Water for Elephants
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Summary
Add a SummaryJacob Jankowski is just a normal, young adult that is studying at college to become a vet. However, everything changes when both his parents died. Homeless and without any money, Jacob takes his chances by jumping onto a passing train. There he is welcomed as a vet for the animals. As the days go on, he's become great friends with August, a circus boss, and his wife Marlena, a performer. Slowly Jacob begins to fall in love with Marlena and hate August for his cruelty to the animals and other men. Meanwhile, the circus buys an elephant named Rosie, who at first seemed stupid and worthless, was soon a main act of the show, thanks to Jacob. Then August accuses Jacob and Marlena of having an affair behind his back, which made him go into a madmen state, beating up Jacob and hitting his own wife. Suffering enough of the abuse, Marlena divorces him and Jacob was there immediately to support her. As Uncle Al (overall circus manager) realizes that August is becoming difficult to work with due to his hate for himself because of what he did to Marlena and Jacob, he forces Jacob to try to get Marlena and August back together. However, Jacob doesn’t follow the command, still having affairs with Marlena, but when his two close friends gets 'redlighted', he realizes that Uncle Al was going after him. Luckily enough, a terrible stampede happened on the next circus act, leaving many of the workers homeless, and August and Uncle Al dead. Jacob immediately marries Marlena and decide to join Ringling's circus, where they had their first child. As the story goes, another story unfolding as well - the one with Jacob as ninety or ninety three (it's a debate throughout the book) reflecting on what happened through his life in the circus and his life now, in a nursing home with others of his own age or younger. In the end, even though no one came to visit Jacob and take him to the circus near the senior’s home, Jacob was determined and arrived at the circus on his own. There, he meets the manager of the circus who listens to his story and offers him a job in the circus as a ticket holder, and never does Jacob go back to the nursing home.
After accidentally running away with the circus, a young man finds danger, happiness, love, friendship and his future among the animals.
Notices
Add a NoticeSexual Content: This title contains Sexual Content.
Coarse Language: This title contains Coarse Language.
Quotes
Add a QuoteI hate him. I hate him for being so brutal. I hate that I'm beholden to him. I hate that I'm in love with his wife and something damned close to that with the elephant. And most of all, I hate that I've let them both down.
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Water For Elephants Movie Trailer Official (HD)
Water For Elephants hits theaters on April 15th, 2011. Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Christoph Waltz, James Frain Based on the acclaimed bestseller, "Water for Elephants" presents an unexpected romance in a uniquely compelling setting. Veterinary school student Jacob meets and falls in love with Marlena, a star performer in a circus of a bygone era. They discover beauty amidst the world of the Big Top, and come together through their compassion for a special elephant. Against all odds - including the wrath of Marlena's charismatic but dangerous husband, August - Jacob and Marlena find lifelong love. Water For Elephants trailer courtesy 20th Century Fox.
OBOB 2010
Burlington Public Library's One Book One Burlington pick, 2010!
Water for Elephants
Comment
Add a CommentA story about a young boy working for a traveling circus. It reverts to his life at a nursing home at the age of 92. It was an excellent story.
I like the story well enough it was a new thing for me to learn more about the circus behind the circus. I think what I liked most about this story is the voice the author created for Jacob Jankowski. I cant explain but the way the author had Jacob describe his aging touched a very soft spot for me. I think the author did a good job in capturing how people feel and think as they get older.
Water for Elephants is an engrossing story about life in an early 1930's, depression-era traveling circus, but is also about so much more. Jacob Jankowski is presently ninety or ninety-three (he doesn't recall) and living out the end of his life in a nursing home. He has family who visit, but they are busy enough with their own lives that he is largely forgotten. A circus comes to town and Jacob thinks back on his own youthful experiences. I appreciate the story's realistic portrayal of early 20th century circus life. The animals live and work in conditions that are horrific, but at the same time they are the lifeblood of the show next to the human performers and are therefore treated well enough to that extent. The author, Sara Gruen, mentions in an interview that many of the anecdotes in the tale are plucked from real life accounts. (For example, an elephant stealing lemonade from the lemonade stand when no one is looking.) Truth is stranger than fiction, indeed.
I wanted to like it, but something about the writing and the narration is off-sync with each other.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected to... I went through it really quickly and would recommend it.
I really enjoyed this story. I hope the movie gave this book justice.
greatttttt book!
I didn't actually think I'd like this book so I kept by-passing it in the bookstore. Then I was forced to see the movie and it was better than I expected, but when my mother suggested I read the book as well, I was reluctant. I'm glad I did though. The book is better than the movie and it's so quick moving, I think I finished it in a couple of days. I would really recommend this one!
The voices for the Old vs young Jacob was the highlite of the CD version. This is one of my favorite stories. Both read and listened to.
very good book.