Sara gruen has written an utterly transporting novel richly full of the stuff of life. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of water for elephants by sara gruen. The book begins with the end of the story in the past the stampede and then goes into the details leading up to the stampede. I was, for the first time in years, saddened to come to the end of this book.
After his parents death, jacob jankowski is left penniless and homeless. Just when you think the story might be over, you get another little bit of narrative. Water for elephants book vs movie add a difference. Water for elephants ending woda dla sloni napisy pl hd duration. Water for elephants book ending vs movie ending showing. 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. 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. Oct 06, 2015 water for elephants 2011 bdrip 1080p rus. As much as the story focuses on the growth of jacobs masculine independence, gruen did not fail to surrender the lives of the cruel. Daily telegraph trust us, water for elephants is going to be one of the surprise. Water for elephants was a thoroughly engaging and mesmerizing read from the characters to the story itself.
Water for elephants is one of my most favorite books. Water for elephants final scene cam rus 2011 youtube. Sara gruens water for elephants is one of those books, but richard lagraveneses screenplay does not suffer from. Marlena ran away from home to join the circus and married august, the head animal trainer. While reading water for elephants i found the plot hyperbolic and excessively melodramatic and the characters little developed beyond their names. Water for elephants i hesitated before spending the money. I actually think it would make a great summer read for people who want to learn something while getting a good story. 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. Chuck adams, executive editor at algonquin, said he understood ms. Water for elephants book and movie comparison by hannah. Sara gruen has a voice to rival john irvings, and i am hopelessly, unabashedly in love with this book.
Books that defined a generation water for elephants. Whats the difference between water for elephants the book and water for elephants the movie. Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing. The title, water for elephants, is almost a little inside joke with the reader once weve finished the book, that is. This read was chosen for my book club and what a fun book to plan a party around, would definitely recommend this book to friends, family and fellow book clubbers out there.
The story is about a young man that joins the circus. 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. See more of official water for elephants movie on facebook. If you havent seen water for elephants or read the novel its based on, stop reading now. His life wasnt always like this, however, because jacob ran away and joined the circus when he was twentyone. Its the story of jacob, who runs away to the circus during the depression when his life falls apart around him. 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. This book is every bit the fabulous escapist entertainment that the big top once was. He is portrayed as a bit of a rebel, arguing with other residents, complaining about the food. As i was reading, i kept expecting something to exhibit water for elephants besides mcguinty. Apr 22, 2010 even with the disagreement about the ending, my book club was in pretty unanimous agreement that water for elephants was a great book and one that we recommend to others. 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. Water for elephants movie tiein by sara gruen, paperback. Water for elephants has two plots going on, both starring the same main character, jacob.
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 book by sara gruen thriftbooks. Marlena is almost killed by august until he gets a. Use these book club discussion questions on water for elephants to lead your book clubs conversation on the story.
Apr 22, 2011 8 big differences between water for elephants book and movie apr. It captures the mood of the 1930s, and we the audience really get a sense of what it must have been like to live in that time in history. I was astounded at the lack of research which became clear when i. Summary an atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of starcrossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of riding lessons. The author, sara gruen allows readers to read the book from two perspectives, one from young jacob and the other from older presentday jacob. Events lead him to joining the circus as their vet, working under their unstable boss august whose violent tendencies give everyone reason to be cautious around him, including his beautiful and quiet wife marlena, whom august is very possessive of and who jacob finds himself soon falling in love with. Water for elephants book ending vs movie ending showing 1.
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. At the beginning of water for elephants, he is living out his days in a nursing home, hating every second of it. It was a fast read which i always appreciate, because im perpetually drowning in a list of books tbr and it was fairly easy to get through. Water for elephants sara gruen, 2006 algonquin books of chapel hill 350 pp. Water for elephants book ending vs movie ending showing 128 of. Included throughout the book are portrait gems from the archives of the circus world, and that only added to the imageries already saturated in my mind. 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. Water for elephants original motion picture soundtrack. Water for elephants is a delightful, moving book, and the ending was a very pleasant surprise. Summary an atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of starcrossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of riding lessons when jacob jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, grifters, and. Water for elephants by sara gruen book club discussion.
The two readers, david ledoux and john randolph jones, did a wonderful job of bringing both jacobs young and old to life. She wrote the book as part of national novel writing month. A thousand splendid suns, memory keepers daughter, etc. Differences between water for elephants book vs movie page 1. Hitting the road with no idea where he would end up, he stumbled across benzini bros.
The book club disagreed on the ending of the story. This depressionera tale of life with a thirdrate traveling circus centers on. In what ways and to what extent do the words pathetic grandeur describe the world that gruen creates in her novel. Gorgeous, brilliant, and superbly plotted, water for elephants swept me into the world of the circus during the depression, and it did not let me go until the very end. In the book, we see jacob as an old man in the nursing home throughout. The circus train only had a limited amount of water on board, and elephants can drink 100300 litres per day approximately 2680 gallons. Jacob is an old man and he lives in a nursing home. Readers may find themselves churning through this book at a rapidfire pace, eager to see what lies ahead, then slowing down as they realize the pages are dwindling. 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.
In the book, jacobs narration takes place in his own mind. Novelist sara gruen sweeps her readers off their feet in the opening pages of water for elephantsand doesnt let go until she deposits them at the end of her fantastic tale of passion, madness and fancy the last notes of water for elephants linger long after the book ends. Sara gruens arresting new novel, water for elephants, explores similar subject matter the pathetic grandeur of the depressionera circus. Sep 07, 2016 i bought this book because of push advertising and regretted it. I bought this book because of push advertising and regretted it. The movie water for elephants stays close to sara gruens beloved book particularly with the 1930s circus memories section. The readers and critics had said it was too depressing and didnt end well. The movie was pretty blah, pattison was bland, no chemistry with. Gruen transports us into the world of a thirdrate traveling circus during the great depression. The story is told as a series of memories by jacob jankowski, a 93yearold man who lives in a nursing home. Only days before graduating from vet school in 1931, young jake learns his parents have died and left him penniless. May 26, 2006 water for elephants, 2007, sara gruen water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month.
I hate being so enamored with a book and then a crappy movie version comes along and tarnishes it. Aug 11, 2014 water for elephants interviews robert pattinson, reese witherspoon and christoph waltz. Water for elephants sara gruen books the new york times. Water for elephants a dissapointed ending showing 150 of 116. Water for elephants by sara gruen sophisticated dorkiness. Read the book then got the audio cd for my daughter who has a disability it was good loved it. And like many books, water for elephants sneaks in an extra ending or two, just for fun. They create a plan to completely ruin the circus for good. Water for elephants by sara gruen has spent weeks upon weeks on bestseller lists around the country. Jacob jankowski, a retired veterinarian living out his days in an assistedliving facility, drifts in and out of his memories. May 26, 2006 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.
Skim down to the end of spoilers note if you dont want. Feb 02, 2012 the movie water for elephants stays close to sara gruens beloved book particularly with the 1930s circus memories section. Water for elephants could end up being sara gruens best book. Water for elephants has a happy ending for jacob, but not for many other characters. Jacob, the books narrator and protagonist, worked as a vet and trainer of sorts at a circus. A brilliantly crafted and deeply moving novel, water for elephants is the tale of jacob jankowski, now in his nineties, who spends his remaining days fondly drifting through the memories of his early depressionera youth which was spent in the company of circus freaks, clowns and misfits. Water for elephants is a book that can be read and reread, recommended and handed off between friends. For interested readers rooting for a satisfying ending, water for elephants succeeds. The band starts playing very fast and the redlighters set all the circus animals loose. Because who doesnt love a pachyderm and a happy ending. He is particularly angry with one old man who says he once got the water for elephants in the circus. Marlena works with eleven horses on a routine shown under the big top. Complete summary of sara gruens water for elephants. What makes water for elephants more intriguing is a third character, reminding us why christoph waltz deserved his supporting actor oscar for inglourious basterds 2009.
Best narration of an audio book ever, and worth every penny. He plays the circus owner, who is married to the bareback rider and keeps her and everyone else in his iron grip. As the headline suggests, were discussing the ending. Dec 21, 2011 read the book then got the audio cd for my daughter who has a disability it was good loved it. Just to put it out there, ill admit straight off the bat that im one of the people who enjoyed this book. Weve probably all seen a movie and wished it were 40 minutes shorter or read a book and thought, damn, this really could have been condensed and lost nothing. The only place the movie veers from the original is in its details of the older, current jacob.
But the book locked me in and all i could do was turn the pages until i reached page 331 and the story was complete. Also, if you want a special treat, listen to it on audiobook. Young jacob is able to do whatever his heart desires including, jumping on. Marlena is the main love interest in the book, water for elephants, and also a performer at the circus. A novel by gruen, sara from amazons fiction books store. With a showmans expert timing, gruen saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of americana. The old people from the nursing home are about to visit a circus that showed up in the vicinity of their place. Water for elephants is a story about an elderly man, jacob, who recalls an adventure in his younger years. 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 is the new york times bestselling debut novel by sara gruen. There is an us and them mentality in the circus between performers and workers. Later in the book, it is suggested that he is a paranoid schizophrenic, to explain his violence. I would have given the book five stars if the books ending did not give a new meaning to cliche.
Water for elephants, 2007, sara gruen water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. Even with the disagreement about the ending, my book club was in pretty unanimous agreement that water for elephants was a great book and one that we recommend to others. 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. In one plot, jacob is a young guy just starting out in the world.
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