Thursday, January 19, 2012

Water for Elephants

Source: google.com via Rebecca on Pinterest


Book:  Water for Elephants
Author: Sara Gruen

Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell.

Jacob was there because his luck had run out - orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive 'ship of fools'. It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act - in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.
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I've heard so much about the book.

am still waiting to see the movie (I like to read a book before I see the movie.  Let my imagination have first dibs)

I wasnt disappointed in the hype of the book.

I loved hearing Jacob in his "old state" & seeing what happened to him ... where he ended up... & the story of how he got there... the circus.

I couldnt help but envision Robert Pattison & Reese Witherspoon since I do know they are the lead movie characters... but it suited the characters I grew to know in the book.

I literally cried at parts of animal abuse... I teared up at the relationship of Walter & his dog, Queenie... I got chills at how badly Jacob wanted to help Marlena... & I rooted for Rosie when she got to take revenge for all the abuse she had to endure.

The story of the back side of a circus is another view.  Dirty, grungy, sneaky, nasty... but full of people who have hearts... & those who dont.

I could have done without a lot of the graphic details & story lines that really didnt need to be there (in my opinion) but I guess I'm just jaded from reading too many Christian novels. 

I did enjoy the book though... now off to see the movie :)

My Rating:  4 Skeins