I swear my tastes have adapted since i was a teenager. If you like water for elephants you might like similar movies my sisters keeper, charlie st. Use these book club discussion questions on water for elephants to lead your book clubs conversation on the story. 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 is based on a bestselling novel of the same name by sara gruen. In the book, jacobs narration takes place in his own mind. Is it primarily written for a female audience or will i like it 3 likes. Fans of the story looking for more gritty, circus related tales should check out the following books like water for elephants. Because who doesnt love a pachyderm and a happy ending. Find books like water for elephants from the worlds largest community of readers. So i purchased the book and slowly began retreating.
Water for elephants july 5, 2006 a depressionera circus provides the backdrop for sara gruens latest novel, water for elephants. 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. The last notes of water for elephants linger long after the book ends. Gruen transports us into the world of a thirdrate traveling circus during the great depression. The circus train only had a limited amount of water on board, and elephants can drink 100300 litres per day approximately 2680 gallons. This book is every bit the fabulous escapist entertainment that the big top once was. Water for elephants is mostly fantasy, punctuated with reality for the purpose of contrast. I didnt read the book, but i hope its better developed than the movie. There is a tender story of first love, of murder, mayhem and animal and human. I hate being so enamored with a book and then a crappy movie version comes along and tarnishes it. Ann guidry, critical essay on water for elephants, in literary news makers for students, gale, cengage learning, 2009. Download and read online for free water for elephants by sara gruen.
The only place the movie veers from the original is in its details of the older, current jacob. This summary of water for elephants includes a complete plot overview spoilers included. Veterinary school student jacob meets and falls in love with marlena, a star. In this movie water for elephants, robert pattinson plays a character named jacob, while in the twilight saga movies, for which he became famous, his nemesis name played by taylor lautner is jacob. These book club discussion questions reveal important details about water for elephants by sara gruen. At its finest, water for elephants resembles stealth hits like the giants house, by. Were considering expanding this synopsis into a fulllength study guide to deepen your comprehension of the book and why its important. I never read the book, but i was interested in the film as a girl who read twilight with an interest in robert pattinson. Stories similar to water for elephants books, stories, and novels like water for elephants by sara gruen.
Read free book excerpt from water for elephants by sara gruen, page 1 of 7. However, in her 2006 novel water for elephants, sara gruen showed that the circus life might not have been as glamorous as it appeared from. The author, sara gruen allows readers to read the book from two perspectives, one from young jacob and the other from older presentday jacob. Read water for elephants absolutely for free at readanybook. Should the murderer in water for elephants be punished. Books that perform well based on their reader engagement are published by inkitt in different formats and channels. The setting of the story changes throughout the book. Star of both the book and the movie is rosie the elephant who is more. Books that defined a generation water for elephants. The two readers, david ledoux and john randolph jones, did a wonderful job of bringing both jacobs young and old to life. Based on the acclaimed bestseller, water for elephants presents an unexpected romance in a uniquely compelling setting.
This book assists to remind all of us that ordinary people have phenomenal tales to tell if we would certainly just bother to reduce as well as listen. Water for elephants, 2007, sara gruen water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. How does water for elephants connect with real life. Water for elephants book by sara gruen thriftbooks. 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. Water for elephants is one of my most favorite books. Subscribe to the oprahs book club newsletter sign up for the oprahs book club newsletter get more stories like this delivered to your inbox get updates on your favorite shows. The book went on to receive numerous awards and nominations as well as a film adaptation in 2011 starring robert pattinson and reese witherspoon. In the sections of the book set in the present, when jacob is in his 90s, he makes a big deal about his age and seems really upset by it. With a showmans expert timing, gruen saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of americana. One of the main problems is a lack of character development, especially for the supporting players.
Water for elephants resembles stealth hits like the giants house, by elizabeth mccracken, or the lovely bones, by alice sebold, books that combine outrageously whimsical premises with crowdpleasing romanticism. Water for elephants by sara gruen at the best online ebook storage. I fell in love with the picture you chose for your book the first time i saw it. 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. And like browning, gruen infuses her audacious material with a surprisingly uplifting strain of sentimentality. Goodreads members who liked water for elephants also liked. Cant say ive ever been curious enough about its workings to read a book revolving around one, but i am so glad i did because it was sooo much more than that. Water for elephants original motion picture soundtrack licensed to youtube by. Water for elephants has two plots going on, both starring the same main character, jacob. A water for elephants discussion from reading group guides writers digest interview with sara gruen. Water for elephants was a completely different read for me. Water for elephants book club discussion questions and. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of water for elephants by sara gruen.
At its finest, water for elephants resembles stealth hits like the giants house, by elizabeth mccracken, or the lovely bones, by alice sebold, books that combine outrageously whimsical. 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. Water for elephants is a delightful, moving book, and the ending was a very pleasant surprise. Its from this nursing home that jacob tells his story, like he is looking back at all the adventures at the circus. Enhancements were made to more precisely measure materials read in k. Daily telegraph trust us, water for elephants is going to be one of the surprise.
In one plot, jacob is a young guy just starting out in the world. The book, water for elephants, starts off in the present day, in a nursing home where the main character, jacob jankowski, lives. Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing. Cant say ive ever been curious enough about its workings to read a book revolving around one, but i am so glad i. It was adult, and it was realistic, and i loved it. Water for elephants sara gruen books the new york times. At what point in his life did he seem to be the happiest. Winner of the 2007 bookbrowse award for most popular book. 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. The movie water for elephants stays close to sara gruens beloved book particularly with the 1930s circus memories section. Without being trite and redundant, it explores timeless and universal themes such as finding ones destiny and freedom, life choices, love, and jealousy, put in an interesting setting, that is the circus world the early 1900s when the us prohibition and depression were taking place which is nicely recreated on screen by production designer jack. 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. The theme of age the theme of age if the fifth theme in the novel. Water for elephants is the new york times bestselling debut novel by sara gruen.
Get an answer for how does water for elephants connect with real life. Water for elephants questions and answers discover the community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on water for elephants. Unlike other paperback blockbusters, like the memory keepers daughter by kim edwards, which sold modestly in hardcover, water for elephants spent 12 weeks on the new york times. In the end, fantasy wins, and the reader, like the rube visiting a circus, gets what he wants. She wrote the book 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. 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.