR JUNE, 2006 WINNER OF THE 2007 BOOKBROWSE AWARD FOR MOST POPULAR BOOK Four Star Rating**** I’ve read close to 100 books so far this year, and I have written reviews for many of those books. The publishers, when the send review copies to a reviewer, also send promotional material. I’m rarely surprised by the content that I read. Every once in a great while, something comes in from left field that you read, and re-read, and re-read again. Such a book that keeps you awake at night, in deep thought. It’s new, fresh and so original, that you have read nothing like it before, and probably will not again. Sara Gruen’s new novel, now in affordable paperback, Water for Elephants, came as a complete and total surprise. I love this book! This historical romance novel is set in the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Jacob Jankowski, 23 years old, is a veterinary student at Cornell University, just days from finishing his studies. His life seems neat and orderly, and worse yet, ordinary. His future has been laid out for him. He will return to his sleepy hometown and practice veterinary medicine with his father in a joint practice. Unexpectedly, his parents are both killed in an automobile accident. He return to his home to find everything is amiss. His parent’s lawyer tells him that his folks were broke and they had taken a mortgage out on their home, which has failed. All is lost. Told from Jacob’s prospective as a older man, (93 or 96, he can’t remember) who is now in a nursing home, the memories of his actions are triggered when a new resident(another lawyer, and god how Jacob hates lawyers) in his nursing home claims to have watered elephants in his youth, a statement Jacob takes very strong exception to. Jacob recalls that he was in the middle of taking his final, final exams and just walked out of the classroom. He then jumps a train, which happens to be a circus train. Once the owner of the circus, Uncle Al, learns he has experience as a vet, he hires him to take care of the circus animals. The book traces Jacob’s experiences in the circus, as he gives us a bird’s eye view of the brutality of circus life (unwanted worker can be redlighted, or thrown off the train while it is still moving), the circus workers and performers, while he struggles to maintain his own sense of right and wrong. Jacob also falls in love with
by youngestof5
Jan 20, 2009
Water for Elephants
I decided to purchase this book after reading a portion of the book on another site. Immediately I thought of my Grandfather and what life may have been like for him as a young man in the 30's. I loved the way the author weaved in an out of the main character's youth and advanced age memories. I cried when I read the end of this book....I love the elderly, and think they should all be treated with dignity and kindness. This is to me an adult read for sure due to the very discriptive sexual experiences and the violent happenings of the story. I think this is a nice rainy day read for anyone wanting to go back in time. I would recommend this book to a friend or book club...I definately enjoyed it.I decided to purchase this book after reading a portion of the book on another site. Immediately I thought of my Grandfather and what life may have been like for him as a young man in the 30's. I loved the way the author weaved in an out of the main character's youth and advanced age memories. I cried when I read the end of this book....I love the elderly, and think they should all be treated with dignity and kindness. This is to me an adult read for sure due to the very discriptive sexual experiences and the violent happenings of the story. I think this is a nice rainy day read for anyone wanting to go back in time. I would recommend this book to a friend or book club...I definately enjoyed it.

Shop by category

Picture 1 of 1

Water for Elephants: A Novel - Paperback By Gruen, Sara - VERY GOOD

Shop with confidence

Item specifics

About this product

Product Information

Product Identifiers

Product Key Features

Dimensions

Additional Product Features

Item description from the seller

Shipping and handling

Return policy

Payment details

SecondSalecom

Detailed seller ratings

Average for the last 12 months

Popular categories from this store

Seller feedback (5,854,892)

Product ratings and reviews

Most relevant reviews

Water for Elephants? Great book.

Loved it... until the end

A real page turner

Book Review: Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants

More to explore :