This is a short morality tale of ethics and a tiny pink glowing elephant that offers hope and redemption set in Zurich, Switzerland. Homeless man, Schoch, has a drink problem and lives in a cave by the river. When he wakes up one morning and sees a small pink elephant, he obviously thinks he is hallucinating and goes back to sleep. However, when he reawakens and the elephant is still there, he tries to look after it and feed it. He names it Sabu, and worries when it get sick, rushing it to the animal hospital and the vet, Valerie Sommer, who offers medical attention. The worldly wise Valerie immediately forsees trouble ahead, and because she is not fond of genetic engineering, she knows the elephant needs protection and constant care. She is in possession of a huge empty mansion left to her by her parents, and takes Schoch and Sabu to it, telling him to arouse no attention and live below the radar there.

Schoch is uncomfortable living in a house after years being homeless, but he does want to do his best for Sabu. The story goes back and forth in time as we come to understand how Sabu ended up in the cave. It involves the unscrupulous Dr Roux, looking to get one up on his previous employer, and in search of fame and money. His research and experimentation takes him to the struggling mediocre Pellegrini circus, trying to make ends meet by using their female elephants in an artificial insemination programme. The elephants are under the care of Kaung, an elephant whisperer who believes they are sacred. Knowing that the tiny elephant is in danger with the machinations of Dr Roux, he and another vet concoct a plan to save it. Needless to say, it does not take long before suspicions are aroused, which transpire in the elephant being left in a cave. Ruthless and powerful forces though have not given up hope of recovering their valuable elephant, dead or alive, for the purposes of cloning. Soon whispers reach them of who has Sabu and where. Will Valerie and Schoch be able to save Sabu?

This is a lovely, although occasionally uneven, story of an genetically engineered pink elephant with dwarfism, a condition that evidence suggests results in a considerably shortened life span. Sabu offers redemption to the man that rescues him. Schoch finds that he has been given a second chance to put his life back together and give up the demon drink. It turns out he has a remarkable backstory and trauma that led to his descent into homelessness. Valerie wants to atone for her dreadful parents, and sees an opportunity to do so by doing her utmost to ensure the safety of Sabu. This is a funny and entertaining short novella that touches on a number of contemporary ethical issues in science. Many thanks to HarperCollins 4th Estate for an ARC.

Elefant by Martin Suter is a charming little story. It was translated from its original German by Jamie Bulloch.

Elefant is the story of a homeless alcoholic named Schoch who one night sees a tiny, pink, glow in the dark elephant. When he wakes the next morning, he is convinced the elephant is a hallucination from too much alcohol and decides to try to sober up.

What if the elephant is not a hallucination though? How did it come to exist?

“It couldn’t be withdrawal syndrome as he’d had plenty to drink Schoch tried to focus on the object. A child’s toy, a tiny elephant as pink as a marzipan piglet, but more intense in colour. And glowing like a pink firefly”

Schoch has been homeless for nine years and he has built up a small network of friends as well as a daily routine. He lives in a cave down by the riverbank which is hidden from view lots of shrubbery and greenery.

“Schoch had inherited his sleeping place from Sumi, the man who’d introduced him to life on the street back at a time when there were still rules among the homeless. Now it wasn’t like that anymore. These days, you could come home to find someone else already camped there.”

Sumi and Schoch were good friends but Sumi had died, not from alcohol but from the drying out process.

“This had strengthened Schoch’s resolve to never stop drinking.”

Schoch keeps himself to himself in general and doesn’t like talking to people about himself or his past. He has people he will talk to occasionally but nobody he is overly close to. Schoch acknowledges he is an alcoholic but believes he can stop at any time he just chooses not to.

The introduction of the little pink elephant into his life though chooses him to think about some of his choices and whether he may not be able to care about something else.

Part of Elefant is sat in 2013 and tells the story of how the little pink elephant came to be genetically engineered into being and how he came to be in Schoch’s cave.

Schoch is a brilliant character and the reason why Elefant is such a great book. I cared what happened to him as well as what happened to the little elephant. The little pink elephant was also charming and made the book extra special.

Throughout the book we meet a whole host of weird and wonderful people who serve to add to the story and make it extra special.

Elefant was an easy to read book and is this is any indication of the author’s writing style than I will be reading more of his work in the future.

A sweet and heartfelt story. Shoch, alcoholic and homeless in Zurich, one day discovers a tiny glowing pink elephant in the cave where he sleeps. Where did it come from? Why does it glow? And has he just had one drink too many?

Asking gentle questions about genetic engineering, homelessness, the power of friendship and the opportunity for second chances, this short story that neatly brings these themes together around what would be an incredibly adorable toy animal.

A quick and easy read that is absolutely lovely. I first l thought I might struggle with this unusual book of a homeless man seeing things. How wrong I was!

I am very conflicted about this book. On the one hand I adored the story of the wee pink elephant. It was sweet, heartwarming and endearing. On the other hand, it made me so angry. Maybe that was the art of the author: they are excellent at writing authentic and nasty villains. By the end I was full of hatred and loathing for genetic experiments, scientists, big businesses and the plague that are humans. Humans really are despicable creatures in how we treat other animals. We have a bizarre sense of ownership over other animals. If a human baby is created in a petri-dish, who owns it? The scientists, the parents, or the eventual human that is born? It has been pointed out to me before that I get emotionally invested in books. Not sorry!

Recommended reading for animal lovers.

I have no review to offer on this title.
Started but didn’t like it and stopped reading - oh well!’

Hmmm… I have to say I was expecting a roustabout light-hearted fantasy of a book, concerning as it does a pink, luminescent miniature elephant and the homeless guy that finds him. I thought it would be along the lines of A Street Cat Named Bob, but no – there is a welter of drama courtesy of the animal's short, chequered history – and from the point of view of the dodgy scientists who bred him. I think, however, that many people will turn to this and find their expectations not fully delivered – and in wholly good ways. It's thoroughly entertaining – seldom feeling a beat too long, with its many, short chapters. It's not funny as such, but it's certainly not too dark or serious. It has a lot to say about the possibilities of genetic manipulation, which also comes as something unexpected. All in all it's quite rich and layered, and full enough to avoid Street Cat similarities and provide a lot that justifies its best-seller status. If you can take the quirky premise on board, and don't object to the very broken timeline, you'll find a very confidently written story, with hard science and an uplifting heart. Recommended.

An alcoholic staggers back to his sleeping den on the riverbank and, as he lapses into unconsciousness, thinks he sees a tiny pink elephant glowing in the darkness. Worse is to come for when he awakes it is still there! If you suspend disbelief just a little you are in for a truly absorbing read. In some ways this book is an adult fairy tale but, in others, it points to the limitless possibilities of genetic science. Suffice to say that this little, glowing pink elephant ends up being a real game changer for many peoples lives. A truly original work and if it weren't for a slightly weak ending, would definitely have earned five stars. Nonetheless I take my hat off to Martin Souter for the most captivating tale I have read in years.

A delightful surprise. Although the story centres around a genetically engineered elephant, it is it's affect on those that come into contact with it that is the real story. It is beautifully written and heart warming but not sentimental. A very enjoyable read.

Elefant starts with a small pink elephant that a homeless man finds in his sleeping place. The origins of this tiny bizzare creature are told as a flashback alongside the current events as the evil genetics corporation try to find their experimental animal by any means. It's a lovely story with heart-warming themes and maybe some warning about the ethics of genetic manipulation. Loved it!

I found this largelly impenetrable, but this may be a translation issue - it just felt like several disparate stories. I would become somewhat involved in the homeless alcoholic character's story and then be taken abruptly out of it. I lost the thread too frequently and in the end I gave up reading it - apologies.

Such a different yet brilliant book. At first I couldn't decide whether it was for me or not. Then it just hit me that of course it was for me, I just couldn't put it down. Truly wonderful

A vagrant finds a miniature toy like living elephant that glows pink in the dark .Where it comes from and how involves the ill use of genetic engineering for the purposes of commercial gain. A rogue scientist conceives the idea of making use of his knowledge to produce in secret a dwarf elephant that is pink and will glow in the dark. His idea is to genetically modify an elephant egg before impregnating it and implanting it into the womb of a female elephant. The book is well researched and throws light on how these complex procedures can be carried out. In the execution of the plot use is made of elephants in a travelling circus and the services of the elephant keeper and their vet who loves the animals. There after follows a battle of wits between the animal lovers who manage to conceal the successful birth of the abnormal animal to allow it to enjoy its life the instigators who when they realise that they have been duped try to recover the fruits of their labour. A most interesting and heart warming story with some interesting characters.

This really is a one-off. And one to learn from. Humour, science, sadness - especially for one character and about cruelty to animals - but above all a pink elephant leads the way into a searing insight into genetic engineering.

I have a bit of a thing for elephants, so when I read that this book followed a homeless alcoholic who stumbled across a tiny pink glow-in-the-dark elephant I knew I had to request it. The book alternates between two timelines, one being the present day which centers on the main protagonist, and the other being everything leading up to the creation/birth of Sabu. Each timeline is full of great stuff, from the scientific detail surrounding genetic modification and artificial insemination to honest descriptions of the everyday lives of the homeless. There are moments that are distressing but they're balanced out by wonderful scenes of Sabu growing up. All in all a great read.

This is an absolutely enchanting book. It sounds like a children's book but it isn't, in any way. Addressing the immorality latent in genetic engineering and the touching emotions of those that come into contact with the results in this case. Schoch is a charming character; a homeless alcoholic I couldn't help but feel moved by and Klaus, the elephant whisperer is such an huge character for one so small. I loved this book despite usually reading crime/ thrillers. It was a lovely break from my norm.

How would you react on seeing a small glowing pink elephant? I really enjoyed finding out how the characters dealt with the phenomenon. A gentle and absorbing read.

Schoch lives a very basic life between the streets of Zurich and a small cave where he shelters. He passes his days by drinking and conversing with other homeless people. When he sees a tiny, glowing pink elephant in his cave he (naturally) assumes that the alcohol has something to do with it - but the elephant doesn't go away. Schoch decides that he needs to protect the little creature, and vows to take care of it - but someone is looking for the elephant, someone who has invested a lot of time and money into creating something that will grant them worldwide notoriety. Someone who will stop at nothing to get the elephant back.

I requested this on Netgalley because it sounded unlike anything I've ever read - and it was, but in a good way. It was such a lovely and worthwhile reading experience, I loved the different parts of the story and how they came together. From Schoch, the homeless man; Kaung, the elephant whisperer; and hateful Roux, the man determined to use genetic engineering to gain infamy - it was a beautiful book.

I'd recommend it if you're looking for an engaging, different read.

This was a fast and easy read with accessible and immediate language that, despite its quirkiness, delivers poignancy, food for thought, a discreet romance and an undeniable delight in the titular character. Yes, Sabu Barisha IS a pink miniature elephant. And yes, what the heck?! Did I mention she glows in the dark? But it is also a book about emotional journeys and redemption as well - as well as one of the most satisfying come-uppances in recent literature! The interesting thing about this book is that it works on many levels and you can pick your level depending on how taxing you want this work to be. On one level a fantastical tale with a happy ending, on another a modern fable about ethics, morality, social responsibility, sanctity of life, animal rights - there's lots to unpack. But you really don't have to to be charmed by this novel.

Ahhhhh what a total GEM of a book, seriously now it’s unique you’ll not find another plot like it...I mean glow in the dark bright pink elephants!?

I can’t really describe the book haha it’s so difficult, but a homeless, alcoholic wakes up in his cave to find a bright pink glowing elephant there! He ignores it and thinks it’s the drink, it’s not! Someone’s has been bio engineering glow in the dark mini elephants, one has gotten away and he wants it back!

Here lies the story and what a story, it’s seriously a bloody great read I couldn’t stop reading it and put it down for a second, I had to know what happened to the elephant....it’s brilliant totally ingenious and I truly hope for more from this author!!! I’d give it ten stars if I could. !!

Read it people !!!!