I convinced my husband to read Water for Elephants recently. It wasn't an easy feat being that his typical interests lie directly with books on Military history. I told him that it was a novel about a young man who joins a traveling circus in the early years of the Depression. My brief synopsis didn't entirely convince him that he'd enjoy reading it, much less finish it. Finally, I pleaded with him to read it so that we could go watch the movie together before talking about how much it was like/unlike the book."Reese Witherspoon is in it," I added. "Also, Robert Pattinson with normal skin tone." He remained wary.
"Just read the first chapter," I said. "If you don't care for it, you can stop and I'll never ask you to read another novel again."
Not only did my husband read the first several pages, but he finished the entire book in less than three days. I suppose that's proof of how crucial the first chapter of a novel is.
Water for Elephants was written by Sara Gruen and is the first book that I'll be blogging about in my intended virtual book club. It is strong literary fiction with emotional character development, historical fiction with a glimpse into the Depression, and has a plot that alternates between present day and glimpses of a young man's life after he joins the struggling Benzini Brothers Circus. The following questions are adapted from the Publisher for book club discussion. Please post comments to add to the discussion. I'm not going to give away the ending of Water for Elephants because if you haven't read it yet, you really should.
1. To what extent do the chapters concerning the elderly Jacob enhance the chapters recounting the young Jacob's experiences with the Benzini Brothers circus? In what ways do the chapters about the young Jacob contribute to a deeper understanding of the elderly Jacob's life?
"Just read the first chapter," I said. "If you don't care for it, you can stop and I'll never ask you to read another novel again."
Not only did my husband read the first several pages, but he finished the entire book in less than three days. I suppose that's proof of how crucial the first chapter of a novel is.
Water for Elephants was written by Sara Gruen and is the first book that I'll be blogging about in my intended virtual book club. It is strong literary fiction with emotional character development, historical fiction with a glimpse into the Depression, and has a plot that alternates between present day and glimpses of a young man's life after he joins the struggling Benzini Brothers Circus. The following questions are adapted from the Publisher for book club discussion. Please post comments to add to the discussion. I'm not going to give away the ending of Water for Elephants because if you haven't read it yet, you really should.
1. To what extent do the chapters concerning the elderly Jacob enhance the chapters recounting the young Jacob's experiences with the Benzini Brothers circus? In what ways do the chapters about the young Jacob contribute to a deeper understanding of the elderly Jacob's life?
Jacob became entirely miffed when another elderly man in the nursing home claimed to have carried water to give to circus elephants in his youth. Not only does Jacob know that this man is lying, because, as he says "do you know how much water an elephant drinks?" He also, I believe, is resentful that this man is thwarting his ability to share the true story of what really happened at the circus. Jacob is a man with plenty of stories to tell and although he is ninety-three years old, he remembers everything about his experiences with the Benzini Brothers Circus. I found it quite interesting that Jacob had a difficult time remembering who all of his family members were, with the exception of his children, but that time in his life remains vividly clear. Maybe we all have a time in our lives that we'll never forget and experiences, whether good or bad, which will continue to haunt our memories.
2. Who did you, upon reading the prologue, think committed murder? What effect did that opening scene of chaos and murder have on your reception of the story that follows?
The opening scene of the book immediately grabbed my attention, but I was uncertain as to who was being murdered and who was committing murder. All I knew was that a young man was witnessing an event that he was unable to control or stop.
3. August says of Marlene, "Not everyone can work with liberty horses. It's a God-given talent, a sixth sense, if you will" (pg 94). Both August and Jacob recognize Marlena's skills, in working with horses. In what ways does that sixth sense attract each man? How do August and Jacob differ in terms of the importance each places on Marlena's abilities?
Marlena truly had a deep respect for animals, her liberty horses in particular. She loved Silver Star and grieved when he was ill and had to be put down. Not only did she love animals, but she had a gift for working with them which led them to have a deep respect for her. Jacob, like Marlena, respected and cared for the animals. He was in his final year of veterinary school when his parents died unexpectedly and he found himself jumping aboard a circus train and landing a job as the show's vet. I believe it was his and Marlena's mutual affection for the liberty horses that drew them to one another. August was the official animal trainer, but he viewed the animals as nothing more than property and something that was dispensable and could be used as a bargaining tool with other circuses, or as food for other animals. This was also, in many ways, how he viewed Marlena. He was in awe of her abilities, but also demanded her to submit to him. The way that he pulled her chin to look at him was much like the way he threw a lit cigarette into Rosie's (the elephant) mouth. It was his way of making sure they knew that he was in charge.
4. Reflecting on the fact that his platitudes and stories don't hold his children's interest, the elderly Jacob notes, "My real stories are all out of date. So what if I can speak firsthand about the Spanish flu, the advent of the automobile, world wars, cold wars, guerrilla wars, and Sputnik-that's all ancient history now. But what else do I have to offer?" How might we learn to appreciate the stories and life lessons of our elders and encourage people younger than ourselves to appreciate our own?
Our elders have so many stories to offer that we don't take full advantage of when given the opportunity. I think of my own grandparents/parents and wonder how many things I don't know about them, how many stories they could have shared with me that would have enhanced my life. I find it interesting that Jacob's own children don't realize how many tales he has to tell about his years living with the circus. Not only do they not seem to care, but they don't appear to have a vested interest in his life. From what I gathered, they took turns coming to visit him, but even in the end, he is forgotten on the day he was supposed to visit the circus.
I guess that explains his decision at the end of the novel.
4. Looking at himself in the mirror, the old Jacob tries "to see beyond the sagging flesh." But he claims, "It's no good...I can't find myself anymore. When did I stop being me?" How would you answer that question for Jacob or any individual, or for yourself?
I believe Jacob can no longer see himself because in a lot of ways, he's forgotten who he really is. He's alone in a nursing home and aside from one nurse, is irritated by most everyone around him. I wonder if when Jacob looks in the mirror, he wishes that the veterinary student he once was, were staring back at him.
5. In his Carnival of the Animals, Ogden Nash wrote, "Elephants are useful friends." In what ways is Rosie a "useful" friend? What is Rosie's role in the events that follow her acquisition by Uncle Al?
2. Who did you, upon reading the prologue, think committed murder? What effect did that opening scene of chaos and murder have on your reception of the story that follows?
The opening scene of the book immediately grabbed my attention, but I was uncertain as to who was being murdered and who was committing murder. All I knew was that a young man was witnessing an event that he was unable to control or stop.
3. August says of Marlene, "Not everyone can work with liberty horses. It's a God-given talent, a sixth sense, if you will" (pg 94). Both August and Jacob recognize Marlena's skills, in working with horses. In what ways does that sixth sense attract each man? How do August and Jacob differ in terms of the importance each places on Marlena's abilities?
Marlena truly had a deep respect for animals, her liberty horses in particular. She loved Silver Star and grieved when he was ill and had to be put down. Not only did she love animals, but she had a gift for working with them which led them to have a deep respect for her. Jacob, like Marlena, respected and cared for the animals. He was in his final year of veterinary school when his parents died unexpectedly and he found himself jumping aboard a circus train and landing a job as the show's vet. I believe it was his and Marlena's mutual affection for the liberty horses that drew them to one another. August was the official animal trainer, but he viewed the animals as nothing more than property and something that was dispensable and could be used as a bargaining tool with other circuses, or as food for other animals. This was also, in many ways, how he viewed Marlena. He was in awe of her abilities, but also demanded her to submit to him. The way that he pulled her chin to look at him was much like the way he threw a lit cigarette into Rosie's (the elephant) mouth. It was his way of making sure they knew that he was in charge.
4. Reflecting on the fact that his platitudes and stories don't hold his children's interest, the elderly Jacob notes, "My real stories are all out of date. So what if I can speak firsthand about the Spanish flu, the advent of the automobile, world wars, cold wars, guerrilla wars, and Sputnik-that's all ancient history now. But what else do I have to offer?" How might we learn to appreciate the stories and life lessons of our elders and encourage people younger than ourselves to appreciate our own?
Our elders have so many stories to offer that we don't take full advantage of when given the opportunity. I think of my own grandparents/parents and wonder how many things I don't know about them, how many stories they could have shared with me that would have enhanced my life. I find it interesting that Jacob's own children don't realize how many tales he has to tell about his years living with the circus. Not only do they not seem to care, but they don't appear to have a vested interest in his life. From what I gathered, they took turns coming to visit him, but even in the end, he is forgotten on the day he was supposed to visit the circus.
I guess that explains his decision at the end of the novel.
4. Looking at himself in the mirror, the old Jacob tries "to see beyond the sagging flesh." But he claims, "It's no good...I can't find myself anymore. When did I stop being me?" How would you answer that question for Jacob or any individual, or for yourself?
I believe Jacob can no longer see himself because in a lot of ways, he's forgotten who he really is. He's alone in a nursing home and aside from one nurse, is irritated by most everyone around him. I wonder if when Jacob looks in the mirror, he wishes that the veterinary student he once was, were staring back at him.
5. In his Carnival of the Animals, Ogden Nash wrote, "Elephants are useful friends." In what ways is Rosie a "useful" friend? What is Rosie's role in the events that follow her acquisition by Uncle Al?
Rosie saved Marlene and Jacob in more ways than one. She was acquired by Uncle Al from another circus that viewed her as the dumbest animal around. August agreed and couldn't do a thing with her until Jacob discovered that she only understood Polish. Of course, I don't believe that's entirely true. She understood a lot more than let on, even how to pull her stake out so she could sneak off and drink the circus lemonade.
As with any book club, the discussion only works if people participate. Please chime in and tell me your observations of Water for Elephants. Until next time...
0 comments:
Post a Comment