A meticulously researched, fastpaced, engaging and ultimately very satisfying novel set mostly ina depression era travelling circus. Sara gruen keeps her cats ashes in an urn behind her desk and donates a portion of her book royalties to animal charities. When an aged jacob observes a contemporary circus, he sees. Also, if you want a special treat, listen to it on audiobook. The international phenomenon with over 10 million copies sold, made into a film with reese witherspoon and robert pattinson. The circus he joins, in depressionera america, is secondrate at best.
But be warned, this isnt the order of events in the book. This 2nd class circus is a defined family though, and they live isolated on the sullied fringes of. Every few chapters, the narrative switches from one jacob to the other. Water for elephants summary water for elephants has two plots going on, both starring the same main character, jacob. Water for elephants by sara gruen is an absolutely spectacular read. The movie water for elephants stays close to sara gruens beloved book particularly with the 1930s circus memories section. The water for elephants community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. It was a fast read which i always appreciate, because im perpetually drowning in a list of books tbr and it was fairly easy to get through. Water for elephants by sara gruen is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. Water for elephants is an excellent novel depicting railroad circus life during the. In water for elephants, jacob jankowski recalls the great benzini brothers circus disaster. Water for elephants is a best book club book for discussion, about the bond of love, trust, hope, and survival that grows between a circus trio during the depression.
According to this series, dhruva was born and brought. Water for elephants is a book that can be read and reread, recommended and handed. Water for elephants is the story of jacobs life with this circus. The title, water for elephants, is almost a little inside joke with the reader once weve finished the book, that is. Jacob says that he was able to give her everything he ever promised her. Apr 18, 2020 water for elephants by sara gruen is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. The band starts playing very fast and the redlighters set all the circus animals loose. Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing. They create a plan to completely ruin the circus for good. Sara gruen has written an utterly transporting novel richly full of the stuff of life. Jacob, once it becomes known that he has veterinary skills. The circus was the main setting of the book, water for elephants. Stories similar to water for elephants books, stories, and novels like water for elephants by sara gruen.
Ittells the story of jacob, a young man who joins the circus and ends up falling in. Aug 28, 2012 the freak show of the circus is quite plain in the welldrawn cast of water for elephants. It rolls along at the pace of the circus train in which much of it is set, the characters feel real and believable, and it is basically a very easy read. Water for elephants, 2007, sara gruen water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month.
Jacob, the books narrator and protagonist, worked as a vet and trainer of sorts at a circus. In the united states and canada, water for elephants was released theatrically in 2,817 conventional theaters. Love is displayed in a variety of forms, from the love jacob has for marlena to the love jacob shares for the animals on the circus. But on several levels i found this book unsatisfactory. The story is told as a series of memories by jacob jankowski, a 93yearold man who lives in a nursing home.
Jacob becomes the circus vet and the protector of rosie, the sweettempered elephant whose story lies at the heart of the book. Rating is available when the video has been rented. Sara gruen spares no detail in chronicling the squalid, filthy, brutish circumstances in which he finds himself. Recommending new books each month to spark lively conversation.
Only days before graduating from vet school in 1931, young jake learns his parents have died and left him penniless. Water for elephants by sara gruen is a must read a story about a 90yearold man remembering his days with a circus during the great depression. I decided to not watch the movie when i heard it was coming out simply because i didnt want to possibly ruin the experience id had with the book if the movie wasnt uptopar. Water for elephants is a story of unspeakable love, of untold secrets, and ultimately learning that life is meant to be lived as the main spectacle of a glorious headlining show, not some cheap, dingy, forgettable sideshow. Water for elephants is, in my opinion, a balanced, exquisite piece of literature. To ask other readers questions about water for elephants, please sign up. Jacob jankowski, confined to the borders of the assisted living home in which he resides, spots a circus setting up across the street.
Oct 21, 2009 sara gruen has written an utterly transporting novel richly full of the stuff of life. The circus train only had a limited amount of water on board, and elephants can drink 100300 litres per day approximately 2680 gallons. The prologue features a younger version of jacob, who works at a circus and. He walked out without completing the test and wound up on a circus train.
When jacob jankowski arrived for the first time at the circus where he worked, he was in awe. The physical setting of water for elephantsa tatty 1930s train circusis the perfect background for gruens historical fiction. Water for elephants is a delightful, moving book, and the ending was a very pleasant surprise. Water for elephants, as hollywood interprets it, is a nice film, but so many of the colorful characters are eliminated that the film is left dull. The only place the movie veers from the original is in its details of. Water for elephants has two plots going on, both starring the same main character, jacob.
Perhaps some of jacobs talelike rosie, instead of marlena, killing august, or the happy lifelong marriage and ensuing children still visiting jacob who never showed up for the circus and finally jacob ending up with the circus again due to the kindness of a strangerwere the sentimental wishes of an old jacob, his own water for elephants. The man agrees, saying that jacob will go down in the records book as the oldest man to run away with the. The grand rapids press you need this elephant in your life. Water for elephants sweeps you into circus life of the 1930s, during the hungry and desperate times of the great depression. A water for elephants discussion from reading group guides writers digest interview with sara gruen. This is where almost all of the action of the story took place. Jacob relives these memories by telling his story to a current employee of the circus. The man agrees, saying that jacob will go down in the records book as the oldest man to run away with the circus. The book, water for elephants by sara gruen, is also available on audible. Heads up folks water for elephants is coming out as a movie soon and i am looking forward to seeing it. Its got a bestselling book as source material, a circus as its setting, and actors. Water for elephants by sara gruen has a bookaxe shelfie score of 44%. Jacob jankowski, a retired veterinarian living out his days in an assistedliving facility, drifts in and out of his memories.
Surely everyone has heard of water for elephants at this point, but what is a list of circus books without it. Use these book club discussion questions on water for elephants to lead your book clubs conversation on the story. Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. Winner of the 2007 bookbrowse award for most popular book. Just to put it out there, ill admit straight off the bat that im one of the people who enjoyed this book. And its also where he met the love of life, marlena. Love is the most evident theme throughout the novel. At the kansas city zoo, i observed the elephants with their exhandler for a couple of days, taking notes on body language and behavior. His memories of his time with the benzini brothers, including augusts murder, come rushing back.
The following quote from jacob, taken from the book, describes, in detail, the marvelous scene. Review of water for elephants good books for catholic kids. With ringling brothers as the standard, benzini brothers is far down the scale and pale by comparison. I got into the habit of walking up to elephant handlers at the circus and saying, hi. The climax of the the book, water for elephants, is when several survivors who were redlighted return to the circus during one of the shows. Water for elephants book by sara gruen thriftbooks. I hate being so enamored with a book and then a crappy movie version comes along and tarnishes it. Circus is the central theme in comic books of super commando dhruva, an indian comic book superhero.
Feb 02, 2012 and its also where he met the love of life, marlena. Gruen clearly took the effort to realistically recreate her setting and characters. A depressionera traveling circus is an intriguing and colorful setting for a book, and one that held a lot of promise. Readers may find themselves churning through this book at a rapidfire pace, eager to see what lies ahead, then slowing down as they realize the pages are dwindling.
A brilliantly crafted and deeply moving novel, water for elephants is the tale of jacob jankowski, now in his nineties, who spends his remaining days fondly drifting through the memories of his early depressionera youth which was spent in the company of circus freaks, clowns and misfits. I fell in love with the picture you chose for your book the first time i saw it. First of all, an integral part of the plot is jacob falling in love with his future wife, marlena, who just happens to be married. The animals are mangy, underfed or fed rotten food, and abused. Aug 05, 2008 a meticulously researched, fastpaced, engaging and ultimately very satisfying novel set mostly ina depression era travelling circus. The novel water for elephants by sara gruen tells the fictional tale of a circus veterinarian and was made into a movie with the same title, starring robert pattinson and reese witherspoon. Events lead him to joining the circus as their vet, working under their unstable boss august whose violent tendencies give everyone reason to be. Because the action takes place in a circus, the author is able to weave history, anecdotes, and outrageous factual details from facts into a story that features a charming and majestic elephant as a heroine. In spite of the fact that water for elephants reached number one on the new york times best seller list when it was published ten years ago, my first exposure to it too many books, too little time was recently, as an audio book. Its not terribly surprising, then, that one of the most memorable characters in this animal lovers new novel is a pachyderm named rosie. Apr 22, 2011 8 big differences between water for elephants book and movie apr.
Water for elephants was released in theaters on april 22, 2011. It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford. If you like water for elephants, you might like little heathens by mildred armstrong kalish seabiscuit by laura hillenbrand the adventures of miles and isabel by tom gilling. Water for elephants, published in 2006, is sara gruens third book and her.
Jamaican ginger paralysis, life on a circus train, setup and takedown, being run out of town by. May 26, 2006 water for elephants, 2007, sara gruen water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. My only regret is that it is relatively short at 331 pages. After his parents death, jacob jankowski is left penniless and homeless. The great depression 1929 when jacob jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, grifters, and misfits in the. May 10, 2019 a depressionera traveling circus is an intriguing and colorful setting for a book, and one that held a lot of promise. He ended up working in a circus, as the shows vet, and fell in love with the equine masters wife.
Age 14 and up good books for catholic high schoolers part 2 age 16 and up. The last notes of water for elephants linger long after the book ends. Jacob jankowski is a veterinary student who leaves school just before finishing. Gruen brilliantly conjures up the whole brouhaha of herding punters into the. The alternating glamour and squalor of the circus world gruen expertly conjures may truly be one of the greatest shows. Jacob then asks the man for a job as a ticket taker for the circus, saying theres nothing wrong with him other than that he is old. Apr 22, 2011 romance doesnt show up in water for elephants water for elephants gives off an air of selfsatisfaction. Water for elephants a depressionera circus provides the backdrop for sara gruens latest novel, water for elephants. This is the first book in a series, one you will likely feel compelled to keep reading after reaching the last page. Robert olen butler so much more than a tale about a circus, water for elephants is a compelling journey not only under the big top, but into the protagonists heart. Classroom ideas posted april 12, 2011 by sara novel novice 5 comments there is so much to love about sara gruens water for elephants, from the lush and magical setting of a 1930s circus, to the sweeping forbidden romance, to the heartbreaking recollections of narrator jacob jankowski.
There, he works as the shows vet, and falls ever more in love with marlena, the star of the circus and beautiful wife of the temperamental ringmaster august. The two readers, david ledoux and john randolph jones, did a wonderful job of bringing both jacobs young and old to life. Its the story of jacob, who runs away to the circus during the depression when his life falls apart around him. Water for elephants was a thoroughly engaging and mesmerizing read from the characters to the story itself.
One night jacob climbs up and jumps each car, while the train is moving, to augusts room, carrying a knife. Did you get up close and personal to elephants in your research. There has been so much hype surrounding this novel an international bestseller, even more so now with the movie soon to be released, but i couldnt anticipate just how much this book lived up to and excelled expectation. The novel, water for elephants include a number of major themes, here are 5 of the most evident themes seen throughout the novel.
Water for elephants, explores similar subject matter the pathetic grandeur of the depressionera circus. Ive always been a complete sucker for animals, says gruen, whose novel water for elephants has garnered. I picked up a copy on cd at the library and listened to it in the car over a sixhour trip. Is it primarily written for a female audience or will i like it.
In the beginning of the novel, jacob mocks another resident of the nursing home who claims to have worked in the circus and carried water for the elephants. Romance doesnt show up in water for elephants water for elephants gives off an air of selfsatisfaction. Sara gruens arresting new novel, water for elephants, explores similar subject. This 2nd class circus is a defined family though, and they live isolated on the sullied fringes of regular society.
Set in the 1930s, a former veterinary student takes a job in a travelling circus and falls in love with the ringmasters wife. Author interview sara gruen, author of water for elephants. Answered questions 22 seen this book around at sales a lotfinally picked it up. Is it primarily written for a female audience or will i. Water for elephants is one of my most favorite books.
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