Kadomi reviewed Water for elephants by Sara Gruen
Review of 'Water for elephants' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This book came highly praised, with most people I know loving it. This meant I had high expectations that weren't exactly met.
The current-day protagonist is Jacob Jankowski, 93 years old, living in a nursing home, frustrated, forgotten and lonely. One day a circus is raised outside, and he starts reminiscing. Chapters start switching between the two timelines from that point on.
It's the 1930s, time of prohibition and the Great Depression, and Jacob Jankowski is studying at Cornell to become a vet like his dad. However, his parents die tragically in an accident, and Jacob has to find out that his parents left him nothing but debt. He decides to run away and ends up with a train circus, the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. He soon starts to work as a circus vet and closely works with the animal director August and his wife Marlena, who …
This book came highly praised, with most people I know loving it. This meant I had high expectations that weren't exactly met.
The current-day protagonist is Jacob Jankowski, 93 years old, living in a nursing home, frustrated, forgotten and lonely. One day a circus is raised outside, and he starts reminiscing. Chapters start switching between the two timelines from that point on.
It's the 1930s, time of prohibition and the Great Depression, and Jacob Jankowski is studying at Cornell to become a vet like his dad. However, his parents die tragically in an accident, and Jacob has to find out that his parents left him nothing but debt. He decides to run away and ends up with a train circus, the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. He soon starts to work as a circus vet and closely works with the animal director August and his wife Marlena, who is the star of the horse act. Inevitably, Jacob falls in love with Marlena...
The book was pure popcorn-material, pages flying by without leaving any deeper impression on me. Highly entertaining fluff. My favorite character was probably Rosie the Elephant. The love story didn't particularly grab me, I felt no real chemistry between Jacob and Marlena. The book was best when you get deeper glimpses of circus life, instead of the love triangle drama.
As far as circus stories go, I still think Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Catch Trap is the superior book.
3.5 stars, entertaining fluff, nothing more, nothing less.