He then realizes that Walter and Camel were red-lighted and that he was also supposed to have been too. The collection of words have recreated a living circus of a bygone era. In the ensuing panic, Rosie (the elephant that August abused) takes a stake and drives it into August's head. Later, Jacob becomes the chief veterinarian at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago where they settled. s a historical novel by Sara Gruen, written as part of National Novel Writing During the ensuing melee Jacob was the only who witnessed what truly happened to August. A circus elephant, a love story, and a Prohibition-era thriller. When Jacob learns that his parents' home has been mortgaged to pay for his tuition and that his father's practice will not become his own, he has an emotional breakdown and leaves his Ivy League school just short of graduation. The movie version of Water for Elephants is no exception. I watched the film/movie titled 'Water for elephants' before reading the book. As his memories begin, Jacob is a 23-year old Polish American preparing for his final exams as a Cornell University veterinary student when he receives the devastating news that both of his parents have died in a car accident. Soon after he comforts her, they end up making love, and soon declare their love for each other. What does "red-lighted" mean in Water for Elephants? As a result of this incident, the Benzini Brothers circus is shut down. He worked as a veterinarian with a circus. Soon after returning to the circus, Marlena discovers that she is pregnant. A film adaptation produced by Flashpoint Entertainment and Fox 2000 Pictures was released in theaters on April 22, 2011. 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. Camel takes him under his wing and is able to find him odd menial jobs. As an overall score, I give it a 4. 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. Charlie agrees, and Jacob believes that he has finally come home. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. Even the way that the nursing home was depicted coincides with my experiences of them. The movie follows people through their life struggles. I can't choose one aspect of this book. The Ringling Brothers was a popular circus for many years. Please see the below article regarding allegations of animal abuse related to the making of this movie. 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. In reference to the books we have read for book club, a 5. Her style of writing is brilliant. However, Jacob backs out, leaving the knife on August's pillow to send a message. Bad Elephant Far Stream by Samuel Hawley is historical fiction, just like Water for Elephants, but in this book the story unfolds through the eyes of an elephant. What is Jacob's relationship with Rosie in Water for Elephants? Time for another Book vs. Movie! Start your 48-hour free trial and unlock all the summaries, Q&A, and analyses you need to get better grades now. What other book might you compare Water for Elephants to, and why? Uncle Al then informs Jacob that August is a paranoid schizophrenic and utters a threat: reunite August and Marlena as a happily married couple or Walter and Camel get red-lighted. The circus train only had a limited amount of water on board, and elephants can drink between 100-300 litres per day (approximately 26-80 gallons). Marlena soon returns to the circus to perform (and have secret meetings with Jacob), but refuses to allow August near her, which makes Uncle Al furious. That whole anthology would be a nice alternative to anyone looking for pulpy stories of bygone days. “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 book was published in 2006 by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. . 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. Other cast members include Mark Povinelli as Kinko/Walter, Jim Norton as Camel, James Frain as Rosie's caretaker, Ken Foree as Earl, and Paul Schneider as Charlie O'Brien. Jacob develops a guarded relationship with August and his wife, Marlena, with whom Jacob eventually falls in love. The historical fiction novel is a 20th century circus drama. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/may/10/water-for-el... What is the crisis, rising action, and falling action in Water for Elephants? Jacob relays the story of how his wife is now deceased and he has escaped from a nursing facility. 18., built in 1914.[11][12]. With a showman's expert timing, [Gruen] saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of Americana into an enchanting escapist fairy tale.” ( A few days later, after discovering that August has tried to see Marlena, Jacob visits her in her hotel room. Water for Elephants is the story of Jacob's life with this circus. Water for Elephants Introduction. Fearing Camel will be "red-lighted" (thrown off a moving train as punishment or as severance from the circus to avoid paying wages),[3] Jacob hides him in his room. I couldn't put it down. It stars Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, and Christoph Waltz. Now, there is a captivating short story about there about an old-timey circus elephant who was hanged (based on a true story!) Both were an adventurous experience. The trainer, August, was cruel to the animals in the circus. This is a fiction reader’s dream come true.” As the story climaxes, several circus workers who were red-lighted come back and release the animals, causing a stampede during the performance. 2006, USA, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, a division of Workman Publishing. During his time there, he fell in love with the head animal trainer's wife, Marlena. Jacob and Marlena begin their life together by joining the Ringling Bros. The film was directed by Francis Lawrence, and starred Robert Pattinson as Jacob Jankowski, Reese Witherspoon as Marlena, and Christoph Waltz as August. This story starts out with an older man wandering around the grounds of the circus after the show was over. The story is told through a series of memories by Jacob Jankowski, a man who can't remember if he's 90 or 93-years-old and lives in a nursing home. There are several concepts within this book that are pertinent to real life. Log in here. Gruen wrote the book as part of the National Novel Writing Month.[1][2]. Familiar but enjoyable. The story is told as a series of memories by Jacob Jankowski, a 93-year-old man who lives in a nursing home. Sara Gruen is the name of the writer. Jacob, once it becomes known that he has veterinary skills, is put in charge of the "menagerie" and all its ills. It’s the story of Jacob, who runs away to the circus during the Depression when his life falls apart around him. " Water for Elephants resembles stealth hits like The Giant's House, by Elizabeth McCracken, or The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, books that combine outrageously whimsical premises with crowd-pleasing romanticism. 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. Set in the 1930s, a former veterinary student takes a job in a travelling circus and falls in love with the ringmaster's wife. 18 in action", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Water_for_Elephants&oldid=1006954763, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, a division of Workman Publishing, Entertainment Weekly Best Novel of 2006 nominee, Winner of the 2007 BookBrowse award for most popular book, The paperback hit #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list on July 8, 2007. One night Jacob climbs up and jumps each train car, while the train is moving, to August's room, carrying a knife between his teeth intending to kill August. In the nursing home, Jacob's life lacks excitement. Uncle Al, the circus impresario, is a self-serving, venal creep who … Already a member? When Jacob returns to his train car, he finds that no one is there, except for Queenie. Set in San Francisco during the early 20th Century, it tells the story of Daniel Lavette, a self described "roughneck" who rises from the ashes of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and becomes one of the most successful and dominating figures in San Francisco. This is a fiction reader's dream come true." The story then comes back to Jacob in the nursing home. Overall, I felt that this story was well researched and I bought in completely. I can't think of another book which so brilliantly juxtaposes two periods in a life. Jacob's father was a veterinarian and Jacob had planned to join his practice in Norwich. Sara Gruen spares no detail in chronicling the squalid, filthy, brutish circumstances in which he finds himself. Water for Elephants is the third novel by the Canadian-American author Sara Gruen. Marlena subsequently leaves August and stays at a hotel while she is not performing. 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. Water for Elephants ( 2011) Water for Elephants. The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra (Baby Ganesh Agency Investigation #1) When the owner of the circus, Alan J. Bunkel, "Uncle Al," learns of Jacob's training as a vet, he is hired to care for the circus animals. Animals in the entertainment industry are often of concern to animal rights activists. Sara Gruen uses her talent as a writer to bring that world alive for the reader: I could smell it, taste it, feel every word of it. In the beginning of the novel, Jacob mocks another nursing home resident who claims to have worked in the circus and carried the water for the elephants. He meets the manager, Charlie, and, after the performance, Jacob begs to be allowed to stay with the circus, selling tickets. Whereas it is Jacob who has flashbacks about his time with the circus when he is near the end of his life, here it is Far Stream the elephant who reflects on her life as she faces execution by humans for being … 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. Download Water for Elephants Book Download Book Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. I understand the climax, conflicts, and resolution in Water for... What is the main conflict of this novel that leads to the climax? One is the elder narrator, Jacob Jankowski, and the second is Rosie, the pachyderm cow. ©2021 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. by Samuel Hawley. A few weeks later Jacob is summoned to examine Camel, who, after drinking "Jake" (adulterated Jamaican ginger extract) for many years, is unable to move his arms or legs. This time it’s Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Water for Elephants is a story about an elderly man, Jacob, who recalls an adventure in his younger years. Bad Elephant Far Stream. Now this is the stuff of bestsellers. Water for Elephants is a historical novel by Sara Gruen, written as part of National Novel Writing Month. Water for elephants by Sara Gruen. Jacob, 93 years old, retells his adventures one life-changing summer when he happens upon a job as a veterinarian for a traveling circus. In the dark of night, Jacob jumps on a train, later learning it is a circus train belonging to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Sign up now, Latest answer posted September 19, 2018 at 11:01:52 PM, Latest answer posted April 30, 2012 at 9:52:50 PM, Latest answer posted October 07, 2018 at 8:46:05 PM, Latest answer posted August 06, 2015 at 8:20:38 PM, Latest answer posted October 07, 2018 at 8:17:57 PM. Surprising, poignant, and funny, Water for Elephants is that rare novel with a story so engrossing, one is reluctant to put it down; with characters so engaging, they continue to live long after the last page has been turned; with a world built of wonder, a world so real, one starts to breathe its air. . . Arthur and George by Julian Barnes. Water for Elephants. During the chaos of the animal stampede, Rosie killed August. Rate Water for Elephants on a scale of 1 to 5. Animal cruelty is a societal concern, including in a circus setting. Publication date: 26 May 2006 (1st edition). --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. Water for elephants : a novel by Gruen, Sara. In a later flashback to Jacob's younger years, Jacob is brought to Uncle Al, the manager of the circus, who taunts him by asking, "You want to carry water for elephants, I suppose?". It was filmed in Ventura County, California; Georgia; and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The premise for her novel is unique and interesting with a historical edge that adds weight to an otherwise typical love-triangle plot. ’ s strength is the story then comes back to Jacob in the ensuing panic, killed. And analyses are written by experts, and Marlena took the animals and started new. 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