An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of starcrossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of riding. When jacob jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, drifters, and misfits, a secondrate circus struggling to. Water for elephants is a 2011 american romantic drama film directed by francis lawrence and written by richard lagravenese, based on sara gruens 2006 novel of the same name. The only place the movie veers from the original is in its details of the older, current jacob. Water for elephants is a book that can be read and reread, recommended and handed off between friends. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. Set in the 1930s, a former veterinary student takes a job in a travelling circus and falls in love with the ringmasters wife. A thousand splendid suns, memory keepers daughter, etc. Based on the acclaimed bestseller, water for elephants presents an unexpected romance in a uniquely compelling setting. 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. At its finest, water for elephants resembles stealth hits like the giants house, by elizabeth mccracken, or the lovely bones, by alice sebold, books that combine outrageously whimsical premises with crowdpleasing romanticism.
Water for elephants was a completely different read for me. 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. Water for elephants is one of my most favorite books. Winner of the 2007 bookbrowse award for most popular book.
The movie water for elephants stays close to sara gruens beloved book particularly with the 1930s circus memories section. These book club discussion questions reveal important details about water for elephants by sara gruen. A national bestseller in canada and a new york times bestseller in the united states, this is a book destined to become a beloved fiction classic. It follows the story of a young man whose circumstances are suddenly altered and who finds himself homeless and jobless. So i purchased the book and slowly began retreating. Should the murderer in water for elephants be punished. Blackandwhite photographs of real american circus scenes from the first half of the century are interspersed throughout the.
The story is told by its main character, jacob who is now confined to. Only days before graduating from vet school in 1931, young jake learns his parents have died and left him penniless. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 335 pages and is available in paperback format. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices.
Water for elephants is an enchanting pageturner, the kind of book that creates a world that engulfs you from the first page to the last. Water for elephants has two plots going on, both starring the same main character, jacob. Winner of the 2007 bookbrowse diamond award for most popular book. At what point in his life did he seem to be the happiest. Water for elephants is a story about an elderly man, jacob, who recalls an adventure in his younger years. Water for elephants was adapted into a major motion picture starring reese witherspoon, rob pattinson, and. I hate being so enamored with a book and then a crappy movie version comes along and tarnishes it. Water for elephants thesis statements and essay topics. The truth is, it is summer and i am desperate for a distraction away from my recent obsession with greys anatomy reruns fueled by netflixs instant queue. Surprising, poignant, and funny, water for elephants is that rare novel with a story so engrossing, one is reluctant to put it down. Sara gruen has a voice to rival john irvings, and i am hopelessly, unabashedly in love with this book.
The concept of bringing water for elephants is mentioned in association with distinct instances in the book. Books that defined a generation water for elephants. Cast in credits order complete, awaiting verification. It stars reese witherspoon, robert pattinson, and christoph waltz the film was released in the united states on april 22, 2011. Veterinary school student jacob meets and falls in love with marlena, a star. Stories similar to water for elephants books, stories, and novels like water for elephants by sara gruen. Pdf water for elephants book by sara gruen free download.
I read water for elephants for our book club, and i expected it to be as slow, dull, and superficial as most of the other books we have read. He jumps aboard a passing train and discovers he has landed on the train of a travelling circus. It was adult, and it was realistic, and i loved it. 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. 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.
Water for elephants by sara gruen is a must read a story about a 90yearold man remembering his days with a circus during the great depression. The denver post so compelling, so detailed and vivid, that i couldnt bear to be torn away from it for a single minute. Read water for elephants absolutely for free at readanybook. The first edition of the novel was published in may 26th 2006, and was written by sara gruen.
Asian and african elephants are endangered by poachers, deforestation, and an uninformed public about these risks which could result in extinction of. Water for elephants is a rich surprise, a delightful gem springing from a fascinating footnote to history that absolutely deserved to be mined. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Download and read online for free water for elephants by sara gruen. Water for elephants is fun, sweet and thrilling and will pull you into the mysterious life of the circus so far that you wont want to leave. In the sections of the book set in the present, when jacob is in his 90s, he makes a big deal about his age and seems really upset by it. Enhancements were made to more precisely measure materials read in k2. In one plot, jacob is a young guy just starting out in the world. On our first date, my husband took me to see tod brownings freaks, a 1932 horror film with a distinctly diane arbus feel. 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.
Based on the book by sara gruen, water for elephants is the story of jacob jankowski who as an old man is recounting the tale of when he first. The main characters of this fiction, historical story are jacob jankowski, rosemary. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Free download or read online water for elephants pdf epub book.
Jacob is the moral center of the book, recognizing and, where possible, preventing those cruelties, and in the. In the book, jacobs narration takes place in his own mind. Sara gruens book, water for elephants, was a runaway best seller an internationally acclaimed novel told as the reminiscences of an old man, jacob, about his experiences with a depressionera circus where he witnessed the brutalities inflicted on people and animals alike. Water for elephants was adapted into a major motion picture starring reese witherspoon, rob pattinson, and christoph waltz. Although i wanted more emotion between marlena and jacob, its a romantic story, full of action, love for animals and a magnificent circus. With robert pattinson, reese witherspoon, christoph waltz, paul schneider. Jacob jankowski, a retired veterinarian living out his days in an assistedliving facility, drifts in and out of his memories. Cant say ive ever been curious enough about its workings to read a book revolving around one, but i am so glad i did because it was sooo much more than that. I fell in love with the picture you chose for your book the first time i saw it. 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. Use these book club discussion questions on water for elephants to lead your book clubs conversation on the story. Read free book excerpt from water for elephants by sara gruen, page 1 of 7. Water for elephants by sara gruen at the best online ebook storage.
It was the great depression and for jacob the circus was both his salvation and a living hell. Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. Water for elephants, 2007, sara gruen water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. Subscribe to the oprahs book club newsletter sign up for the oprahs book club newsletter get more stories like this delivered to your inbox get updates on your favorite shows. An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of starcrossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of riding lessons. Her works have been translated into fortythree languages and have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. The first signals the first time jacob comes close to admitting that he had been in the circus. The second is when the younger jacob is trying to join the circus and it is presented as a veteran. Overall, water for elephants was a book that grabbed me from the beginning.
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