Water for Elephants Book Review

Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants threw me into a world of spectacular shows, and crazy conflicts. This book kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end, and had me wishing for more as I turned the final pages of this work of literature.

The main character of this book, Jacob Jankowski, is either 90 or 93, he can't quite remember. He is in a nursing home, and goes back and forth between flashbacks of his life as a young man and real time. Most of the book takes place in the earlier parts of Jacob's life, when he finds out his parents are dead, and runs away from the world, walking out on his final exams to become a liscenced vetrinarian. He jumps onto a train-car for the Benzini Brother's Most Spectacular Show on Earth, and unwittingly, jumps into the twisted world of a circus in depression-era US.

There is no single theme of the book Water for Elephants. Among the many themes of this book is taking a stand. Jacob is in love with Marlena, the menagerie worker at a circus he travels with. However, Marlena is married to August, a man who is bipolar, and abuses Marlena. Jacob knows he has to stand up against August, to defend Marlena, but he has yet to know all the problems he will encounter along the way, with this traveling circus.

I would recommend this book to most readers readers, however young children, and people easily offended by some risque moments might not want to read Water for Elephants. Sara Gruen has succeeded in creating the vivid image of a circus in depression-era United States. However, in doing so, she did capture the unsavory parts of life, as well as the sweet parts.

331 Pages 2 Books