Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen
Monday, February 22, 2010
Interesting title – the first word that hopped in when I decided on this book on suggestions from wonderful reader colleagues. At the first glance, it is the story of a travelling circus, the colors, the canvas tops, the tricks and the parade. Deep down, there is much more in the offering like the ingredients of a master piece – be it the love for animals, the background hum all throughout the book, the human factor, a friendship and the breath of a fresh romance.
Jacob Jankowski leaves his life as a Cornell University veterinary student after losing both his parents in a car accident, and jumps onto a train that happens to house the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. The novel is structured as a memoir when Jacob is in old age home musing over his life. The seamless transition of Jacob in the past to the present is rendered beautifully with the reader awake as if from a dream. With a skill of keen observation, the behaviors of animals, especially, Rosie the elephant, the business eye behind circus, the cruelty arising from money, are all portrayed. A lot of circus terms and other English colloquial words gives an authenticity and completion. The romance that buds between Jacob and Marlena as they are united in their love for Rosie reaches the hearts of readers, especially when Jacob says – “I want her to melt into me, like butter on toast. I want to absorb her and walk around for the rest of my days with her encased in my skin”.
The life of Jacob in old age home as he talks about his kids and the way elders are treated gives a jolt, misting the eyes on several instances. When Jacob talks about age - "Age is a terrible thief. Just when your getting the hang of life, it knocks your legs out from under you and stoops your back. It makes you ache and muddies your head and silently spreads cancer throughout your spouse." This made me think, as I kept staring into space for a while….
Jacob Jankowski leaves his life as a Cornell University veterinary student after losing both his parents in a car accident, and jumps onto a train that happens to house the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. The novel is structured as a memoir when Jacob is in old age home musing over his life. The seamless transition of Jacob in the past to the present is rendered beautifully with the reader awake as if from a dream. With a skill of keen observation, the behaviors of animals, especially, Rosie the elephant, the business eye behind circus, the cruelty arising from money, are all portrayed. A lot of circus terms and other English colloquial words gives an authenticity and completion. The romance that buds between Jacob and Marlena as they are united in their love for Rosie reaches the hearts of readers, especially when Jacob says – “I want her to melt into me, like butter on toast. I want to absorb her and walk around for the rest of my days with her encased in my skin”.
The life of Jacob in old age home as he talks about his kids and the way elders are treated gives a jolt, misting the eyes on several instances. When Jacob talks about age - "Age is a terrible thief. Just when your getting the hang of life, it knocks your legs out from under you and stoops your back. It makes you ache and muddies your head and silently spreads cancer throughout your spouse." This made me think, as I kept staring into space for a while….
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