An old jacob, played by hal holbrook, tells his story in flashback to a. I am pondering this sad fact when i realize the blackness of. This book assists to remind all of us that ordinary people have phenomenal tales to tell if we would certainly just bother to reduce as well as listen. Water for elephants quotes by sara gruen goodreads. As a young man, jacob jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the benzini brothers most spectacular show on earth. Rosemary is jacobs favorite nurse at the retirement home and the only one who really treats him. Water for elephants is one of my most favorite books. Water for elephants, 2007, sara gruen water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. Jacob is the main conflict in the book, water for elephants.
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 begins violently and then veers into weirder terrain. Take our free water for elephants quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test your knowledge. 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. A book about the water cycle water for elephants let there be water. Wfe big top archive 2 water for elephants the film. Gruen transports us into the world of a thirdrate traveling circus during the great depression.
Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. 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. When i read the book i never thought marlena killed august. Water for elephants by sara gruen book club discussion. Winner of the 2007 bookbrowse award for most popular book. August sees their destination as well as tries to get jacob redlighted, which indicates to be tossed of the moving train at twelve oclock at night. In water for elephants, jacob jankowski is invited to join marlena and august for dinner in their railway car.
At numerous points in the book, people try to excuse august s behavior by saying that hes a paranoid schizophrenic. August, the equestrian director, is a brutal man who mistreats the people around him and also mistreats the animals in his care. Water for elephants is a fascinating read, filled with danger, acts of evil, overwhelming kindness, and enduring love. Water for elephants was adapted into a major motion picture starring reese. Water for elephants was released in theaters on april 22, 2011.
Young jacob is able to do whatever his heart desires including, jumping on moving trains and fighting for the women he loves. But if you were to be on his bad side, he will be downright cruel. 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 a remarkable read, full of danger, acts of wickedness, overwhelming compassion, and withstanding love. What song plays when there is trouble at the circus. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Water for elephants questions and answers discover the community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on water for elephants. With no uncle al to bloviate, christoph waltzs august gets to play owner. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of water for elephants by sara gruen. Marlena is the main love interest in the book, water for elephants, and also a performer at the circus. Water for elephants book by sara gruen thriftbooks.
May 04, 2011 water for elephants makes use of a framing device similar to one the screenwriter used for the bridges of madison county. A water for elephants discussion from reading group guides writers digest interview with sara gruen. Water for elephants is the new york times bestselling debut novel by sara gruen. Bones, by alice sebold, books that combine outrageously whimsical. 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.
Water for elephants, published in 2007, is sara gruens third novel. The first edition of the novel was published in may 26th 2006, and was written by sara gruen. She wrote the book as part of national novel writing month. With robert pattinson, reese witherspoon, christoph waltz, paul schneider. Marlena ran away from home to join the circus and married august, the head animal trainer. Water for elephants is a delightful, moving book, and the ending was a very pleasant surprise. At numerous points in the book, people try to excuse augusts behavior by saying that hes a paranoid schizophrenic. In the united states and canada, water for elephants was released theatrically in 2,817 conventional theaters. Jacob is attracted to marlena from the first moment he sees her. And she quickly became one of its star attractions to boot.
Water for elephants two descriptions of the stampede. Pdf water for elephants book by sara gruen free download. Recommending new books each month to spark lively conversation. He is the selfappointed protector of the downtrodden, and. Jacob is able to train rosie, though, so he works with august to help get her to join the act.
Jacob jankowski, a veterinary student at cornell, discovers that his parents have been killed in a car accident. We thought you might enjoy cooking a variation on this meal and possibly serving it to your book club sometime, so we have come up with a menu that is slightly less elaborate, and perhaps less filling than the one described in the. Aug 28, 2012 still, given the constraints of time, water for elephants is a decent adaptation. I give up on rage, which at this point has become a formality, and make a mental note to get angry again in the morning. The significance of the title is that carrying water for elephants is a circus myth that people tell and this story actually tells the truth about circus life back then. Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing. Marlena explains that august and uncle al are delighted that jacob has joined.
Marlena works with eleven horses on a routine shown under the big top. But jacob doesnt believe theres excuse for his behavior. Water for elephants by sara gruen the new york times. She rebelliously ran away from home as a teenager, married august, and joined the circus. If you like water for elephants, you might like little heathens by mildred armstrong kalish seabiscuit by laura hillenbrand the adventures of miles and isabel by tom gilling. August 1, 2010 water for elephants filming is scheduled to wrap shooting this week according to director francis lawrences tweet on july 26th i am finding it a bittersweet ending to say the least. 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. Water for elephants is a story about an elderly man, jacob, who recalls an adventure in his younger years.
Their two, completely separate personalities clash and collide. His responsibilities draw him into the unpredictable orbit of august. Jacob develops a guarded relationship with august and his wife, marlena, with whom jacob falls in love. Apr 22, 2011 because of this, water for elephants is one of those few magical times when a movie is better than the book it is based on, when all the little details that generally engender people to love a. Water for elephants has two plots going on, both starring the same main character, jacob.
Jacob, out of his love for marlena and rosie drove him to carry this gigantic secret, a feat nearly as impossible as carrying water for elephants. A novel by gruen, sara published by algonquin books. Sara gruens water for elephants is one of those books, but richard. The author, sara gruen allows readers to read the book from two perspectives, one from young jacob and the other from older presentday jacob. The inspiration for the book was a chicago tribune article about edward j.
Surprising, poignant, and funny, water for elephants is that rare novel with a story so engrossing, one is reluctant to put it down. Later in the book, it is suggested that he is a paranoid schizophrenic, to explain his violence. August sees their attraction and attempts to get jacob redlighted, which means to be thrown of the moving train at midnight. There he met marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to august, the charismatic. Mar 11, 2011 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. If youre on his good side, august is sure to treat you royally and be charismatic as well. In the beginning of the novel, jacob mocks another resident of the nursing home who claims to have worked in the circus and carried water for the elephants. Beautifully written, water for elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. Israels solution for a waterstarved world our world of water. I cling to my anger with every ounce of humanity left in my ruined body, but its no use. Hes a wifebeater, an animal abuser, and a downright cruel individual.
The two readers, david ledoux and john randolph jones, did a wonderful job of bringing both jacobs young and old to life. He also meets rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her. The story is told as a series of memories by jacob jankowski, a 93yearold man who lives in a nursing home. But be warned, this isnt the order of events in the book. August august is the owner of the circus, married to marlena, and a paranoid schizophrenic. I watched the filmmovie titled water for elephants before reading the book. The main characters of this fiction, historical story are jacob jankowski, rosemary. To carry water for elephants would be such a strenuous, nearly impossible task. August can be very friendly and sweet on the surface, but deep down he is a cruel and cold man. The circus train only had a limited amount of water on board, and elephants can drink 100300 litres per day approximately 2680 gallons. Determine which chapters, themes and styles you already know and what you need to study for your upcoming essay, midterm, or final exam. You hear about animals being mistreated at circuses, and certainly thats shown in the book through characters like august. The water for elephants community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. August is an antagonist and jacob is a protagonist.
Also, if you want a special treat, listen to it on audiobook. Sara gruens arresting new novel, water for elephants, explores similar subject. When two people are meant to be together, they will be together. Water for elephants is a best book club book for discussion, about the bond of love, trust, hope, and survival that grows between a circus trio during the depression. Free download or read online water for elephants pdf epub book.
In one plot, jacob is a young guy just starting out in the world. Any circus has more than their fair share of interesting characters, and gruens circus is no exception. Water for elephants movie tiein by sara gruen, paperback. Then i let myself drift, because theres really no fighting it. In what ways and to what extent do the words pathetic grandeur describe the world that gruen creates in her novel. Together, jacob and marlena strive to protect and save rosie. I felt that one of the best things about water for elephants was the two jacobs tellings of the story. Jul 12, 2007 water for elephants begins violently and then veers into weirder terrain.
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