Young jacob is able to do whatever his heart desires including, jumping on moving trains and fighting for the women he loves. Jacob also runs into a couple other interesting characters, most importantly his roomie, walter. May 26, 2006 when i finished reading water for elephants, goose bumps covered my skin. She was born in vancouver, british columbia, canada and was raised in london, ontario. A meticulously researched, fastpaced, engaging and ultimately very satisfying novel set mostly ina depression era travelling circus. Answered questions 22 seen this book around at sales a lotfinally picked it up. The grand rapids press you need this elephant in your life. To ask other readers questions about water for elephants, please sign up. Water for elephants every book has the same basic hero archetype.
The alternating glamour and squalor of the circus world gruen expertly conjures may truly be one of the greatest shows. Water for elephants is a book that can be read and reread, recommended and handed off between friends. It shouldnt be a surprise that in the prologue we cant tell whether jacob is talking about marlena or rosie when he uses the word she he loves them both and thinks of them both as individuals. May 26, 2006 water for elephants is the story of jacobs life with this circus. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Aug 05, 2008 a meticulously researched, fastpaced, engaging and ultimately very satisfying novel set mostly ina depression era travelling circus. Water for elephants book club discussion questions and answers. Read online water for elephants by sara gruen for free. The denver post so compelling, so detailed and vivid, that i couldnt bear to be torn away from it for a single minute. Apr 12, 2011 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. The choice of a childish rhyme from a childrens book as an epigraph for water for elephants is an interesting one.
Jacob is the main conflict in the book, water for elephants. Sara gruen has a voice to rival john irvings, and i am hopelessly, unabashedly in love with this book. May 22, 2006 jacob janowskis luck had run outorphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on a rickety train that was home to the benzini brothers most spectacular show on earth. Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. How do the chapters about the older jacob enrich the story about jacobs adventure with the circus. An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of starcrossed lovers, set in the circus world circa. 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 presentation by ashley lamere on prezi. Water for elephants is full of different struggles. In the beginning of the book, jacob leaves college and hops on a train.
Jacob becomes the circus vet and the protector of rosie, the sweettempered elephant whose story lies at the heart of the book. Sara gruen uses her talent as a writer to bring that world alive for the reader. Sara gruen has written an utterly transporting novel richly full of the stuff of life. Jacob jankowski was in his final year at cornell university studying to become a veterinarian. Cornell university was the setting for the beginning of the book, water for elephants. I hate being so enamored with a book and then a crappy movie version comes along and tarnishes it. 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.
At cornell, jacob met catherine hale, a young women who teased and flirted with him. My book was water for elephants and the protagonist was jacob. With the background of a lawyer, joseph is not one to turn down an argument. Read free book excerpt from water for elephants by sara gruen, page 1 of 7. Winner of the 2007 bookbrowse award for most popular book. The theme of age the theme of age if the fifth theme in the novel. Based on the acclaimed bestseller, water for elephants presents an unexpected romance in a uniquely compelling setting. August is an antagonist and jacob is a protagonist. Water for elephants by sara gruen depicts a number of themes discussed below. The theme of love love is the most evident theme throughout the novel.
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. What he didnt know was that the train he jumped on was a circus train. To peruse her writing career, gruen moved to the united states in 1999. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. People also love animals, and animals love them back.
Water for elephants is a rich surprise, a delightful gem springing from a fascinating footnote to history that absolutely deserved to be mined. The author, sara gruen allows readers to read the book from two perspectives, one from young jacob and the other from older presentday jacob. Water for elephants moves between a story about a circus and a story about an old man in a nursing home. Water for elephants movie tiein by sara gruen, paperback. 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. He hops a train to escape his grief and ends up joining the benzini brothers most spectacular show on earth a. His years were filled with schooling and court cases, compared to a lifetime of adventures with the circus lived by jacob. Trust us, water for elephants is going to be one of the surprise hits of 2011. The story is told as a series of memories by jacob jankowski, a 93yearold man who lives in a nursing home. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. Water for elephants rona brinlee of the bookmark in atlantic beach, fla. But besides offering a sweepyouoffyourfeet reading experience and a highlyanticipated movie adaptation late this month, there are plenty of opportunities. Sara gruen spares no detail in chronicling the squalid, filthy, brutish circumstances in which he finds himself. Download and read online for free water for elephants by sara gruen.
Love is a driving force in water for elephants, and its not limited to the love one human feels for another. This is where almost all of the action of the story took place. 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 study guide contains a biography of sara gruen, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. 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 earthotherwise known as a train circus in.
Even though a majority of the novel takes place under a circus tent, an uncommon place, the novel is easily realistic to readers because of gruens style of. The following quote from jacob, taken from the book, describes, in detail, the marvelous scene. Water for elephants by sara gruen at the best online ebook storage. Water for elephants compared to the story of jacob how i relate the two stories in terms of a ladder jacob progresses there is a lot of deception struggles with women man vs man conflict jacob and esau, jacob and august persistence or stubbornness authors reasoning.
Sara gruen is the best selling canadian author of water for elephants. The circus was the main setting of the book, water for elephants. When jacob jankowski arrived for the first time at the circus where he worked, he was in awe. Sara gruens very readable novel is a story of impossible love set in the circus world during the 1930s and is set to be made into a blockbuster film starring robert pattinson and reese witherspoon. Oct 21, 2009 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. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading water for elephants.
August can be very friendly and sweet on the surface, but deep down he is a cruel and cold man. Discussion of themes and motifs in sara gruens water for elephants. If jacob did not ride that train and become a vet for the circus, water for elephants would have never became a book. Is it primarily written for a female audience or will i.
After all, thisis definitely a book for adults that engages with very adult themes, language, and subject matter. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. See more ideas about elephant template, new baby products and diy hair bows. Veterinary school student jacob meets and falls in love with marlena, a star. They create a plan to completely ruin the circus for good. Many years before, jacob is a student at cornell university, studying veterinarian medicine in order to join. In the story, love is shown among the characters themselves. It was the great depression and for jacob the circus was both his salvation and a living hell. 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 is one of my most favorite books. The circus travels around and eventually acquires an elephant. Is it primarily written for a female audience or will i like it. The animals are mangy, underfed or fed rotten food, and abused.