Teasers
"It's impossible to describe how tenderly I suddenly feel toward them – hyenas, camels, and all. Even the polar bear, who sits on his backside chewing his four-inch claws with his four-inch teeth. A love for these animals wells up in me suddenly, a flash flood, and there it is, solid as an obelisk and viscous as water." (Gruen 145-146)
"I hate him. I hate him for being so brutal. I hate that I'm beholden to him. I hate that I'm in love with his wife and something [darn] close to that with the elephant. And most of all, I hate that I've let them both down." (Gruen 171)
"And then the shower of money starts – the sweet, sweet shower of money. 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. He keeps his face raised even as coins bounce off his cheeks, nose, and forehead. I think he may actually be crying. " (Gruen 217)
"It's impossible to describe how tenderly I suddenly feel toward them – hyenas, camels, and all. Even the polar bear, who sits on his backside chewing his four-inch claws with his four-inch teeth. A love for these animals wells up in me suddenly, a flash flood, and there it is, solid as an obelisk and viscous as water." (Gruen 145-146)
"I hate him. I hate him for being so brutal. I hate that I'm beholden to him. I hate that I'm in love with his wife and something [darn] close to that with the elephant. And most of all, I hate that I've let them both down." (Gruen 171)
"And then the shower of money starts – the sweet, sweet shower of money. 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. He keeps his face raised even as coins bounce off his cheeks, nose, and forehead. I think he may actually be crying. " (Gruen 217)
Testimonial
Water for Elephants is an extraordinary read for anyone who is seeking action, romance, drama and a truly heartfelt story throughout a book. I originally chose to read this book because I knew it was in some aspects a romance novel. After roughly the first three chapters I knew it was much more than that. For the duration of the story, action and drama can be found in all the chaos of the circus life, whether it be an act not going as planned or the manager of the show freaking out on someone over the most finite of things. Romance is laced through each and every detail of the book. The main character Jacob falls in love with a married woman, but also finds a deep appreciation for all the animals who take part in making the Benzini Brothers' circus, "the most spectacular show on earth". This book stands out from many of the typical books about finding love mostly due to the fact that it isn't a mushy love story. Two individuals struggle through so many things including abuse and hardship, in order to make their relationship work.This book is extremely unpredictable, so you never know what's going to happen next, which is another aspect that makes it such an incredible read. Without a doubt I would read this book a million times over, and personally I would give it a five-star rating.
Water for Elephants is an extraordinary read for anyone who is seeking action, romance, drama and a truly heartfelt story throughout a book. I originally chose to read this book because I knew it was in some aspects a romance novel. After roughly the first three chapters I knew it was much more than that. For the duration of the story, action and drama can be found in all the chaos of the circus life, whether it be an act not going as planned or the manager of the show freaking out on someone over the most finite of things. Romance is laced through each and every detail of the book. The main character Jacob falls in love with a married woman, but also finds a deep appreciation for all the animals who take part in making the Benzini Brothers' circus, "the most spectacular show on earth". This book stands out from many of the typical books about finding love mostly due to the fact that it isn't a mushy love story. Two individuals struggle through so many things including abuse and hardship, in order to make their relationship work.This book is extremely unpredictable, so you never know what's going to happen next, which is another aspect that makes it such an incredible read. Without a doubt I would read this book a million times over, and personally I would give it a five-star rating.
All About Sara Gruen
Sara Gruen wrote her novel, Water for Elephants, as an allegory with two different stories taking place at once, This sets the story apart from a variety of other books of the same genre. Part of the story takes place in a nursing home with a rather unpleasant old man. The other half of the story involves the old man's flashbacks to the days when he worked on a circus. This book generally moves along at a very fast pace as there is always some sort of drama to keep up with, which makes it easy for the reader to stay interested. As one could assume, Water for Elephants has to do with animals in some way which is not surprising given Gruen's background. Of the five major books she has written, four of them have been about animals in some way or another. Additionally, Sara Gruen supports many wildlife preservation organizations. At her home in North Carolina, she and her family have dogs, cats, birds, horses and a goat.
Go here for more information about the author!
To learn more about the rest of Sara's books, and a even more information about her, visit her website!
Video on what inspired Gruen to write Water for Elephants.
Water for Elephants Movie Trailer