Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen ~ Started: 10.03.10 ~ Finished: 18.03.10
Synopsis ~
Orphaned, penniless Jacob Jankowski jumps a freight train in the dark, and in that instant, transforms his future.
By morning, he's landed a job with the Flying Squadron of the Benzine Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. By Nightfall, he's in love.
In an America made colourless by prohibition and the Depression, the circus is a refuge of sequins and sensuality. But behind the glamour lies a darker world, where both animals and men are dispensable. Where falling in love is the most dangerous act of all...
'Water for Elephants' was recommended to me by two friend of mines, Claire and Kelly and it took me awhile to get around to buying it and eventually reading it, so thank you Claire and Kelly for the recommendation because (and believe me it deserves the capital letters) I LOVE THIS BOOK, I have never been so engrossed in a story since 'A Wild Sheep Chase' by Haruki Murakami and have never loved a character more than Jacob Jankowski, the story is told brilliantly, visually stunning, you can imagine the sights and sounds of the circus, Rosie the elephant, the main heroine of the story, is described so well and despite the fact she is a elephant she will always be a beloved character for me, she is shown in a way that despite her size she is delicate, loving, funny and stubborn.
As mentioned the characters are written well, it feels effortless to read them, you feel the love that authors has for her characters and you will share it because in their own way they are all amazing people and animals, the story of the circus is told from a historical point of view, many of the tales shared in the story actually happened in various circuses (one example being, the lion and a dishwasher hiding together under a sink).
An amazing story of love, courage and how much circuses were a part of American history.
Read as soon as possible and I know I will read it again and again.
Rating: 10/10