Starting Audio Book "Water for Elephants"

I started listening to a new audio book on Tuesday called "Water for Elephants". I haven't listened to an audio book in a while because I was so turned off by the last book I listened to "Jack Maggs".

"Jack Maggs" was supposed to be as well written a story and in the manner of a Charles Dickens book. From the beginning it was rather boring but I kept listening in hopes the story would become engaging and I would see why it was given such rave reviews. Hours into the book I realized that moment was never to come. I kept listening to the book because I feel obligated to since I did pay good money for the book. Always feel like I should get my money's worth and listen to it in it's entirety.

But when I was a little past halfway through (entire book is 12 hours) - I just couldn't bring myself to listen to it any longer for fear I would slip into a deep coma. The premise of the book is Jack Maggs is a criminal and was, as a result, banished from Britain as part of his punishment. He returns to Britain anyway in search for somebody. In the interim he gets hired as a footman. This writer discovers he's there illegally but promises to keep his secret if Jack lets him hypnotize him as fodder for a book. Jack agrees. While hypnotized it's discovered the brutality Jack has endured and a demon that haunts his subconscious. Throughout the book they drag on about the demon Jack is haunted by (but I didn't discover why) and why he came to Britain looking for this particular person (didn't find that out either). The book would've been better if they had an interesting side story to go along with it. But, no dice.

"Jack Maggs" was one of a few books that really disappointed me. Then there are books that are only mildly entertaining. Or books that are interesting but aren't exactly light reading/listening - such as "The Sociopath Next Door" (about why people are/become sociopaths and how to spot them) or "Sex, Time and Power" (about a women's ability to reproduce, etc. and how it affected human evolution and our survival as a species). So I've been kind of avoiding listening to my audio books lately.

The only book I really enjoyed out of all the ones I've listened to was "Double Play". A fictional book about a guy who ends up becoming Jackie Robinson's bodyguard Jackie's first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The book was more about the bodyguard then it was Jackie Robinson.

The story was entertaining and engaging throughout and I looked forward to plunking on my earphones when I got on the train. It accomplished everything it intended with suspense, action and a little romance thrown in. I tried looking for other books by this author but I'm not convinced that I'll be interested in the subject matter of the other books. I should probably give one of them a shot since I really enjoyed "Double Play".

So, anyway, I'm about 1.5 chapters into "Water for Elephants" and it seems like it might actually be good. Crossing my fingers!!