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 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. With lines of startling beauty, haunting and evocative scenes and finelydrawn characters who dance off the page, readers can dip in and out of the novel, immersing themselves in jacobs memories. Often people in college will sell items they are bored with or no longer have time for at a drastically reduced price. 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.
The water for elephants community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context. Water for elephants study guide contains a biography of sara gruen, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters. A water for elephants discussion from reading group guides writers digest interview with sara gruen. 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. The circus train only had a limited amount of water on board, and elephants can drink 100300 litres per day approximately 2680 gallons. You see the special bond that humans can have with animals. Water for elephants book by sara gruen thriftbooks. Loved the characters and the ending was a little abrupt but also really fitting. Analysis essay 9th novemember 2011 water for elephants in a recent interview for, robert pattinson, a household young actor, revealed that he was offered with various movie characters that he could choose from as his next role after starring in the twilight series. Water for elephants book club discussion questions thoughtco. Water for elephants by sara gruen depicts a number of themes discussed below.
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. This story is character driven, and often said to have amazing character development and relationships. Buy a cheap copy of water for elephants book by sara gruen. Jacob jankowski is the main character in the book, water for elephants.
Use these book club discussion questions on water for elephants to lead your book clubs conversation on the story. Mcguinty is a minor character who appears early on in the book. Its not terribly surprising, then, that one of the most memorable characters in this animal lovers new novel is a pachyderm named rosie. Marlena ran away from home to join the circus and married august, the head animal trainer. They create a plan to completely ruin the circus for good. I didnt really feel the love between the characters because they were so two dimensional. Water for elephants is a 2011 american romantic drama film directed by francis lawrence and written by richard lagravenese, based on sara gruens 2006 novel of the same name. So, i read the story of jacob, son of isaac who was the son of abraham, who almost sacrificed isaac. Jacobs story begins at cornell university where he is studying to come a vet. Yard sales are sometimes good sources of things that people do not want.
So begins water for elephants, sara gruen s darkly beautiful tale about the characters who inhabit the lessthangreatest show on earth. Ive always been a complete sucker for animals, says gruen, whose novel water for elephants has. I hate being so enamored with a book and then a crappy movie version comes along and tarnishes it. I would have given the book five stars if the books ending did not give a. Jacob jankowski, a retired veterinarian living out his days in an assistedliving facility, drifts in and out of his memories.
May 26, 2006 water for elephants is the story of jacobs life with this circus. The climax of the the book, water for elephants, is when several survivors who were redlighted return to the circus during one of the shows. Trust us, water for elephants is going to be one of the surprise hits of 2011. 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. 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. Water for elephants symbols, allegory and motifs gradesaver. The main character, jacob, is a 90something year old man who. Jacob finds a place tending the circus animals, including a seemingly untrainable elephant named rosie. There are water for elephants book characters many other ways that you can get a wholesale cost on a game boy advance.
Therefor water for elephants has a more metaphorical meaning that deals with jacobs decision to stay with the circus, providing water for elephants. When jacob overhears a man at the assistedliving center claim to have been a water boy for the elephants. 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 author sara gruen will release a new novel. The title, water for elephants, is almost a little inside joke with the reader once weve finished the book, that is. Set in a travelling circus touring the backblocks of america during the great depression of the early 1930s, this is a story of love and hate, trains and circuses, dwarves and fat ladies, horses and elephantsor to be more specific, one elephant, rosie, star of benzini bros most spectacular show on earth.
Only days before graduating from vet school in 1931, young jake learns his parents have died and left him penniless. I read that the story of jacob is allegedly the backbone of water for elephants. But if you were to be on his bad side, he will be downright cruel. While reading water for elephants i found the plot hyperbolic and excessively melodramatic and the characters little developed beyond their names.
Sara gruen has a voice to rival john irvings, and i am hopelessly, unabashedly in love with this book. Jacob, the books narrator and protagonist, worked as a vet and trainer of sorts at a circus. If youre on his good side, august is sure to treat you royally and be charismatic as well. A quick summary of water for elephants by sara gruen suffering within the animals conclusion a young man name jacob jawkowski, a young almost qualified veterinary student, who goes through a traumatic experience and he drops out of the.
Water for elephants is the touching story of jacob jankowski, a ninetythreeyearold man, who is reminded. Much like sara gruens water for elephants, this book could easily become a darkhorse bestseller. Sara gruen spares no detail in chronicling the squalid, filthy, brutish circumstances in which he finds himself. Meet the cast and learn more about the stars of water for elephants with exclusive news, pictures, videos and more at. May 26, 2006 it has everything i look for in a truly great book. Water for elephants has a happy ending for jacob, but not for many other characters. Sep 07, 2016 i bought this book because of push advertising and regretted it. Sara gruen keeps her cats ashes in an urn behind her desk and donates a portion of her book royalties to animal charities. 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. Aug 05, 2008 a meticulously researched, fastpaced, engaging and ultimately very satisfying novel set mostly ina depression era travelling circus. August is an antagonist and jacob is a protagonist. Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month.
At its finest, water for elephants resembles stealth hits like the giants house, by elizabeth mccracken, or the lovely bones, by alice sebold, books. While i enjoyed the movie with robert pattinson and reese witherspoon, the novel is far better. Water for elephants study guide contains a biography of sara gruen, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Download and read online for free water for elephants by sara gruen. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Water for elephants, published in 2007, is sara gruens third novel. I believe that of all animals, choosing an elephant as the title animal was appropriate given elephants are known for their good memories. The last notes of water for elephants linger long after the book ends. Marlena is the main love interest in the book, water for elephants, and also a performer at the circus. I simply adore this book and recommend it to everyone. Their two, completely separate personalities clash and collide. Mid book test hard final test hard quiztest generator.
Water for elephants is one of my most favorite books. By the end of the novel, marlena is a distinguished dynamic character, knowing that independence and self beliefs are a great deal of who she is. From my understanding of both works, the only clear connection is the theme of deception. Sara gruen has written an utterly transporting novel richly full of the stuff of life. This set of lesson plans consists of approximately 5 pages of tests, essay questions, lessons, and other teaching materials. Water for elephants has two plots going on, both starring the same main character, jacob. 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 presentation by ashley lamere on prezi.
Water for elephants character descriptions bookrags. Jacob laughs and says, im not running away, im coming home. Jacob is working overtime as the narrator of water for elephants. The man agrees, saying that jacob will go down in the records book as the oldest man to run away with the circus. The story is told as a series of memories by jacob jankowski, a 93yearold man who lives in a nursing home. Later in the book, it is suggested that he is a paranoid schizophrenic to excuse his violence. The water for elephants community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. Water for elephants movie tiein by sara gruen, paperback.
Juonithz i liked the book but mainly for its premise and potential. When my book club decided to read water for elephants for our selection last. Despite her often cliched prose and the predictability of the storys ending. 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. Water for elephants is a delightful, moving book, and the ending was a very pleasant surprise.
Oprahs book club do you remember the first book she. The book club disagreed on the ending of the story. Marlena works with eleven horses on a routine shown under the big top. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. 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. 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. Marlena is married to august, but it is a bad marriage. Apr 22, 2011 8 big differences between water for elephants book and movie apr. And like many books, water for elephants sneaks in an extra.
I read water for elephants a few years ago and from time to time, i reread my favorite novels. In water for elephants, the characters marlena and jacob are drawn together. Young jacob is able to do whatever his heart desires including, jumping on moving trains and fighting for the women he loves. A thousand splendid suns, memory keepers daughter, etc. The author, sara gruen allows readers to read the book from two perspectives, one from young jacob and the other from older presentday jacob. 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. August august is the owner of the circus, married to marlena, and a paranoid schizophrenic. 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. He hops a train to escape his grief and ends up joining the benzini brothers most spectacular show on earth a.
Author interview sara gruen, author of water for elephants. Water for elephants by sara gruen at the best online ebook storage. Mar 18, 2008 it came up as question 16 in the water for elephants reading group guide. Character analysis of water for elephant 995 words. The two readers, david ledoux and john randolph jones, did a wonderful job of bringing both jacobs young and old to life. With its spotlight on elephants, gruens romantic pageturner hinges on the humananimal bonds that drove her debut and its sequel riding lessons and flying changesbut without the mass appeal. The animals are mangy, underfed or fed rotten food, and abused. Veterinary school student jacob meets and falls in love with marlena, a star performer in a circus of a bygone era.
When the book opens, jacob jankowski is an angry old man who has been living in an assistedliving center. It stars reese witherspoon, robert pattinson, and christoph waltz. 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. Sarah mccann here is the trailer for the water for elephants movie, to get an idea of the setting and time period, as well as the characters. Sara gruen has said that the backbone of her novel parallels the biblical story of jacob, in the book of genesis. He is known for redlighting circus workers having them thrown off the moving circus train in.
Water for elephants, 2007, sara gruen water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. To ask other readers questions about water for elephants, please sign up. Water for elephants book and movie comparison by hannah. Jacob is the main conflict in the book, water for elephants. Marlena rosenbluth from water for elephants charactour. Water for elephants 2011 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
In one plot, jacob is a young guy just starting out in the world. August can be very friendly and sweet on the surface, but deep down he is a cruel and cold man. 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. Also, if you want a special treat, listen to it on audiobook. In the story, love is shown among the characters themselves. This demonstrates that jacob is clearly in love with marlena. All 63 characters in water for elephants are listed by chapter with character descriptions included. Water for elephants characters listed with descriptions. How do the chapters about the older jacob enrich the story about jacobs adventure with the circus. Jacob jankowski ran away from veterinary medicine at cornell.
Character analysis of water for elephant 980 words 4 pages. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of water for elephants by sara gruen. Water for elephants by sara gruen sophisticated dorkiness. Character analysis of water for elephant 995 words 4 pages. Water for elephants a dissapointed ending showing 150 of 116. Water for elephants a depressionera circus provides the backdrop for sara gruens latest novel, water for elephants. Water for elephants is a book that can be read and reread, recommended and handed off between friends. A novel and millions of other books are available for instant.
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