Water for Elephants

It was written okay, and actually, I was a little disappointed in the end. The book held such a good story plot and the ending was a flop. I was expecting a bigger tragedy to complete the story to complete Jacob's character when he's older because he's bitter and frail. Her symbolism was very good though, using water, elephants, and tracks from the train as symbols to bring out the book. I...more

It was written okay, and actually, I was a little disappointed in the end. The book held such a good story plot and the ending was a flop. I was expecting a bigger tragedy to complete the story to complete Jacob's character when he's older because he's bitter and frail. Her symbolism was very good though, using water, elephants, and tracks from the train as symbols to bring out the book. I really can't wait to see the movie though.   hide

Sara Gruen's 'Water for Elephants' was one of the best books I read that year. The story follows a travelling circus and characters involved. It was so well written that while reading I was completely lost in its pages and couldn't hear the bark of the circus caller, smell the fresh straw for the animals and see the high ceiling in the Big Top. Excellent novel and highly recommended.

I went into this book with mixed feelings. I had read great, spectacular reviews and I had read several failed to live up reviews. I must admit, the first half left me leaning towards the latter, but I soon became engrossed in the story and ending up enjoying it. The first half doesn't diappoint as it is tied into the whole story. An interesting view into depression-era circus life.

I wanted to love "Like Water for Elephants" as much as the reviewers said I should. The premise revolves around a young boy running away with a traveling circus and pretty much living the harsh reality of any kid's dream. It sounds endearing and harrowing and horrific all at the same time (i.e. something you would want to read), right? Sara Gruen, the novel's author,...more

I wanted to love "Like Water for Elephants" as much as the reviewers said I should. The premise revolves around a young boy running away with a traveling circus and pretty much living the harsh reality of any kid's dream. It sounds endearing and harrowing and horrific all at the same time (i.e. something you would want to read), right? Sara Gruen, the novel's author, does a great job at cluing you in on the people and their mannerisms as well as the gruesome lives they lead. There's no shortage of grit and highly improbable behavior here. The main character, Jacob Jankowski, faces drunken strong-men, lions, and a midget with an ax to grind. All this while falling for a beautiful dame and trying to acclimate himself to the life of a 1930s D-rated circus show. My problem with the plot itself mostly fell on the lack of depth that the author felt she needed to go to get her point across. Using a writing style indicative of some major Hollywood movies, everything builds up for about 3 or 4 paragraphs until, at the climatic point, we have a page break and then the plot jumps to the aftermath of the matter. Ms. Gruen would even edge a tryst for several chapters before leaving you with virtually nothing to show for it. The prologue for the novel fools you into believing you're going to see what it is that's happening behind the magic curtain. This is the sucking point that gets you to read all 335 pages of the plot. The problem is, I don't think even the author knew what it is that's going on behind that Big Top tent. The novel felt very "okay" and extremely over-hyped much like the Benzini Brothers circus she wrote about.   hide

Fast, easy read that also strikes a chord with a wide variety of generations. Captures the angst of the 20-somethings and the 80 age group perfectly, drawing a common thread between these two often disparate age groups. It evokes a wide range of emotions and seems to be timed perfectly for me as I come to terms with the fact that life always changes whether I want it to or not. I recommend...more

Fast, easy read that also strikes a chord with a wide variety of generations. Captures the angst of the 20-somethings and the 80 age group perfectly, drawing a common thread between these two often disparate age groups. It evokes a wide range of emotions and seems to be timed perfectly for me as I come to terms with the fact that life always changes whether I want it to or not. I recommend this book, especially if you liked the movies "the Bucket LIst" and "No country for old men." Readers may also like to check outa book by Rosamunde Pilcher called "WInter Solstice". So far, so good. My friend Molly gave me her copy of this book and I'm finally getting around to reading it.   hide

A glimpse of the circus life during the Great Depression. Great book, kept me engaged from every page. Learned a lot about the history, the life, and was satisfied by the imagery and with the entire story. I liked how the author used real stories and used them in the novel. Anyways, I loved how it transported me into a different world. If anyone wants to read a book full of adventure,...more

A glimpse of the circus life during the Great Depression. Great book, kept me engaged from every page. Learned a lot about the history, the life, and was satisfied by the imagery and with the entire story. I liked how the author used real stories and used them in the novel. Anyways, I loved how it transported me into a different world. If anyone wants to read a book full of adventure, romance, then read it!! Can you believe elephants had to be executed if they were too dangerous to work with!! Or if they killed their trainer. Crazy. Little facts like this shocked me. I discovered a love for American Circus History!! This author created this complex story out of anectodotes of facts from history. For instance, elephant executions because they would murder their trainer. It was interesting reading about the American Circus performers and how they managed during the great depression. I really want to read "Wild, Werid, and Wonderful: The American Circus as Seen by F.w. Glasier, and look at old photographs from this book "The Photographs of Edwards J. Ketty." This book got me interested in American Circus History. This author had to travel and research old books about the Circus during the Great Depression. What I learned was that there were elephant executions because the elephants would kill their trainers. Since I finished this novel, now I want to read "Wild, Weird, and Wonderful: The American Circus as Seen by F.W. Glasier and "The photographs of Edwards J. Ketty." Ketty's books are expensive though. I couldn't check it out from the library. Maybe Barnes has it.   hide

"Best seller" does not always mean "best writing," and this book is a good example. Water for Elephants is a fun, easy read with some suspenseful moments, pretty words, and a gritty look at circus life during Prohibition. It made me smile. It made me feel sad. I liked it. But it has downfalls, the sort of flaws my creative writing professors slapped wrists over, including essentially flat...more

"Best seller" does not always mean "best writing," and this book is a good example. Water for Elephants is a fun, easy read with some suspenseful moments, pretty words, and a gritty look at circus life during Prohibition. It made me smile. It made me feel sad. I liked it. But it has downfalls, the sort of flaws my creative writing professors slapped wrists over, including essentially flat characters, lots of "tell" instead of "show," and an intentionally misleading prologue. If you have a family member attached to romance novels, this is a great step up from a bodice ripper, but it will likely disappoint English majors. A happy, well-researched book, but one that will leave readers more attached to the lemonade-stealing pachyderm than any of its human characters.   hide

A good adventure, but predictable and not entirely interesting. The characters are shallow and two dimensional, and none of them ever do anything that wouldn't be expected for their 'type'. The plot is narrow, and the metaphors are often too simple and sometimes drag. At times the author tries to be edgy, but ends up seeming more pornographic and over the top. Also, it is way too similar to "The...more

A good adventure, but predictable and not entirely interesting. The characters are shallow and two dimensional, and none of them ever do anything that wouldn't be expected for their 'type'. The plot is narrow, and the metaphors are often too simple and sometimes drag. At times the author tries to be edgy, but ends up seeming more pornographic and over the top. Also, it is way too similar to "The Final Confession of Mable Stark", which was written first and is a better book all around - in fact, Mable Stark is an excellent book and I'd highly recommend it! Both books are the first person reminisces of elderly people who were performers during the golden age of the circus. Both narratives flash from present to past, with the narraters bemoaning the bland life of elderly people in America.   hide

Good read, subject researched thoroughly and rendered in perfect language.Interesting characters and old age and condition of circus at that time depicted vividly and drastically...Good story too.