Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

[Janet]

I thought this had been reviewed already but I've searched and I can't see one. This is only a short review, I'm afraid!

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Water-Elephants-Sara-Gruen/dp/0340962720/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201468482&sr=8-3)

The ‘Blurb’

When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, grifters and misfits – the Benzini brothers Most Spectacular show on Earth – a second-rate travelling circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town.

Jacob, a veterinary student who almost earned his degree, 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.

Water for Elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. It tells a story of love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.

Jacob Jankowski lives in a nursing home and is 90. Or is he 93? He can’t quite remember. However, he can remember a time in the 1930s where he ran away and joined the circus and all the adventure that followed as though it was yesterday.

Narrated by Jacob in flashback form, this book is unlike anything I’ve read before but I really enjoyed it. I was captivated by the characters from the start and the story is enthralling.

2008 is shaping up to be an excellent year book-wise!

The paperback is 331 pages long and is published by Hodder. The ISBN number is 978-0340935460.

9/10

(Read January 2008)

[madcow]

Sounds like a great read going to add it to my wish list.

[poppy]

This sounds great Janet. I've just reserved it from the library :D

[sarahdale24]

What a great review! I will definantly be going and checking this one out soon! Thanks!

[Louiseog]

I read it last year and it made my top ten it was on my list thingy!
I cried at the end so fab!

[poppy]

I've just finished this book and really enjoyed it, I couldn't stop reading. Wouldn't recommend it for people who are sensitive to animal cruelty, and the violence is pretty graphic at times. Imagine this is pretty true-to-life to what circus life would have been in the 1930's in the USA, not an easy time, but a fascinating insight.
I wonder if you didn't know the author was a female, you would have thought this was written by a male? I found her style very gritty, maybe it was because it was narrated by Jacob.
Thank you for the recommendation Janet, a thoroughly good read :)

[sarahdale24]

Bought this book the other night, Ill be starting it soon!

[Echo]

I've been trying to read this book for the past month or so. I got distracted by other books, but I'm planning on returning to it soon. I'm about halfway through, and though it's good, I've read better.

[Ronny]

It was one of my favorite reads last year, I think it did a great job portraying the dark, seedy part of circus life and yet it still managed to show the pull that it can have.

I thought the author did a great job with the characters, the setting and as Poppy said telling it from a male point of view, had she used just her initials instead I may not of guess it was a woman.

I want to read her other book Riding Lessons, about a teenage girl and her horse training for equestrian jumping in the Olympics, that has an accident (it looks as if she has two books about the same character/them because the other Flying Changes had much the same description as Riding Lessons. Has anyone read either of these or know if one is a sequel?).

I saw she has a new book coming out in I think 2009 called Ape House while I was on Amazon too, but there was no description yet..

[madcow]

Reserved a copy at my local library today, just got wait for it to arrive.

[Inver]

I just received this book recently in a box of books that arrived unexpectedly. Glad it is having good reviews on here as I was wondering what it was like, didn't really look like my kind of book, but might give it a go now.:readingtwo:

[Purple Princess]

Thanks for a great review Janet.

I bought this book from Tesco the other day as you gave it such a good review, it was on two for £7 so I also got The Book Thief too. I'm looking forward to starting it :smile2: