It is a classic pageturner with the most original plot ive ever read. An american book association indiebound best seller. 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. Gruen sold her fourth novel, ape house 2010, on the basis of a 12page. The animals are mangy, underfed or fed rotten food, and abused. In the book, jacobs narration takes place in his own mind. May 22, 2006 listen to water for elephants audiobook by sara gruen. The movie water for elephants stays close to sara gruens beloved book particularly with the 1930s circus memories section. The circus train only had a limited amount of water on board, and elephants can drink 100300 litres per day approximately 2680 gallons. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. Water for elephants is one of my most favorite books. Water for elephants book and movie comparison by hannah. The seemingly starcrossed love affair kept us turning pages, and the ending made us glad we had. Gruen saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of.
Trust us, water for elephants is going to be one of the surprise hits of 2011. Water for elephants book by sara gruen thriftbooks. Our reading guide for water for elephants by sara gruen includes a book club. 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.
Overall, water for elephants was a book that grabbed me from the. Sara gruen is the internationally bestselling author of water for elephants and at the waters edge. She lives in western north carolina with her husband and three sons, along with their dogs, cats, horses, birds, and the worlds fussiest goat. Water for elephants resembles stealth hits like the giants house, by. Water for elephants book club discussion questions and. Water for elephants has two plots going on, both starring the same main character, jacob. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of water for elephants by sara gruen. Use these book club discussion questions on water for elephants to lead your book clubs conversation on the story. With a showmans expert timing, gruen saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of. 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.
Dec 11, 2011 water for elephants book discussion questions water for elephants moves between a story about a circus and a story about an old man in a nursing home. A meticulously researched, fastpaced, engaging and ultimately very satisfying novel set mostly ina depression era travelling circus. If you like water for elephants, you might like little heathens by mildred armstrong kalish seabiscuit by laura hillenbrand the adventures of miles and isabel by tom gilling. This may be a totally amateur answer, but i totally thought the book was titled water for elephants because of the old man in the book that jacob despised. May 26, 2006 water for elephants is the story of jacobs life with this circus. The first edition of the novel was published in may 26th 2006, and was written by sara gruen. Buy a cheap copy of water for elephants book by sara gruen. I read water for elephants a few years ago and from time to time, i reread my favorite novels.
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. A water for elephants discussion from reading group guides writers digest interview with sara gruen. 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. Classroom ideas posted april 12, 2011 by sara novel novice 5 comments there is so much to love about sara gruens water for elephants, from the lush and magical setting of a 1930s circus, to the sweeping forbidden romance, to the heartbreaking recollections of narrator jacob jankowski.
In one plot, jacob is a young guy just starting out in the world. Read water for elephants absolutely for free at readanybook. The last notes of water for elephants linger long after the book ends. She wrote the book as part of national novel writing month. While i enjoyed the movie with robert pattinson and reese witherspoon, the novel is far better. Water for elephants is fun, sweet and thrilling and will pull you into the mysterious life of the circus so far that you wont want to leave. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. 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. On our first date, my husband took me to see tod brownings freaks, a 1932 horror film with a distinctly diane arbus feel.
It follows the story of a young man whose circumstances are suddenly altered and who finds himself homeless and jobless. Sara gruen uses her talent as a writer to bring that world alive for the reader. One night, jacob attempts to kill august but chickens out. With its spotlight on elephants, gruens romantic pageturner hinges on the. Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing. Download and read online for free water for elephants by sara gruen. For interested readers rooting for a satisfying ending, water for elephants succeeds. Water for elephants was adapted into a major motion picture starring reese witherspoon, rob pattinson, and christoph waltz. 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. Only days before graduating from vet school in 1931, young jake learns his parents have died and left him penniless.
When jacob overhears a man at the assistedliving center claim to have been a water boy for the elephants on. Water for elephants a depressionera circus provides the backdrop for sara gruens latest novel, water for elephants. Water for elephants movie tiein by sara gruen, paperback. This study guide consists of approximately 58 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of water for elephants. A national bestseller in canada and a new york times bestseller in the united states, this is a book destined to become a beloved fiction classic.
Water for elephants, published in 2006, is sara gruens third book and her most successful to date. Listen to water for elephants audiobook by sara gruen. Water for elephants book discussion questions water for elephants moves between a story about a circus and a story about an old man in a nursing home. I hate being so enamored with a book and then a crappy movie version comes along and tarnishes it. Sara gruen has said that the backbone of her novel parallels the biblical story of jacob, in the book of genesis. Stories similar to water for elephants books, stories, and novels like water for elephants by sara gruen. Elephants and their calves by margaret hall, paperback. Gruen sold her fourth novel, ape house 2010, on the basis of a 12 page. I didnt want to leave the pages that exposed the truth of jacob and marlenas affection or the cruelties of uncle al and august.
Apr 22, 2011 8 big differences between water for elephants book and movie apr. 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. 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. 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. Sara gruen spares no detail in chronicling the squalid, filthy, brutish circumstances in which he finds himself. His lie telling the old ladies that he used to carry water for the elephants is what triggers jacobs memory about working with the circus. Sara gruens very readable novel is a story of impossible love set in the circus world during the 1930s and is set to be made into a blockbuster film starring robert pattinson and reese witherspoon. He starts narrating the story, but suddenly you realize you are reading young jacob while being at the circus.
While hes off doing that, several people are thrown out of the circus they are literally thrown off the train. Water for elephants is a book that can be read and reread, recommended and handed off between friends. Aug 05, 2008 a meticulously researched, fastpaced, engaging and ultimately very satisfying novel set mostly ina depression era travelling circus. Novelist sara gruen sweeps her readers off their feet in the opening pages of water for elephants and doesnt let go until she deposits them at the end of her fantastic tale of passion, madness and fancy. On the first night after his leaving cornell, for example, jacob as did his biblical namesake lies back on the bank, resting my. Sep 07, 2016 author, sara gruen is an excellent novelist. It came up as question 16 in the water for elephants reading group guide. A circus elephant, a love story, and a prohibitionera thriller. Water for elephants is an enchanting pageturner, the kind of book that creates a world that engulfs you from the first page to the last. 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.
The only place the movie veers from the original is in its details of the older, current jacob. Her works have been translated into fortythree languages and have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. Print word pdf take our free water for elephants quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you. How do the chapters about the older jacob enrich the story about jacobs adventure with the circus.
Jan 01, 2007 water for elephants was adapted into a major motion picture starring reese witherspoon, rob pattinson, and christoph waltz in 2011. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 335 pages and is available in paperback format. 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. Water for elephants by sara gruen at the best online ebook storage. Sara gruen has a voice to rival john irvings, and i am hopelessly, unabashedly in love with this book. Oct 21, 2009 but what i liked more was the writing. Sara gruen has written an utterly transporting novel richly full of the stuff of life. The night circus was one of my favourite books from early last year and now water for elephants has. Books that defined a generation water for elephants.
Jacob jankowski, a retired veterinarian living out his days in an assistedliving facility, drifts in and out of his memories. Mar 01, 2011 water for elephants is an enchanting pageturner, the kind of book that creates a world that engulfs you from the first page to the last. Gruen transports us into the world of a thirdrate traveling circus during the great depression. A novel and millions of other books are available for instant.
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. Pdf water for elephants book by sara gruen free download. Read free book excerpt from water for elephants by sara gruen, page 1 of 7. Free download or read online water for elephants pdf epub book. A thousand splendid suns, memory keepers daughter, etc. Water for elephants is the new york times bestselling debut novel by sara gruen. Water for elephants is the story of jacobs life with this circus. Water for elephants book club discussion questions and answers. Water for elephants, 2007, sara gruen water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. The story is told as a series of memories by jacob jankowski, a 93yearold man who lives in a nursing home. Feb 02, 2012 the movie water for elephants stays close to sara gruens beloved book particularly with the 1930s circus memories section. In the dark of night, he jumps on a train, a circus train belonging to the benzini. To ask other readers questions about water for elephants, please sign up. 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.
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