Book Synopsis
When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, drifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her.
Beautifully written, Water for Elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. 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.
Review
I have to say, having watched the film before the book the only thing I really enjoyed was Robert Pattinson and the chemistry he had with the elephant Rosie on screen. Much more chemistry than him and Reese Witherspoon.
That being said, the novel did not fail to surprise me that it turned out to be much better then the film. I have to commend the writer: she really did craft a wonderful story. I love how it’s told from a man’s perspective yet the author is female. You really can’t tell when you’re reading.
Water for Elephants is a fictional love story that deals with love and life in the circus. Set against the early stages of the Great Depression, the novel is told through the eyes of Jacob Jancowksi who goes from a quick descent from med school in Cornell to hitch hiking onto a circus train in the 1920s. Needless to say, it doesn’t turn out to be the train ride he expected. Jacob finds out about life on the dirty side and discovers his first experiences of true love. Nothing is quite what it seems at first glance and this book will have you with at least one tear in your eye by the end. I hope. I think. If not slap yourself for being so heartless!
Having read this book, you have to applaud Gruen for her writing style. I really found the way she wrote easy to follow but laden with beauty at the same time. I don’t know why but there was just something about this book that made me want to keep reading. It deals with trust, life, lust and love in a fashion that makes you question your own relationships and life: who are we striving for? Are animals any less deserving of the superiority humans treat themselves with? Should we follow our hearts or reason?
If there’s one thing I had to choose about what I loved the most in this book is the idea that love conquers all. Not just romantic love, but love for your passion; love for life itself. As long as you have that guiding you, what more do you need in life? One thing I didn’t like though was perhaps just the violence- I found it quite hard to stomach. It was interesting though, reading about circus life and how it may look glamorous on the inside but the reality of the workers and performers was anything but. Overall, an interesting, grounding read!