Book Review: "Water for Elephants"

Gruen, Sarah. Water for Elephants. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill: Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 2006. (331 pages)

            I really enjoyed reading Water for Elephants. It is by far the most enjoyable book I have read in a long time; it is possibly my favorite book that I have read all school year. This book was packed with surprising drama that made me never want to put it down.  It took less than two chapters to realize that I was officially hooked. Water for Elephants is emotional, quick paced, and riveting.

            There were so many things about this book that I loved. I have discovered that I really like reading books from a male perspective because I have not read even close to as many books with a male narrator, and it is a totally different experience. Jacob Jankowski is the narrator in Water for Elephants, in both the past and the present.

            I liked how Sarah Gruen set up this book, going back and forth between Jacob’s days in the circus and his present days in the nursing home.  The flashback format made this book a bit challenging especially toward the beginning. I would just become accustomed to all of the characters who were part of the circus such as Marlena, August, Uncle Al, Earl, Grady, and Walter. Then the chapter would end and the story would revert to the present. This was only an issue for a few chapters and then I got to know the characters very well.

            There were also some vocabulary terms in Water for Elephants that I have never encountered before I read this book. I would classify most of the unknown words as circus jargon. Words such as menagerie, redlight, and spec were all new to me until I read Water for Elephants.  I also didn’t know that another name for an elephant is a bull, I definitely learned a few interesting things!

            This book was so unique I cannot think of another book that I have read that is like it at all. I loved the combination of interesting characters, intriguing drama, and an aspect of historical fiction. Taking place during the depression and prohibition era made it all the more exciting because that is a time in history that interests me. Reading about a circus, both the business aspect and the relationships, was so new and different for me; I don’t think anything else can compare. Although a book can never be as good as the movie, I am excited to see how they relate. I definitely recommend Water for Elephants for anyone who is interested in a book they won’t be able to put down.