Water for Elephant

 By: ryan    12:42 PM  Books, Sara Gruen   3 comments

Title: Water For Elephant
Author: Sara Gruen
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 9781444715989

Back Cover Text

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 a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.

What I Like About the Book

I got a pair of free movie tickets when purchasing this book in MPH Mid Valley. Hahahahaa!!

It seem that this may be like a love story of humans, you know the cover of Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon hugging each other, but it's more to love story between humans and animals .

I couldn’t help but falling for these 2 characters, the super talented Rosie the elephant and ever loyal Queenie (Kinko’s dog)! They all added humour to this story where in the movie didn't reveal more. I was expecting Rosie to come in much earlier in the story, but it appeared only much later. Nevertheless, this old beauty never ceased to make me fall for her over and over again. I could picture each animal, each scenario in my mind. I grew to love the characters through Jacob's eyes.

 (Jacob, Marlena and Rosie)

At first this book was very boring but once I got into it I could not put it down. It twisted and turned all over the place. It was such a relief despite some of the very depressing points that it had a great happy ending. It was like an interesting history lesson or a memoir and I learned a lot about the horrors of living with the circus in the early 20th century.The author did a great job giving Rosie the elephant human characteristics. I liked that it was told from the point of view of an older man looking back. Even his ending to the story was an amazing one.

 (Jacob and Rosie)

What I Don't Like About the Book

Not really like Marlena’s character, actually there’s nothing much to her character, rather a silly little lady who always feeling helpless and lost. What I hate the most is she chose Jacob not because that she loved him, but because she had nobody else she could rely on, poor Jacob.

 (August (you'll hate him) and Marlena)

Seriously, I'm so glad I finally picked up this book. (Is all because of the free movie tickets :P). I highly recommend it.

In case you don't like to read, here are the trailer of the movie: