He worked as a veterinarian with a circus. It’s the story of Jacob, who runs away to the circus during the Depression when his life falls apart around him. In the nursing home, Jacob's life lacks excitement. by Samuel Hawley. He meets the manager, Charlie, and, after the performance, Jacob begs to be allowed to stay with the circus, selling tickets. “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 protagonist’s heart. The story then comes back to Jacob in the nursing home. A film adaptation produced by Flashpoint Entertainment and Fox 2000 Pictures was released in theaters on April 22, 2011. The story is told from an older Jacob Jankowski, who is aged around 90 and is stuck in an old persons’ home. It is revealed that Jacob and Marlena married and had five children, spending the first seven years with Ringling before Jacob got a job as a vet for the Chicago Zoo. It has three main characters; Jacob, August, and Marlena, who struggle with figuring out who they want to be. The novel surrounds the circus life,1930, and Gruen’s strength is the construction of two characters. Overall, I felt that this story was well researched and I bought in completely. Based on the novel by Sara Gruen of the same name, Water for Elephants is a love story with a 1930’s circus as a backdrop. I can't think of another book which so brilliantly juxtaposes two periods in a life. 2007, USA, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, a division of Workman Publishing, This page was last edited on 15 February 2021, at 18:48. Water for Elephants is the story of Jacob's life with this circus. What is the theme of Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen? . A few days later, after discovering that August has tried to see Marlena, Jacob visits her in her hotel room. I couldn't put it down. WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is a beautifully produced, compelling romantic drama with, however, conflicted content. I can't choose one aspect of this book. by Sara Gruen is a very popular novel about circus life in the Great Depression. Sara Gruen has written an utterly transporting novel richly full of the … WATER for Elephants is a book about the journey of a young man, who joins a circus after a family tragedy, prevents him from continuing his education. Circus. One is the elder narrator, Jacob Jankowski, and the second is Rosie, the pachyderm cow. This leads Jacob to share quarters with a little person named Walter (who is known as Kinko to the circus) and his Jack Russell terrier, Queenie. Soon after, Uncle Al's corpse is found with a makeshift garrote around his neck. Camel takes him under his wing and is able to find him odd menial jobs. Animals in the entertainment industry are often of concern to animal rights activists. Water for Elephants ( 2011) Water for Elephants. Publication date: 26 May 2006 (1st edition). Hal Holbrook played the older Jacob Jankowski. Bad Elephant Far Stream. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/may/10/water-for-el... What is the crisis, rising action, and falling action in Water for Elephants? ©2021 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The animals are mangy, underfed or fed rotten food, and abused. Soon after he comforts her, they end up making love, and soon declare their love for each other. Water for Elephants is a story about an elderly man, Jacob, who recalls an adventure in his younger years. Already a member? Water for Elephants. Water for Elephants is a story about an elderly man, Jacob, who recalls an adventure in his younger years. The collection of words have recreated a living circus of a bygone era. The movie Titanic is a memorable movie which based on true event of disaster which involves a lot of innocent people, while Water for Elephants also involves disasters when the animals caused a stampede. It was filmed in Ventura County, California; Georgia; and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra (Baby Ganesh Agency Investigation #1) Are you a teacher? Marlena subsequently leaves August and stays at a hotel while she is not performing. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. This is a fiction reader's dream come true." --Jeanne Ray, author of Julie and Romeo Get Lucky "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 who's seen it all: these are the irresistible elements of Water for Elephants. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. Jacob and Marlena took the animals and started a new life together, including spending some time with the Ringling Brothers. On the first night after his leaving Cornell, for example, Jacob—as did his biblical namesake—lies “back on the bank, resting my head on a flat stone” (page 23). As an overall score, I give it a 4. During his time there, he fell in love with the head animal trainer's wife, Marlena. The historical fiction novel is a 20th century circus drama. Gruen has said that the backbone of her story parallels the biblical story of Jacob in the Book of Genesis. In reference to the books we have read for book club, a 5. Based on a popular novel, the movie tells in flashback what happened to an old man named Jacob in a pivotal year, 1931, when his parents suddenly died in a car accident. The character of "Uncle Al" was removed, and instead August is both the owner and animal trainer. Now this is the stuff of bestsellers. The equestrian director, August Rosenthul, is a brutal man who abuses the animals in his care (such as the new elephant, Rosie) and the people around him, though he can also be charming and generous. In Water for Elephants, the story is told through Jacob Jankowski at two different parts in his life: twenty-three year old Jacob who is out there exploring the world and, ninety-three year old Jacob who feels like he is wasting away his life in a nursing home. 18., built in 1914.[11][12]. The film featured the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum #610 and former McCloud River Railroad No. Marlena is revealed to have died a few years before Jacob was put into the nursing home. After finding out no one is coming for him, Jacob makes his way to the circus next to the nursing home on his own. However, Jacob backs out, leaving the knife on August's pillow to send a message. Start your 48-hour free trial and unlock all the summaries, Q&A, and analyses you need to get better grades now. Jacob, once it becomes known that he has veterinary skills, is put in charge of the "menagerie" and all its ills. What is Jacob's relationship with Rosie in Water for Elephants? Historical novel written by Howard Fast. Time for another Book vs. Movie! The book was published in 2006 by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. In what other ways does Water for Elephants, published in 2006, is Sara Gruen's third book and her most successful to date. Water for Elephants is a 2011 American romantic drama film directed by Francis Lawrence and written by Richard LaGravenese, based on Sara Gruen's 2006 novel of the same name. Charlie agrees, and Jacob believes that he has finally come home. He gets visited every Sunday by one of his five children and has good rapport with a kind nurse named Rosemary, but for the most part, Jacob's a tired old man whose life is highly regimented and scheduled. . Michael Chabon) called "The Tears of Squonk, and What Happened Thereafter" by Glen David Gold. What does "red-lighted" mean in Water for Elephants? Jacob … WrimoRadio interview with Sara Gruen, November 29, 2008. https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0CE7D61F31F934A35752C0A9619C8B63, New York Times Best Seller list for paperback fiction, "Railroad museum prepares for excursion program", "20th Century Fox shoots McCloud River No. By Glen David Gold every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team California ; Georgia and. Questions are answered by real teachers novel about circus life in the nursing home, Jacob, who recalls adventure. Bygone era circus workers who were red-lighted come back and release the animals and is water for elephants book based on a true story! Story concludes with Jacob joining another circus the elder narrator, Jacob 's father was popular. Taking with them a number of the National novel Writing Month. [ 11 [... 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