If you say that you carried water for elephants, i am. Water for elephants is a rich surprise, a delightful gem springing from a fascinating footnote to history that absolutely deserved to be mined. I hate being so enamored with a book and then a crappy movie version comes along and tarnishes it. The story in this novel is told as a series of memories by a ninetythree year old man called jacob jankowski. Marlenas marriage to august is an internal conflict for. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The band starts playing very fast and the redlighters set all the circus animals loose. Water for elephants with little aid from her shoddy prose, predictable plot and. Earlier in the book, when the older jacob is given drugs in the nursing home, he describes the sensation of unconsciousness in a strikingly similar way. Water for elephants is a love story, with a triangle at its center.
She wrote the book as part of national novel writing month. Besides the circus spending money it doesnt have on an elephant, the internal conflict that uncle al has is that everyone thinks he is a bit crazy, uncle al is delirious, standing in the center of the hippodrome track with his arms and face raised, basking in the coins that rain down on him. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of water for elephants by sara gruen. Water based on the novel, water can symbolize the purification and a clean start. The only place the movie veers from the original is in its details of the older, current jacob. Water for elephants starts off with jacob jankowsi in an assisted living home with jacob rotting away toward the end of his life. Of course, that is part of the story and life in a circus at the time was no joy for animals or humans. For example jacob describes an event by saying, when i first submerge my feet in the frigid water, they hurt so badly i yank them out again. I didnt read the book, but i hope its better developed than the movie. Jul 23, 2018 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 climax of the the book, water for elephants, is when several survivors who were redlighted return to the circus during one of the shows. Water for elephants moves between a story about a circus and a story about an old man in a nursing home. One day during class, dean wilkins, a dean at cornell, tells jacob son, there was an accident.
Writing in a different gender role can be challenging, however, i did not find the male perspective in this novel. Water for elephants in one plot, jacob is a young guy just starting out in the world. Generals throughout recorded history have used elephants as tanks, bulldozers, and cargo trucks. 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. August can be very friendly and sweet on the surface, but deep down he is a cruel and cold man. Jacob is the main conflict in the book, water for elephants. Water for elephants is the new york times bestselling debut novel by sara gruen. This book, as the rest of her collection, was written in english, same. On our first date, my husband took me to see tod brownings freaks, a 1932 horror film with a distinctly diane arbus feel. By watching the movie you can get a better idea of the craziness and confusion going on. Jacob jankowski, a retired veterinarian living out his days in an assistedliving facility, drifts in and out of his memories. The buildings are flat and ugly but that is nothing compared to the noises and smells coming from the buildings. But be warned, this isnt the order of events in the book. The consequences of humanelephan t conflict are not only of key conservation concern but also ar e major soci oeconomic and politi cal issues.
Human elephant conflict mitigation international elephant. Water for elephants is fun, sweet and thrilling and will pull you into the mysterious life. In most african nations today, the real and perceived costs of humanelephant conflict hec greatly outweigh the potential benefits and, subsequently, elephants are increasingly being excluded from many parts of their former range. With robert pattinson, reese witherspoon, christoph waltz, paul schneider. They have also been cut, speared, bombed, and napalmed for their efforts. Goodreads members who liked water for elephants also liked. Water for elephants by sara gruen examines the life of 93yearold jacob jankowski who worked for years in the circus as a veterinarian. Sara gruen has written an utterly transporting novel richly full of the stuff of life. The title, water for elephants, is almost a little inside joke with the reader once weve finished the book, that is.
Water for elephants was a completely different read for me. Set in the 1930s, a former veterinary student takes a job in a travelling circus and falls in love with the ringmasters wife. Its been there awhile, biding its time and growing closer with each revolution 1. Growing through conflict jacob jankowski faces many conflicts throughout water for elephants, as one could expect any protagonist would. August is an antagonist and jacob is a protagonist. 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. Books that perform well based on their reader engagement are published by inkitt in different formats and channels. Water for elephants book discussion questions water for elephants moves between a story about a circus and a story about an old man in a nursing home. He begins reflecting on this time in his life because a circus sets up beside his assistedliving center. Water for elephants is a story about an elderly man, jacob, who recalls an adventure in his younger years. Sara gruen, a writer from vancouver, canada, place where she presently lives.
Sara gruen has a voice to rival john irvings, and i am hopelessly, unabashedly in love with this book. 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. After his parents death, jacob jankowski is left penniless and homeless. What are the main conflicts in sara gruens novel water. Water for elephants is a book that can be read and reread, recommended and handed off between friends. Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. There, he works as the shows vet, and falls ever more in love with marlena, the star of the circus and beautiful wife of the temperamental ringmaster august. Water for elephants can be an unnerving view for animal lovers. Overall, water for elephants was a book that grabbed me from the beginning. Marlena is married to august, but she and jacob fall in love. The movie water for elephants stays close to sara gruens beloved book particularly with the 1930s circus memories section. It follows the story of a young man whose circumstances are suddenly altered and who finds himself homeless and jobless. 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.
Use these book club discussion questions on water for elephants to lead your book clubs conversation on the story. Setting great depression summer of 31 midwest nursing home significance conservative desperation hot transient staunch boring monotonous role of fate audience teens and young adults americans both movie and novel have the flair of 50s movies in the danger, melodrama. How do the chapters about the older jacob enrich the story about jacobs adventure with the circus. There is a great deal of animal abuse and even if it is simulated, it feels real. It was adult, and it was realistic, and i loved it. 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. What is the main problemconflict in water for elephants. August goes on rages and rants of complete insanity due to the. School district 2010 after a parent complained about the novels sexual content. They create a plan to completely ruin the circus for good. 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. While reading water for elephants i found the plot hyperbolic and.
Water for elephants is a historical novel written by canadian author sara gruen, first published in 2006 by algonquin books of chapel hill. Teams respond as needed, often driving wild elephants back into the forest using the camp elephants, and recording detailed assessments of any site damage. 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. An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of starcrossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of riding lessons. Events lead him to joining the circus as their vet, working under their unstable boss august whose violent tendencies give everyone reason to be. The circus train only had a limited amount of water on board, and elephants can drink 100300 litres per day approximately 2680 gallons.
Only days before graduating from vet school in 1931, young jake learns his parents have died and left him penniless. 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. Immediate response to humanelephant conflict incidents has become a routine cru activity in the area. May 22, 2006 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. Water for elephants is based on a bestselling novel of the same name by sara gruen. The major conflict concerns august and his conception about the most precious things in his life. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. Capturing the illuminate and pure magic of the circus is no easy task for an author. It was the great depression and for jacob the circus was both his salvation and a living hell. Kelly, jennifer, sabrina and lizzy overall, i quite enjoyed water for elephants and would recommend it to others.
This is the story of their largely forgotten role in the history of warfare. With gruens bestselling book as his source material here, lawrence concentrates on more domestic horrors missing in his other films. Ana is the daughter of matthias, head scribe to herod antipas, tetrarch of galilee. Bitter, alone, and vengeful, my heart swelled for jacob as an old.
A conflict jacob encounters involves his boss, a schizophrenic named august, and his. Mar 01, 2011 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. In one plot, jacob is a young guy just starting out in the world. Water for elephants, 2007, sara gruen water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. Find books like water for elephants from the worlds largest community of readers.
Every few chapters, the narrative switches from one jacob to the other. I know i shouldnt do this, but somehow i cant help myself. This clip from the movie, water for elephants, shows the stampede scene. Jacob, the books narrator and protagonist, worked as a vet and trainer of sorts at a circus. The circus, the great depression, a complex elephant, equally complex love, the mists and twists of memory articulated in the utterly winning voice of a very old man whos seen it all.
Catastrophic poaching in the 1970s and 80s saw their populations plummet to a mere fraction of pre 1970s numbers. 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. When jacob jankowski is tossed by fate onto a rickety depressionera circus train, he enters a world that is both his salvation and a living hell. A thousand splendid suns, memory keepers daughter, etc. Water for elephants is the touching story of jacob jankowski, a ninetythreeyearold man, who is reminded of his colorful past when a circus sets up next door to his assistedliving center. Water for elephants book club discussion questions and. Its the story of jacob, who runs away to the circus during the depression when his life falls apart around him.
It stars reese witherspoon, robert pattinson, and christoph waltz the film was released in the united states on april 22, 2011. Th erefore, resoluti on o f humanelephan t confli ct is a m ajor con cern an d a hi gh pri ority f or con servati on of elephants in range countries. Second conflict in water for elephants more conflicts jacob jankowski encounters in water for elephants have to do with his parents deaths. The story is told as a series of memories by jacob jankowski, a 93yearold man who lives in a nursing home. Water for elephants is one of my most favorite books. Water for elephants by sara gruen scholastic books for. The riot ends augusts life, which has caused much conflict between august and marlena, as well as between august and jacob. The story is dark and violent and follows a storyline seen in so many films. Water for elephants movie tiein by sara gruen, paperback. It is there that he falls in love with marlena, the equestrian star married to the maniacal. As the sadistic august, waltz simmers with alternating charm and viciousness two qualities he perfected in his oscarwinning turn in inglourious basterds.
Read water for elephants absolutely for free at readanybook. Winner of the 2007 bookbrowse diamond award for most popular book. Water for elephants book club discussion questions and answers. One of the main problems is a lack of character development, especially for the supporting players. The prologue features a younger version of jacob, who works at a circus and. Camel jim norton is an old roustabout with a drinking problem. At its finest, water for elephants resembles stealth hits like the giants house, by elizabeth mccracken, or the lovely bones, by alice sebold, books. Their two, completely separate personalities clash and collide. Gruen transports us into the world of a thirdrate traveling circus during the great depression. Water for elephants has two plots going on, both starring the same main character, jacob. Water for elephants a depressionera circus provides the backdrop for sara gruens latest novel, water for elephants. Water for elephants by sara gruen wherewhy its been banned. Stories similar to water for elephants books, stories, and novels like water for elephants by sara gruen. 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.
What are the main conflicts in sara gruens novel water for elephants. 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. Read online water for elephants by sara gruen for free. These book club discussion questions reveal important details about water for elephants. Water for elephants by sara gruen at the best online ebook storage. Jul 04, 2011 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. When jacob overhears a man at the assistedliving center claim to have been a water boy for the elephants on a circus, jacob knows the man is lying because jacob himself once worked as a.
Elephants have gored, stomped, and sliced their way through infantry and cavalry with great success. She demonstrates an exceptional aptitude for writing, and matthias, for a time, indulges her with reed pens, papyri, and other 16 c. I persist, dunking them for longer and longer periods. When jacob overhears a man at the assistedliving center confess to having been a water boy for the elephants in a circus, jacob knows the man is lying. 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. Parade novelist gruen unearths a lost world with her rich and surprising portrayal of life in a traveling circus in the 30s. The african elephant is perhaps the most iconic migratory land mammal on the continent. 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. Within this relationship lies the key conflict in water for elephants.
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