Sara Gruen's book--about Apes?

sweetdreams331 · ‎10-08-2014

I couldn't find the poster who is presently reading this book by the author of Water for Elephants, but I did and it was one of the worst book out there and how it got published beats me except for the fact her first book was great. I hope your experience will be much better!

aka-RINGER

SWEET · ‎03-09-2010

It is Linderback's posting. I found it.

I read The Ape House a few yrs ago and actually enjoyed it. An earlier one than Water For Elephants was Riding Lessons which I enjoyed. She has another one coming out At The Water's Edge. Looks different but will try it.

In this new novel from the author of Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen again demonstrates her talent for creating spellbinding period pieces. In At the Water’s Edge, she tells the gripping and poignant story of a privileged young woman’s moral and sexual awakening as she experiences the devastations of World War II in a Scottish Highland village. Madeline Hyde, a young socialite from Philadelphia, reluctantly follows her husband and their best friend to the tiny village of Drumnadrochit in search of the Loch Ness monster—at the same time that a very real monster, Hitler, wages war against the Allied Forces. Despite German warplanes flying overhead and scarce food rations (and even scarcer stockings), what Maddie discovers—about the larger world and about herself—through the unlikely friendships she develops with the villagers, opens her eyes not only to the dark forces that exist around her but to the beauty and surprising possibilities as well.

I see that you live in No Va. I live in Rockville. Never noticed where you lived before.

insomniac · ‎03-09-2010

I haven't heard anything good about the ape book.

Linders Back · ‎03-10-2010

Ringer: Just finished it and updated my review (as I had not yet started it before) over on the what are you reading thread.

I totally agree: worst book ever. I was really hoping for another Water for Elephants as I loved that one. Ape House was just a bad soap opera/romance/ mishmash. What was she thinking? Could she have put more unrelated concepts/subplots and stereotypical characters into one book? Can't believe they were written by the same woman.

I apologize to anyone who went out and bought this based o my mentioning it. ${#emotions_dlg.sad}$

At the Water's Edge sounds a bit more promising, but I think I'll wait tip a few reviews are in. "Fool me once, shame on me .... "

coldlake · ‎03-25-2010

Thanks for the reviews on this, I bought it when it came out but have not been able to bring myself to read it, fearing it might have disturbing animal abuse content. Now I'll just toss it in the donate box and forget about it.

I loved Water for Elephants and enjoyed her first two books, although they were really romance type chick lit and not anything near the quality of WFE. Let's hope her new book is good.