Water for Elephants

by Sara Gruen

book data

74,197 ratings, 4.00 average rating, 16,835 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		33%
4		40%
3		18%
2		4%
1		1%

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published

June 1st 2006 by Highbridge Audio

binding

Audio CD

characters

Jacob Jankowski

setting

The United States

isbn

1598870629 (isbn13: 9781598870626)

description

Jacob Jankowski says: "I am ninety. Or ninety-three. One or the other." At the beginning of Water for Elephants, he is living out his day...more

[close] Jacob Jankowski says: "I am ninety. Or ninety-three. One or the other." At the beginning of Water for Elephants, he is living out his days in a nursing home, hating every second of it. His life wasn't always like this, however, because Jacob ran away and joined the circus when he was twenty-one. It wasn't a romantic, carefree decision, to be sure. His parents were killed in an auto accident one week before he was to sit for his veterinary medicine exams at Cornell. He buried his parents, learned that they left him nothing because they had mortgaged everything to pay his tuition, returned to school, went to the exams, and didn't write a single word. He walked out without completing the test and wound up on a circus train. The circus he joins, in Depression-era America, is second-rate at best. With Ringling Brothers as the standard, Benzini Brothers is far down the scale and pale by comparison.

Water for Elephants is the story of Jacob's life with this circus. Sara Gruen spares no detail in chronicling the squalid, filthy, brutish circumstances in which he finds himself. The animals are mangy, underfed or fed rotten food, and abused. Jacob, once it becomes known that he has veterinary skills, is put in charge of the "menagerie" and all its ills. Uncle Al, the circus impresario, is a self-serving, venal creep who slaps people around because he can. August, the animal trainer, is a certified paranoid schizophrenic whose occasional flights into madness and brutality often have Jacob as their object. Jacob is the only person in the book who has a handle on a moral compass and as his reward he spends most of the novel beaten, broken, concussed, bleeding, swollen and hungover. He is the self-appointed Protector of the Downtrodden, and... he falls in love with Marlena, crazy August's wife. Not his best idea.

The most interesting aspect of the book is all the circus lore that Gruen has so carefully researched. She has all the right vocabulary: grifters, roustabouts, workers, cooch tent, rubes, First of May, what the band plays when there's trouble, Jamaican ginger paralysis, life on a circus train, set-up and take-down, being run out of town by the "revenooers" or the cops, and losing all your hooch. There is one glorious passage about Marlena and Rosie, the bull elephant, that truly evokes the magic a circus can create. It is easy to see Marlena's and Rosie's pink sequins under the Big Top and to imagine their perfect choreography as they perform unbelievable stunts. The crowd loves it--and so will the reader. The ending is absolutely ludicrous and really quite lovely. --Valerie Ryan

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12/27/07

. r a c h a b e t h . rated it:

(review of isbn 1565125606)

bookshelves: anti-recs, historical-fiction, romance

Read in December, 2007

recommends it for: romance lovers

* * REVIEW CONTAINS SLIGHT SPOILERS * *

I really wanted to like this book. I think my low opinion is partially my fault, because I drove into the story with high expectations due to rave reviews. I need to learn not to do that.

The beginning of this novel was excellent. A Ivy League dropout, who formerly studied to be a vet, runs away and joins the circus. The time period? The Depression and Prohibition America - a historical era of uncertainty and chaos. I was looking for ...more * * REVIEW CONTAINS SLIGHT SPOILERS * *

I really wanted to like this book. I think my low opinion is partially my fault, because I drove into the story with high expectations due to rave reviews. I need to learn not to do that.

The beginning of this novel was excellent. A Ivy League dropout, who formerly studied to be a vet, runs away and joins the circus. The time period? The Depression and Prohibition America - a historical era of uncertainty and chaos. I was looking for an intriguing tale of a college youth thrust into an unfamiliar world, along with a dose of touching animal stories. What I got was a romance. Pure and simple.

A major issue in this novel is the characterization. The characters, with the exception of Walter (aka Kinko) and his dear Queenie, were flat and predictable. Marlena and August bothered me the most - Marlena being beautiful and kind and boring, and August being a cruel husband due to his mental illness. Besides the hackneyed stereotype of the mentally ill being violent, August's schizophrenia appeared to be a plot device to bring Jacob and Marlena together without making them look like bad people for cheating. I didn't buy it for half a second. I think the affair would've been much more interesting if August was...well, basically a normal husband who was maybe a little too obsessed with his own accomplishments.

The romance between Jacob and Marlena made me yawn. While Jacob was a fairly developed character, Marlena was the epitome of a side-female love interest: gorgeous with little beneath the surface. Barbara, the "cooch girl", had more depth than her. If Marlena were developed further (and if she had a flaw or two), I could buy their love story. And hey, maybe one day I'll appreciate where the characters ended up. Today is not that day. On a similar note, I've heard some people complain about the sex scenes, and while the descriptions are a bit odd, I had no problem with there being sex in the book. The setting is a circus, there is booze everywhere, and sex is gonna happen.

Again - I think I went into this novel with high expectations and if I'm getting the wrong idea or whatever, that's my own doing. I'll probably pick it up again in the future to see if I think differently then.(less)

Like this review? yes (54 people liked it)

16 comments

06/09/07

Sammy rated it:

(review of isbn 1565125606)

bookshelves: the-best

Read in August, 2007

SPOILERS IN MY REVIEW! I'M SORRY ABOUT SPOILING IT FOR PEOPLE, REALLY I AM, IT WAS NEVER INTENTIONAL. BUT AS WITH ALL REVIEWS (ESPECIALLY MINE) THERE ARE GOING TO BE SPOILERS. I DELETED ALL THE COMMENTS THAT WERE HARASSING ME ABOUT ACCIDENTLY SPOILING THE BOOK. SERIOUSLY, I'M SORRY, BUT PEOPLE DON'T NEED TO BE COMPLETE AND UTTER ASSHOLES ABOUT IT. NOT EVERYONE, TO THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE NICE, I REALLY AM SORRY THAT I SPOILED THE BOOK. I FORGET THAT GOODREADS DOESN'T HAVE A WAY OF HIDING SPO...more SPOILERS IN MY REVIEW! I'M SORRY ABOUT SPOILING IT FOR PEOPLE, REALLY I AM, IT WAS NEVER INTENTIONAL. BUT AS WITH ALL REVIEWS (ESPECIALLY MINE) THERE ARE GOING TO BE SPOILERS. I DELETED ALL THE COMMENTS THAT WERE HARASSING ME ABOUT ACCIDENTLY SPOILING THE BOOK. SERIOUSLY, I'M SORRY, BUT PEOPLE DON'T NEED TO BE COMPLETE AND UTTER ASSHOLES ABOUT IT. NOT EVERYONE, TO THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE NICE, I REALLY AM SORRY THAT I SPOILED THE BOOK. I FORGET THAT GOODREADS DOESN'T HAVE A WAY OF HIDING SPOILERS... THEY SHOULD. IF I COULD GIVE YOU A COOKIE TO MAKEUP FOR THE FACT THAT I GAVE AWAY SOME STUFF. GOOD READS OBVIOUSLY DELETED MY FIRST REVIEW, BUT THIS IS THE SAME EXACT THING I HAD WRITTEN BEFORE... SO ONCE AGAIN, DON'T READ THE NON-CAPSLOCKED STUFF BELOW THIS BECAUSE IT DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS. SO IF YOU LEAVE ME A COMMENT THIS TIME AROUND BITCHING ABOUT SPOILERS YOU ONLY HAVE YOURSELF TO BITCH AT BECAUSE I FRIGGIN' WARNED YOU. AND JUST FOR THE RECORD: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!

I could not put this book down. I disagree with the statement that the ending was predictable. On the contrary I was pleasantly surprised that Jacob and Marlena ended up together because I thought the book was going to follow the format of those "never meant to be" loves. You know, where they hook up, yearn for each other, but can't grow old together.

I think the biggest disappointment I had with the book was Marlena's relative weakness. I think I would have loved the book even more had she been written as a stronger woman. Though I think her nature reflected that of most women back in the 30s. Still, I got annoyed by the frequent crying she did. I was proud of her for standing up to August in the end. Even so, Marlena's weakness didn't stop me from loving the book.

What drew me in the most was our flash forwards to 93-year-old (or is it 90?) Jacob. With the exception of his grouchiness everything about him reminded me of my grandfather, who past away last Thanksgiving at 97. It was the fact that he was failing physically but was holding on strong mentally that kept making me think of this man I admired so much. Also, Jacob's undying love for his wife was extremely remeniscent of my grandfather's relationship with my grandmother. If you have elderly loved ones this is just another reason for you to pick up this book. It will probably make you want to call up said loved one and talk to them about their past and their memories. Hopefully it will also strike a note to those who have ignored/forgotten/set aside their loved ones for so long, as Jacob's family has done with him.

Animal lovers beware with this book. As much as Jacob loves and has a passion for the animals he cares for, there is also a lot of animal abuse that takes place throughout the novel. Being a huge animal rights activist and just all around animal lover, I knew that the animals probably weren't going to be treated very well seeing as 70 years ago animals in the circus were only taken care of as long as they were bringing in a profit, even then... But despite having prepared myself, I was still caught of guard often. So just know that upon picking up this book. The happy animal moments do outweigh the cruelty, though, and if you know animal behavior at all you'll find yourself giggling and cheering quite a bit.

On a final note, this book is being praised as a romance novel, but it's so much more than that. There are so many layers and characters in this book that to shove it in that one exclusive category could turn away a lot of potential readers who will love this book. If you're a lover of animals, the elderly, adventure, circuses, the Great Depression, or even drunks, pick up this book and you'll find yourself hooked.(less)

Like this review? yes (48 people liked it)

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05/29/08

Kevin rated it:

(review of isbn 1565125606)

Read in September, 2007

I wanted to like this book. I really did. I even enjoyed the first couple of chapters and was prepared for an entertaining summer read Eventually, however, the lack of imagination, melodrama, and just plain bad writing did it in for me. At the risk of beating a dead horse (albeit a dead horse with tremendous appeal to book clubs across the United States), let me enumerate the problems (spoiler alert – not that I suggest you read this book anyway):

1. Neither the narrator, nor any of...more I wanted to like this book. I really did. I even enjoyed the first couple of chapters and was prepared for an entertaining summer read Eventually, however, the lack of imagination, melodrama, and just plain bad writing did it in for me. At the risk of beating a dead horse (albeit a dead horse with tremendous appeal to book clubs across the United States), let me enumerate the problems (spoiler alert – not that I suggest you read this book anyway):

1. Neither the narrator, nor any of the other characters in Water for Elephants, for that matter, even remotely sound like they live in the 1930s, nor does the old man sound like an old man in the present-day chapters (in fact, he sounds exactly like he did as a 22-year old in the 1930s chapters). This indicates that the author has either a completely tin ear for a dialogue or not enough imagination to put her self into the minds of her characters.

2. In the movie version of this book (which surely must the on the way), our narrator Jacob surely must be played by Alan Alda, age difference be damned. He is, without a doubt, the nicest, most sensitive character to appear in any book I have the memory of reading (and I’m counting the Bible). On at least half-a-dozen occasions, he breaks down in tears at the cruel injustice of the world, including becoming comatose for over an hour (yes, over an hour – the author is explicit) after putting down a sick horse – despite being a veterinarian. Perhaps rethinking his line of work is in order.

3. Melodrama and sentimentality, offered with the utmost sincerity, dominates all the action in the book. Chapters are dotted with multiple fights, murders, stampedes and other calamities, creating not drama but rather a creeping sense of incredulousness in the reader. To illustrate with two examples: At the end of the 1930s storyline, following a deadly stampede in which the villain is murdered (yes, murdered) by an elephant (yes, an elephant), the narrator marries the girl (thus rescuing her from an abusive relationship) and takes from the recently failed circus 12 horses, a dog, a monkey, and an elephant (yes, an elephant!) to live with him and his wife happily ever after. This is not played for laughs. We are meant to be moved by the noble sacrifice, I think. At the end of the present-day storyline, our same narrator, now widowed and without his menagerie, runs off to join the circus (again) and the age of 93, in what has all the makings of a Hallmark movie.

4. Modern-day, therapy-driven (dare I say “touchy-feely”) sentiment pervades the entire story, especially those parts set in the 1930s. The book teaches (and remember, this is a book meant for adults, not children) such valuable lessons as: treating the elderly with respect is important; racism and antisemitism are wrong; violence against women is wrong; being cruel to animals (or even thinking of them as less important than people) is wrong; all people are important, not matter what there is; little people (dwarfs) have a difficult time in the world and deserve or respect; etc. By keeping her story in bondage to these platitudes, Gruen creates exceptionally one-dimensional characters who either support modern and politically correct values (and thus are good) or don’t (and thus are bad, unless of course they suffers from mental illness and the stings of antisemitism, in which case they are to be pitied). I can’t count the number of times I rolled my eyes, as the narrator, recently orphaned, covered in horse shit, and practically starving during the Great Depression, takes the time to think of those less fortunate. A narrator with a little bit more dirt on his soul would have been much more believable and ultimately more sympathetic.

N.B. – To continue my rant: The blurb that accompanies this book on the New York Times bestseller list reads something to the effect “Young man and an elephant save Depression-era circus.” Did the person who wrote that event read the book? The circus collapses into a spasm of chaos and violence at the end of the book.
(less)

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04/02/08

Matt rated it:

(review of isbn 1565125606)

bookshelves: contemporary-literature

Read in April, 2008

April 24, 2008 edition of Coastal View News

The glitz and grit, glam and sham of depression-era circus life limps along in Sara Gruen’s “Water for Elephants” with little aid from her shoddy prose, predictable plot and underdeveloped metaphor. Although the book has a flashy appearance and is easily digested, it offers less nutritional value than promised.

When his parents suddenly and tragically die, Jacob Jankowski quits veterinarian school at Cornell University just ...more April 24, 2008 edition of Coastal View News

The glitz and grit, glam and sham of depression-era circus life limps along in Sara Gruen’s “Water for Elephants” with little aid from her shoddy prose, predictable plot and underdeveloped metaphor. Although the book has a flashy appearance and is easily digested, it offers less nutritional value than promised.

When his parents suddenly and tragically die, Jacob Jankowski quits veterinarian school at Cornell University just before graduation and finds himself aboard a circus train. The Great Depression is in full swing, jobs are scarce and the likelihood of Jacob being offered a position aboard the second-rate Benzini Brothers circus is even slimmer. Luckily the circus is in need of a veterinarian and Al, the greedy and miserly ringmaster of the circus, decides not to pass up the opportunity to underpay his “Cornell-trained” vet.

Jacob quickly earns his keep by maintaining the menagerie, but because his position is awkwardly located somewhere in-between the working crew and the performers, he grapples with the sharp divide between labor and the elite. He works with both classes, and thus appreciates the benefits of associating with the higher society while at the same time sympathizes with the less-fortunate workers.

Ultimately it is two sets of relationships that define Jacob’s story, a story which “parallels the Biblical story of Jacob.” The first defining relationship is between Jacob and Marlena, who is a performer in the circus and wife to August, a bipolar and oft-violent man. Jacob is enamored with Marlena from the moment he sets eyes on her, but his up-and-down relationship with August results in repeated attempts by Jacob to suppress his urge to act on his desires. Only once does Jacob fail to control himself, and although August is not justified in suspecting the truth of Jacob’s feelings, his on-again off-again rage puts everyone in a pickle.

Meanwhile, Jacob is also fostering a second relationship, this one with an apparently obstinate bull elephant named Rosie, who is purchased by Al when another circus goes under. Jacob’s natural affection for animals and his Polish background leave him uniquely equipped to handle this once passed-over beast and to turn her into a star.

As the behind-the-scenes drama in the Benzini Brothers circus is developed, the perspective in the novel switches back and forth between Jacob in the central story and Jacob as an old man of “90. Or 93. One or the other.” The younger Jacob is caring and cordial, while the older Jacob is cranky and more obstinate than a thousand elephants.

Gruen sets her story in a depression-era circus, a second-rate one at that, in an attempt to redeem the freak show, the workingman and the downtrodden; to show that the fine line between illusion and reality is finer than most people imagine. The book described by one critic as an “escapist fairytale” embraces the impulse to flee the dingy world of reality to participate in all that is glittery.

These may be interesting ideas, but in “Water for Elephants” Gruen fails to develop them to a point of profundity. One need not have a penchant for self-spoiling to predict what is going to happen next in this book, with the unintentional red herrings—the death of Jacob’s parents and the story of two forgotten comrades—falling into nothingness. The prose is pedestrian and the plot is implausible in the most obnoxious sort of way. Astute readers might not doubt whether the events in this novel could possibly develop, but they should doubt whether such is the way people think, act and interact.

The redeeming quality of this book is a fanciful look at circus life the way it used to be. There must be something intrinsically interesting in the big top—the fat lady, the elephant and the clowns—because the intrigue in “Water for Elephants” does not come from within.(less)

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07/22/07

RJ McGill rated it:

(review of isbn 1565125606)

bookshelves: reviewed

Read in January, 2007

recommends it for: Everyone!

Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants is one of those rare novels, that will be read and re-read, discussed and enjoyed for many years, by old and young alike. Destined to be passed between family and friends and back again, until the tattered, time worn pages resemble the books beloved central character and narrator.Jacob Jankowski, just days from the final exams at Cornell University that would have attached the respectable Dr. of Veterinary medicine forever to his name, had his world forever alt...more Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants is one of those rare novels, that will be read and re-read, discussed and enjoyed for many years, by old and young alike. Destined to be passed between family and friends and back again, until the tattered, time worn pages resemble the books beloved central character and narrator.Jacob Jankowski, just days from the final exams at Cornell University that would have attached the respectable Dr. of Veterinary medicine forever to his name, had his world forever altered when his parents were killed in an auto accident. Alone, frightened and penniless, the 23 hopped a train, never intending to “run away with the circus”… although, looking back, as he sat in the nursing home telling his story, it seemed fate didn’t much care about intentions, especially during the depression. It was hard life, the Benzini Brothers Circus, hailed as the Most Spectacular Show On Earth - which of course meant, it wasn’t Ringling and anything that wasn’t Ringling… well, wasn’t Ringling. And so it went, from town to town, day after day — set it up, tear it down - the freaks and geeks, midgets and clowns worked, ate, performed, lived and often died together. The harsh conditions are made even more unbearable at times, by the greedy manager, Uncle Al and his insane animal trainer, August. Yet somehow, in the midst of despair friendships and laughter persevered. Although much of the laughter was alcohol induced, during the height of the depression and prohibition, you took what you could get.

The narrator’s transition from the young circus vet, to the elderly, cantankerous nursing home resident is a well crafted, bi-lateral view that pulls the reader into this fictional world and never lets go. Whether in his twenties admiring beautiful, equestrian performer, Marlena and caring for the animals he loved so dearly or in his nineties mulling over where to have breakfast and the indignities of old age, the warm, quick wit comes through loud and clear. From the big top to the nursing facility Gruen’s sharp, three dimensional, fictionally fluid characters will have you laughing out loud one minute, mouth agape in sheer terror the next.

Hurry, hurry, step right up, readers and book lovers everywhere - if you hunger for a reading experience chock full of every conceivable emotion, beautifully written and wholly engrossing, Water for Elephants is a wondrous world, where fact and fiction combine, delivering the most memorable and pleasurable hours, you will be spend with a book. Characters so sharply drawn and wrought with emotion that there nearly flow off the page. Sara Gruen’s depictions of depression era America is as beautiful as it is haunting. From unspeakable cruelty and brutality, to selfless acts of kindness, Water for Elephants not has it all, but delivers it with unapologetic honesty and genuine heart felt passion.

Happy Reading!
-Rj(less)

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01/23/08

Rachel rated it:

(review of isbn 1565125606)

bookshelves: audiobooked

Read in April, 2008

I think I expected too much out of this novel and therefore had room only for disappointment. Though I finished the book in its entirety, I wrote a short review on my blog about halfway through, expounding on the aspects of the book that irritated me. I have adapted it herein.

First, the main "heroine," Marlena, is incredibly flat & boring. The narrator/main character, Jacob, is clearly infatuated with her, but I'm not sure why other than she looks good in pink sequins. ...more I think I expected too much out of this novel and therefore had room only for disappointment. Though I finished the book in its entirety, I wrote a short review on my blog about halfway through, expounding on the aspects of the book that irritated me. I have adapted it herein.

First, the main "heroine," Marlena, is incredibly flat & boring. The narrator/main character, Jacob, is clearly infatuated with her, but I'm not sure why other than she looks good in pink sequins. She's married to her arrogant, bipolar boss, so maybe there's some sort of damsel-in-distress complex triggered in our hero. Regardless, I don't care about her. She doesn't engage me or hold any allure. The novel really ends up being more of a romance tale, and to be honest I think it would be just as interesting (more so?) without Marlena.

There were several instances of sexual encounters fairly close together that annoyed me. Perhaps I'm "too modest" but I got tired of the sex. Not even actual sex as much as "sexual elements." The instances of it are over-the-top, and slightly grotesque, to the point of distraction. It's like the author was trying to prove something: "Look, I can write like a man: men think about sex all the time!"; or maybe "Americans are so prudish, they need to realize sex is everywhere since the beginning of time." It's just distracting. It calmed down, but it distracted me through the center of the novel.

Furthermore, I'm not even sure the narrator is believable/realistic. It takes him too long to figure things out; he likes to describe a scene in excruciating detail before he "realizes what's going on." If I had been standing next to him, by the time he "realizes what's going on," I would have smacked him over the head and left. Too often he encounters situations in a total stupor. OK, so people don't always react instantaneously. But when you describe it in particular detail, it doesn't make me think something is happening quickly. Additionally, I can't quite reconcile the young Jacob to the 90/93-year-old Jacob. A lot can change in 70 years, but I can't see the sensitive, humble Jacob I meet in large stretches of the novel with the bitter, crotchety old Jacob I meet in shorter excerpts.

Speaking of descriptions, every strong smell is described as "overwhelming." Really, is that the best adjective you've got?

The story has so much potential in its unique setting: Depression/Prohibition-era traveling circus. This alone keeps me reading because I'm curious at least to see where the narration is going. Will it end with Jacob's death or something else? How long does he stay on the circus, etc? So I guess kudos to the author for that: at least the uniqueness of the setting & atmosphere keeps me intrigued.

Maybe I expected too much. Although, in the book's defense, despite my disappointment, I was curious to the end.(less)

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05/25/07

Tracy rated it:

(review of isbn 1565125606)

Read in May, 2007

I do like a good vintage-travelling-circus story - "Geek Love", HBO's "Carnivale" (which I was really sad to see cancelled), etc... In fact, this book reminded me of "Carnivale" - I had a hard time believing the author's idea to write the book wasn't inspired by the series.

I liked the perspective from which the story was told - a feisty 90-something old man reflecting in flashbacks on his adventures in a travelling circus 70 years earlier, while lamenti...more I do like a good vintage-travelling-circus story - "Geek Love", HBO's "Carnivale" (which I was really sad to see cancelled), etc... In fact, this book reminded me of "Carnivale" - I had a hard time believing the author's idea to write the book wasn't inspired by the series.

I liked the perspective from which the story was told - a feisty 90-something old man reflecting in flashbacks on his adventures in a travelling circus 70 years earlier, while lamenting the indignities of his current nursing-home existence. The characters of this book were mostly well-rendered and interesting, especially the circus folks, and the author did an awesome job of depicting the down and dirty details of circus life in the Depression era. She said she took a lot of anecdotes out of actual circus diaries and oral histories, and I think that sense of authenticity is apparent.

The flashback plot itself is pretty standard, somewhat uninspired "young hero falls in love at first sight with damsel in distress in thrall to dastardly villain" kind of stuff. A certain level of disbelief suspension is required throughout the book, for things like how the hero in question gets hooked up with the circus in the first place, and for various parts of the storyline relating to the elephant they pick up along the way (like - spoiler alert! - how she only understands Polish... And who just happens to speak Polish? Why, our hero!). The storyline of the hero as an old man, with his failing body and mind but a tenacious spirit, is poignant stuff. However much you're rooting for something good to happen to him, though, and as charming as the ending of the story is, what does occur is still pretty hard to swallow.

Overall, I thought the story was well-paced and the transitions from the past to current day perspectives were smoothly handled. The author's writing style is engaging, and I found myself carried along by the story and missing the book when I had to set it down to go to work. Good stuff, all told.(less)

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06/20/07

Michele rated it:

(review of isbn 1565125606)

Read in August, 2006

Now THIS is a Good Book!
When I finished reading Water for Elephants, goose bumps covered my skin. Now this is a good book! Immediately engrossed, I had a hard time putting it down as I read the story of Jacob Jankowski and his reminiscence of days with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth--otherwise known as a train circus in 1930's America.

A talented writer and storyteller, Sara Gruen takes readers on a bumpy and tense train ride through history. This tale defin...more

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07/15/08

Beth(MN) rated it:

(review of isbn 1565125606)

bookshelves: 2008, general-fiction, historical-fiction

Read in August, 2008

Just to put it out there, I’ll admit straight off the bat that I’m one of the people who enjoyed this book. It was a fast read (which I always appreciate, because I’m perpetually drowning in a list of books TBR) and it was fairly easy to get through. I also didn’t see the end coming until a few pages before it actually happened, which probably added immensely to my enjoyment factor.

I’ve been reading all the criticisms of this book in an attempt to organize my opinions aft...more Just to put it out there, I’ll admit straight off the bat that I’m one of the people who enjoyed this book. It was a fast read (which I always appreciate, because I’m perpetually drowning in a list of books TBR) and it was fairly easy to get through. I also didn’t see the end coming until a few pages before it actually happened, which probably added immensely to my enjoyment factor.

I’ve been reading all the criticisms of this book in an attempt to organize my opinions after reading this book. It seems like most of the complaints have to do with cruelty to humans and animals in the story and the sex scenes sprinkled throughout Jacob’s experience with the circus.

I do not feel that the sex described in these books was inappropriate or gratuitous. In all instances (namely Barbra’s strip scene, Jacob’s deflowering with the circus prostitutes and the scene where he and Marlena finally made love), these descriptions helped to move the plot and create human experiences and reactions, which is what makes a book worth reading. Very few of us who will ever read this book can say that we were involved in a Depression-era circus, however, must of us has some concept or experience of our own with sex. In the case of this book, I feel that the sex in the book permits us to draw a parallel to these characters that we might otherwise never identify with (because they are truly from another world).

I won’t lie. There were several uncomfortable scenes where Rosie the elephant was brutally beat by August, and I cringed during those scenes. I was also extremely discomfited by the scenes where the big cats were fed rotting meat and other circus animals. The instances of redlighting were also appalling.

However, this is because I am 29-years-old. I was born in 1979. Not 1929. That time in American history is FOREIGN to me. FOREIGN, FOREIGN, FOREIGN. It’s hard for me to fathom sometimes that people actually had experiences like that so recently in the past. I have a grandmother who is 101-years-old. My father is 73-years-old. To listen to them describe life when they were my age is mind-blowing to me, because some of the stories they tell me fall into the same category of shock that I felt while reading this story.

My 87-year-old grandmother has told me stories about going to their family’s beach house in the summers and how her mother would lock her inside the house whenever the Chicago gangster’s had committed a big heist (there were several who would spend time in Minnesota and Wisconsin) while they were waiting for things to cool down. My father has stories about chasing trains and jumping on them to go for a ride out of boredom.

And so it’s my opinion that sex and animal cruelty were not the themes of the story and that to get hung up on them means missing out on something bigger. Life was different then, so we can’t apply our same logic to those events and have them still make sense. They were tangential ideas peppered throughout the story to support the actual point of the story, which I felt had to do with the aging of a human being.

The fact that the story was not just ABOUT the circus supports this. If the story was ABOUT the circus, there would have been no need to include details about Jacob as a 93-year-old man. Or to share conversations he has with the nurses in the assisted living home and with the other patients.

Aging is a very real, very human experience that none of us can escape. Even if someone dies as a young person, they won’t escape the issues that come with aging because there are people in our lives who WILL age and we will be there to witness it. I’ve already seen grandparents go through that transformation of a vital, independent adult to an old, frail being that needs help with even the most basic of a function, who can’t remember names of family members and who eventually dies.

The drastic comparison between Jacob’s life at the assisted living center and his flashbacks to his time spent at the circus give an extremely compelling glance at the passage of time and how it affects us all.

Now, all that being said. There were several instances of the author’s “modern voice” creeping in. The one that bothered me most was the reference to August’s diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. In 1933? Um, nope. It wasn’t recognized as a legitimate disease or even named until the 70’s (I think, which was when my oldest brother was diagnosed with it. If they’d known more about it at the time, he might be better off today, but there just wasn’t enough information or research available, even in the late 70’s). (less)

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08/23/07

Tory rated it:

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Read in September, 2007

This is a very good example of why one should have no expectations when going into a book. I wanted this book to be great. I thought this book was going to be great. A depression era traveling circus and all that entails? Awesome! The author’s voice being likened to Mr. Irving? Awesome! The fact that damn near everyone LOVED it? Promising! The only other circus book I’ve read was GEEK LOVE, and holy shit. Awesome! All of this lead me to believe that I was about to be blown away.

B...more

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07/21/07

Brenda rated it:

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Read in July, 2007

recommends it for: cotton candy junkies

I just finished reading "Water for Elephants" out on my deck. Just boo. That's my review. Boo. Not a loud boo, or an emphatic boo, just your average boo. Water for Elephants equals boo.

Why do I give this a boo rating? Mostly for the dialogue. The author tries to explain 1930s carnival vernacular through a green carnie's questions about the world around him. And the questions come out over simplified and make for unrealistic and stilted conversations.

Sa...more

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07/12/07

Izetta Autumn rated it:

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bookshelves: 2020-tome, general-fiction

Read in August, 2007

Somehow I feel that I have to defend why I liked this book, even though there's no one saying why I shouldn't have enjoyed it. Here's what I found most touching: the author took an fantastic premise - an orphan running away to the circus, a love triangle, an elephant, and the Great Depression and weaved a tale that doesn't make you say "bullocks," at every page. Gruen outlines use of anachronistic story telling is effective and she is skilled at moving the story along, even more adept ...more Somehow I feel that I have to defend why I liked this book, even though there's no one saying why I shouldn't have enjoyed it. Here's what I found most touching: the author took an fantastic premise - an orphan running away to the circus, a love triangle, an elephant, and the Great Depression and weaved a tale that doesn't make you say "bullocks," at every page. Gruen outlines use of anachronistic story telling is effective and she is skilled at moving the story along, even more adept at highlighting an aging man who is recalling his prime. Because Gruen juxtaposes her novel against the Great Depression, careful readers will find an interesting opportunity for retrospection around how we treat elders today and during the depression and where we put our "unwanteds."

The book is fantastical and clearly well researched, with the exception of one character being misdiagnosed as "paranoid schizoprenic." This inaccuracy can be forgiven. Gruen also works hard to show the layers of social dynamics, acknowledging in the book: segregation, racism, ability and others who are "queered out," poverty, capitalism, and elder care. That's a lot to put comfortably in a book - and to Gruen's credit I didn't feel overcrowded. I am most impressed with Gruen's technique; its the details in the craft of her writing that makes the story possible.

My only complaint would be that while most all of the characters are quite believable, the female protagonist, I found to be a little flat. I don't feel that Gruen inhabited her as the writer - she didn't quite come to life for me, I didn't find her realistic or understand her. I also am still thinking through a casual (and perhaps unintended) parallel the author draws between Rosie the elephant and the Black female nurse who Jacob so appreciates. I have to revisit that.

After reading the book I am certainly more interested in reading historic accounts of the circus - definitely an intereting topic; had me yearning for a certain X-Files episode featuring the circus - but I digress... ;-D(less)

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07/17/07

Holly rated it:

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Read in August, 2008

Absolutely wonderful.

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10/17/07

Tiffany rated it:

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Read in October, 2007

recommends it for: fiction lovers

Wow! That is the first word that comes to mind when I think of this book. It was pure magic for me. I grabbed it from the library as soon as I saw it on the shelf. I must admit that I had never heard of the book or the author, but was attracted to the colors on the cover. Now I know you can't judge a book by its cover, but in this case I did. The cover gives no synopsis, just some blurbs and quotes from people who have read it. I didn't know what to expect, but after the first chapter I w...more

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12/02/07

Lain rated it:

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Read in April, 2008

If I could give this book more than five stars, I would. It has everything one could want -- romance, intrigue, mystery, a murder, and a little bit of humor. The characters are instantly real, and the plot is fresh.

I could go on for days and days, but I am going to stop right now so you can go read this book. You MUST read this book.

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03/05/08

Emily rated it:

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bookshelves: funky-fiction, hersday-book-club, i-own-it, what-i-read-in-2008

Read in January, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen is a story about Jacob Jankowski and his short time with The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. The story is told in memory by Jacob from his 93 year old self in a nursing home. Just a week prior to graduating Cornell Veterinary School in the 193os, both of Jacob's parents are killed in a car accident. To distraught to finish his exams, Jacob jumps a train and realizes only afterwards that he has just run away with the circus. The leaders of th...more

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08/16/07

Fanny rated it:

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Read in August, 2007

recommends it for: Anyone looking for a quick, light read

I enjoyed this book but did not feel it quite lived up to the high ratings I based my purchase on. Part of its appeal was the promise of a circus story. And the story was very realistic in some ways, detailing how difficult and unrewarding (not to mention very dangerous)that life could be.

Some of the most interesting and moving parts of the book were actually those that took place in the nursing home that Jacob now lives in, remembering his youth with the circus. The author did a ...more

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06/29/07

margueya rated it:

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Wow, what a great read! It definitely had that Cavalier and Klay sort of feel, I felt like I stepped into a parallel universe - the writing was fantastic and the story just totally drew me in. In so many ways I felt the circus was a microchosm for all businesses, and all the more jarring because of the innocence and family element that is attached to it. You can tell this book is written well, as the predictability did not faze me for it was naturally brought about and neatly conveyed - and ul...more Wow, what a great read! It definitely had that Cavalier and Klay sort of feel, I felt like I stepped into a parallel universe - the writing was fantastic and the story just totally drew me in. In so many ways I felt the circus was a microchosm for all businesses, and all the more jarring because of the innocence and family element that is attached to it. You can tell this book is written well, as the predictability did not faze me for it was naturally brought about and neatly conveyed - and ultimately I was so captivated that I even wanted a happy ending -- that never happens!
Khay, I had some thoughts - like originally I felt that Barbara and Marlena were pinned against each other to sort of represent two different kinds of women, two different kinds of relationships, and perhaps the two elements of the circus - those who are real, those who are not, those who are good, those who are not. In addition, as I was saying to you before, I felt like Jacob is a somewhat unextraordinairy person who is put in an extraordinairy situation and emerges a hero - I felt like he impacted the circus as much as it impacted him - also, according to the dorky questions at the back of my book, it seems Gruen wanted Jacob to parallel his biblical namesake - she has a line where he lies down by the water on a flat stone ... I was trying to think how else - I guess he battles evil - has trouble getting the right girl - is in exile - loses his parents ... in some ways it did feel like your classic physical journey/internal journey... which is in some ways what bible jacob represents ...
One odd thing was that for all her focus on the train I had such a hard time getting a sense of place. I don;t know, I was just like, wait, they can walk to a hotel, but they dont have food, but theyre in some empty town ... or, I dont know, the distribution of wealth confused me - there seemed to be some holes in the story (not the least of which being that Marlena, for all her wealth and fancy scarves, only had ONE circus outfit??) ... I liked the deception Gruen goes for with who is the murderer ... I wasn't so fond of the very ending, I felt like it wasn't at all realistic and it was supposed to be a neat and tidy ending, yet how on earth could this be a good thing? If anything I see it being further disillusionment ... but I guess it was a point on how the elderly atrophy in homes more so than from old age and shouldn't be refused the right to go off where they want, or something ...
Anyway - she totally captured the flavor, the vernacular, the characters ... it was a fun and touching and funny read. Am on to The Road now which seems to have everyone talking but so far I don't really see why, I guess it's a bit of an inevitable let down...
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09/25/07

Kristen rated it:

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Read in January, 2007

This book is so terrible it made me physically angry. It's predictable, cliched and unimaginative. The good-hearted poor boy meets the good-hearted beautiful girl, who's involved with the bad-hearted, controlling man. Whatever will happen?

Seriously. Don't buy this book. I know the cover is pretty, and the title is intriguing, and the summary is enticing. It's all razzle-dazzle. Kinda like a circus itself.

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01/23/08

BookBitch added it (review of isbn 1565125606)

This is the kind of book that I kept picking up and putting down, I just wasn't sure I wanted to read it. A book about the circus? It really didn't appeal to me, but after hearing so many people rave about it, I finally succumbed and started reading. I was immediately hooked, the main character is Jacob Jankowski, a ninety-something year old man: "I am ninety. Or ninety-three. One or the other." He narrates the story from the "assisted living facility," a lovely euphemism ...more This is the kind of book that I kept picking up and putting down, I just wasn't sure I wanted to read it. A book about the circus? It really didn't appeal to me, but after hearing so many people rave about it, I finally succumbed and started reading. I was immediately hooked, the main character is Jacob Jankowski, a ninety-something year old man: "I am ninety. Or ninety-three. One or the other." He narrates the story from the "assisted living facility," a lovely euphemism for a nursing home, where his children have parked him. Talk in the dining room is a mad buzz about the circus that has come to town, and they are able to watch the tents going up outside their window. A new resident of the home declares that he used to "carry water for elephants" and Jacob calls him a liar, creating the springboard for Jacob's story to be told.

Jake's parents are killed in a tragic car accident just weeks shy of his graduating veterinary school. He goes home to find out that they have mortgaged everything to pay his Cornell tuition, and that his father, a successful vet himself, has been paid in food and dry goods for his services during these depression years. Jake is broke and homeless and returns to school to sit for his exams, but his mind wanders so he leaves, jumps a train, and finds himself among the workingmen of a second rate circus. He wrangles himself a job tending the menagerie, all the animals, working for the sadistic August and things really get complicated when Jake falls in love with August's wife, Marlena. This is an incredibly rich story, detailing life during the depression and behind the scenes at the circus - the language sings, the history is incredibly well researched, making this a fascinating story with an incongruous, yet somehow fitting ending indeed. I read the hardcover, and each chapter includes a historic circus photo from various archives; I'm not sure if those were reproduced in the paperback that is now available. Either way, don't miss this book. I was so captured by this story that I am now planning a trip to the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida. 01/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch
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