I bought this book because of push advertising and regretted it. Its the story of jacob, who runs away to the circus during the depression when his life falls apart around him. The title, water for elephants, is almost a little inside joke with the reader once weve finished the book, that is. 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. Sara gruen has a voice to rival john irvings, and i am hopelessly, unabashedly in love with this book. Water for elephants could end up being sara gruens best book. I was, for the first time in years, saddened to come to the end of this book. Water for elephants sara gruen, 2006 algonquin books of chapel hill 350 pp. 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.
In the book, we see jacob as an old man in the nursing home throughout. A novel by gruen, sara from amazons fiction books store. Just to put it out there, ill admit straight off the bat that im one of the people who enjoyed this book. Water for elephants ending woda dla sloni napisy pl hd duration. Apr 22, 2010 even with the disagreement about the ending, my book club was in pretty unanimous agreement that water for elephants was a great book and one that we recommend to others.
Hitting the road with no idea where he would end up, he stumbled across benzini bros. Summary an atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of starcrossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of riding lessons. Water for elephants book by sara gruen thriftbooks. Whats the difference between water for elephants the book and water for elephants the movie. Water for elephants was a thoroughly engaging and mesmerizing read from the characters to the story itself. Sara gruens arresting new novel, water for elephants, explores similar subject matter the pathetic grandeur of the depressionera circus. Just when you think the story might be over, you get another little bit of narrative. Water for elephants questions and answers discover the community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on water for elephants.
Summary an atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of starcrossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of riding lessons when jacob jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, grifters, and. Events lead him to joining the circus as their vet, working under their unstable boss august whose violent tendencies give everyone reason to be cautious around him, including his beautiful and quiet wife marlena, whom august is very possessive of and who jacob finds himself soon falling in love with. Water for elephants is the new york times bestselling debut novel by sara gruen. 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. 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. In what ways and to what extent do the words pathetic grandeur describe the world that gruen creates in her novel. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of water for elephants by sara gruen. Novelist sara gruen sweeps her readers off their feet in the opening pages of water for elephantsand doesnt let go until she deposits them at the end of her fantastic tale of passion, madness and fancy the last notes of water for elephants linger long after the book ends.
Young jacob is able to do whatever his heart desires including, jumping on. Oct 06, 2015 water for elephants 2011 bdrip 1080p rus. It captures the mood of the 1930s, and we the audience really get a sense of what it must have been like to live in that time in history. Marlena ran away from home to join the circus and married august, the head animal trainer. Later in the book, it is suggested that he is a paranoid schizophrenic, to explain his violence. A thousand splendid suns, memory keepers daughter, etc.
The author, sara gruen allows readers to read the book from two perspectives, one from young jacob and the other from older presentday jacob. Included throughout the book are portrait gems from the archives of the circus world, and that only added to the imageries already saturated in my mind. At the beginning of water for elephants, he is living out his days in a nursing home, hating every second of it. 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 by sara gruen book club discussion. Water for elephants has two plots going on, both starring the same main character, jacob. Water for elephants movie tiein by sara gruen, paperback. The circus train only had a limited amount of water on board, and elephants can drink 100300 litres per day approximately 2680 gallons. Water for elephants is a delightful, moving book, and the ending was a very pleasant surprise. This depressionera tale of life with a thirdrate traveling circus centers on. What makes water for elephants more intriguing is a third character, reminding us why christoph waltz deserved his supporting actor oscar for inglourious basterds 2009. There is an us and them mentality in the circus between performers and workers. The band starts playing very fast and the redlighters set all the circus animals loose.
His life wasnt always like this, however, because jacob ran away and joined the circus when he was twentyone. Aug 11, 2014 water for elephants interviews robert pattinson, reese witherspoon and christoph waltz. Use these book club discussion questions on water for elephants to lead your book clubs conversation on the story. Water for elephants final scene cam rus 2011 youtube. Water for elephants by sara gruen has spent weeks upon weeks on bestseller lists around the country. 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 sophisticated dorkiness. The movie water for elephants stays close to sara gruens beloved book particularly with the 1930s circus memories section. Water for elephants is a book that can be read and reread, recommended and handed off between friends. Gorgeous, brilliant, and superbly plotted, water for elephants swept me into the world of the circus during the depression, and it did not let me go until the very end. As i was reading, i kept expecting something to exhibit water for elephants besides mcguinty. He is particularly angry with one old man who says he once got the water for elephants in the circus.
But the book locked me in and all i could do was turn the pages until i reached page 331 and the story was complete. Feb 02, 2012 the movie water for elephants stays close to sara gruens beloved book particularly with the 1930s circus memories section. She wrote the book as part of national novel writing month. Jacob, the books narrator and protagonist, worked as a vet and trainer of sorts at a circus.
Water for elephants book and movie comparison by hannah. Water for elephants a dissapointed ending showing 150 of 116. Complete summary of sara gruens water for elephants. Because who doesnt love a pachyderm and a happy ending. Gruen transports us into the world of a thirdrate traveling circus during the great depression. Marlena is almost killed by august until he gets a. The story is told as a series of memories by jacob jankowski, a 93yearold man who lives in a nursing home.
While reading water for elephants i found the plot hyperbolic and excessively melodramatic and the characters little developed beyond their names. Read the book then got the audio cd for my daughter who has a disability it was good loved it. This book is every bit the fabulous escapist entertainment that the big top once was. If you havent seen water for elephants or read the novel its based on, stop reading now. The old people from the nursing home are about to visit a circus that showed up in the vicinity of their place. See more of official water for elephants movie on facebook. Jacob jankowski, a retired veterinarian living out his days in an assistedliving facility, drifts in and out of his memories. 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. He is portrayed as a bit of a rebel, arguing with other residents, complaining about the food. Water for elephants has a happy ending for jacob, but not for many other characters. Water for elephants book ending vs movie ending showing. May 26, 2006 i read water for elephants for our book club, and i expected it to be as slow, dull, and superficial as most of the other books we have read. The circus, the great depression, a complex elephant, equally complex love, the mists and twists of memory articulated in the utterly winning voice of a very old man whos seen it all. Jacob is an old man and he lives in a nursing home.
Water for elephants sara gruen books the new york times. Water for elephants original motion picture soundtrack. Differences between water for elephants book vs movie page 1. Water for elephants, 2007, sara gruen water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month.
Best narration of an audio book ever, and worth every penny. 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. With lines of startling beauty, haunting and evocative scenes and finelydrawn characters who dance off the page, readers can dip in and out of the novel, immersing themselves in jacobs memories. Water for elephants book ending vs movie ending showing 128 of. Marlena works with eleven horses on a routine shown under the big top. Sara gruens water for elephants is one of those books, but richard lagraveneses screenplay does not suffer from. As the headline suggests, were discussing the ending. Also, if you want a special treat, listen to it on audiobook. Chuck adams, executive editor at algonquin, said he understood ms. Dec 21, 2011 read the book then got the audio cd for my daughter who has a disability it was good loved it. I hate being so enamored with a book and then a crappy movie version comes along and tarnishes it. I didnt want to leave the pages that exposed the truth of jacob and marlenas affection or the cruelties of uncle al and august.
I was astounded at the lack of research which became clear when i. The movie was pretty blah, pattison was bland, no chemistry with. I would have given the book five stars if the books ending did not give a new meaning to cliche. Water for elephants i hesitated before spending the money. The only place the movie veers from the original is in its details of the older, current jacob. Water for elephants book vs movie add a difference. This read was chosen for my book club and what a fun book to plan a party around, would definitely recommend this book to friends, family and fellow book clubbers out there. For interested readers rooting for a satisfying ending, water for elephants succeeds.
In the book, jacobs narration takes place in his own mind. Weve probably all seen a movie and wished it were 40 minutes shorter or read a book and thought, damn, this really could have been condensed and lost nothing. He plays the circus owner, who is married to the bareback rider and keeps her and everyone else in his iron grip. Sep 07, 2016 i bought this book because of push advertising and regretted it. When jacob overhears a man at the assistedliving center confess to having been a water boy for the elephants in a circus, jacob knows the man is lying. Apr 22, 2011 8 big differences between water for elephants book and movie apr. Daily telegraph trust us, water for elephants is going to be one of the surprise. With a showmans expert timing, gruen saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of americana. And like many books, water for elephants sneaks in an extra ending or two, just for fun. Water for elephants book club discussion questions thoughtco. The two readers, david ledoux and john randolph jones, did a wonderful job of bringing both jacobs young and old to life. Only days before graduating from vet school in 1931, young jake learns his parents have died and left him penniless.
Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing. Even with the disagreement about the ending, my book club was in pretty unanimous agreement that water for elephants was a great book and one that we recommend to others. They create a plan to completely ruin the circus for good. Skim down to the end of spoilers note if you dont want.
Joshilyn jackson, author of gods in alabama 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. I actually think it would make a great summer read for people who want to learn something while getting a good story. Marlena is the main love interest in the book, water for elephants, and also a performer at the circus. The book club disagreed on the ending of the story. As much as the story focuses on the growth of jacobs masculine independence, gruen did not fail to surrender the lives of the cruel. Water for elephants is one of my most favorite books. Water for elephants resembles stealth hits like the giants house, by elizabeth mccracken, or the lovely bones, by alice sebold, books that combine outrageously whimsical premises with crowdpleasing romanticism. Water for elephants is the touching story of jacob jankowski, a ninetythreeyearold man, who is reminded of his colorful past when a circus sets up next door to his assistedliving center. The readers and critics had said it was too depressing and didnt end well. In one plot, jacob is a young guy just starting out in the world. This book assists to remind all of us that ordinary people have phenomenal tales to tell if we would certainly just bother to reduce as well as listen. On our first date, my husband took me to see tod brownings freaks, a 1932 horror film with a distinctly diane arbus feel.
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