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Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Jan. 27th, 2008 03:35 pmPretty day but cold. Staying inside and chilling for numerous reasons. Also it is 71 degrees in my apartment as opposed to 36 degrees outside. Yesterday, when it was a lot colder, people were racing about Brooklyn pushing shopping carts, while dressed in wacky costumes, some of which did not cover much of their bodies. There was one group dressed as S&M, that included a guy that was completely nude except for a speedo, a chain around his neck and a ski mask. They were all drunk, and clearly below the age of 30. I asked one of my neighbors what was going on and was told they thought it might be a race associated with a bunch of bars in the area and started all the way in Williamsburg - which is over 20 miles away. Was amusing to watch. Also learned that Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams used to live only 10-15 blocks away from my apartment. I thought they lived in Park Slope for some reason. I've probably passed them numerous times and never known it. I never recognize celebrities. Does explain why prices have skyrocketed and some of the old Italien character has been replaced by over-priced bistros, bars, and boutiques.
Finished Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, which you may have heard of - since it's been on numerous best seller lists and is apparently a book club selection. I snagged my copy from my mother over the Christmas Holidays. So this was not a book I spent money on. It came highly recommended by my mother and my grandmother (two generations of women in my family).
The story is told by a 90 or 93 year old man in a nursing home. But it is not about a nursing home, it's about when he was twenty two years of age traveling with a circus, acting as the show's veterinian in the 1930's. It's the part of his life that he remembers best and enjoyed the most.
While I enjoyed the book, the descriptions do pull you into the novel, I'm not sure it is all that memorable. I can still vividly see bits of the novel's world inside my head - the stock cars, the big tent, the elephant, and the nursing home that he aches to escape, more prison than safe haven. But the story at the center of it - is your typical run of the mill love tale that I've read in one too many romance novels in my lifetime. About the abusive husband, the poor suffering wife, and the hot young kid who swoops her off her feet and saves her. Told from the kid's point of view. I can't help but wonder if the novel would have been better without the romance, which to me felt a tad cliche and predictable...but it is at the core of the book and you can't really remove it without unraveling the entire narrative structure. It's a minor thing. The description of the circus and life at the circus, the characters who make up the circus, and the trains due make up for the plot. As do the apt descriptions of the nursing home. There are fantastical bits here and there, but they are more satisfying than annoying and overall, do work within the framework of the story.
It's not long. And I'd say it's a quick read, doesn't require that much concentration and is in some respects a Choc-Lit novel (tm - ann1962) - in that it provides you with a satisfying and happy ending. Everyone gets their just desserts more or less. Left me feeling all warm and fluffy. Also kept my attention on the train ride to and from work. Not to mention at night, before bed. Outside of that, am hard pressed to say much about it. Not sure what I'd say in a book club - just that I'm relieved I don't have to worry about such things any longer. Book clubs get old after a while - usually when they start to become reminiscent of English Lit class and you find yourself being forced to read and discuss things and books that you'd rather not.
Finished Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, which you may have heard of - since it's been on numerous best seller lists and is apparently a book club selection. I snagged my copy from my mother over the Christmas Holidays. So this was not a book I spent money on. It came highly recommended by my mother and my grandmother (two generations of women in my family).
The story is told by a 90 or 93 year old man in a nursing home. But it is not about a nursing home, it's about when he was twenty two years of age traveling with a circus, acting as the show's veterinian in the 1930's. It's the part of his life that he remembers best and enjoyed the most.
While I enjoyed the book, the descriptions do pull you into the novel, I'm not sure it is all that memorable. I can still vividly see bits of the novel's world inside my head - the stock cars, the big tent, the elephant, and the nursing home that he aches to escape, more prison than safe haven. But the story at the center of it - is your typical run of the mill love tale that I've read in one too many romance novels in my lifetime. About the abusive husband, the poor suffering wife, and the hot young kid who swoops her off her feet and saves her. Told from the kid's point of view. I can't help but wonder if the novel would have been better without the romance, which to me felt a tad cliche and predictable...but it is at the core of the book and you can't really remove it without unraveling the entire narrative structure. It's a minor thing. The description of the circus and life at the circus, the characters who make up the circus, and the trains due make up for the plot. As do the apt descriptions of the nursing home. There are fantastical bits here and there, but they are more satisfying than annoying and overall, do work within the framework of the story.
It's not long. And I'd say it's a quick read, doesn't require that much concentration and is in some respects a Choc-Lit novel (tm - ann1962) - in that it provides you with a satisfying and happy ending. Everyone gets their just desserts more or less. Left me feeling all warm and fluffy. Also kept my attention on the train ride to and from work. Not to mention at night, before bed. Outside of that, am hard pressed to say much about it. Not sure what I'd say in a book club - just that I'm relieved I don't have to worry about such things any longer. Book clubs get old after a while - usually when they start to become reminiscent of English Lit class and you find yourself being forced to read and discuss things and books that you'd rather not.
