Read the book then got the audio cd for my daughter who has a disability it was good loved it. 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. On our first date, my husband took me to see tod brownings freaks, a 1932 horror film with a distinctly diane arbus feel that takes a. Gruen transports us into the world of a thirdrate traveling circus during the great depression. He is particularly angry with one old man who says he once got the water for elephants in the circus. Water for elephants is the new york times bestselling debut novel. They create a plan to completely ruin the circus for good. Differences between water for elephants book vs movie page 1. With gruens bestselling book as his source material here, lawrence concentrates on more domestic horrors missing in his other films. 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. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. Sara gruen has a voice to rival john irvings, and i am hopelessly, unabashedly in love with this book.
Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. One of the clever aspects of it is the way it is told through the eyes of jacob as an old man. This video is me giving an ending spoiler for the movie the video is just me talking about how it ends. August is an antagonist and jacob is a protagonist. In the book, we see jacob as an old man in the nursing home throughout. Jacob janowskis luck had run outorphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on a rickety train that was home to the benzini brothers most spectacular show on earth. I would have given the book five stars if the books ending did not give a new meaning to cliche. He was a very vicious character and those characteristics were carried over and added to august.
On our first date, my husband took me to see tod brownings freaks, a 1932 horror film with a distinctly diane arbus feel. By watching the movie you can get a better idea of the craziness and confusion going on. The inspiration for the book was a chicago tribune article about edward j. 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. She demonstrates an exceptional aptitude for writing, and matthias, for a time, indulges her with reed pens, papyri, and other 16 c. Sep 01, 2012 this video is me giving an ending spoiler for the movie the video is just me talking about how it ends. It was the great depression and for jacob the circus was both his salvation and a living hell.
Winner of the 2007 bookbrowse diamond award for most popular book. Water for elephants book ending vs movie ending showing. Only days before graduating from vet school in 1931, young jake learns his parents have died and left him penniless. Use these book club discussion questions on water for elephants to lead your book clubs conversation on the story. Jacob is the main conflict in the book, water for elephants. Sara gruen mines fertile territory in water for elephants. The truth is, it is summer and i am desperate for a distraction away from my recent obsession with greys anatomy reruns fueled by netflixs instant queue. A meticulously researched, fastpaced, engaging and ultimately very satisfying novel set mostly ina depression era travelling circus. Find books like water for elephants from the worlds largest community of readers.
And he met rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great hope for this thirdrate traveling show. 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. Governor bill haslam, lewis county mayor bill webb, and hohenwald city mayor danny mcknight all signed official proclamations stating, the elephant sanctuary in tennessee continually sets and reaches its goals, and works collaboratively to share best practices to help. Sep 07, 2016 author, sara gruen is an excellent novelist. Read water for elephants absolutely for free at readanybook. But be warned, this isnt the order of events in the book. She wrote the book as part of national novel writing month. Weve probably all seen a movie and wished it were 40 minutes shorter or read a book and thought, damn, this really could have been condensed and lost. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Jacob, the books narrator and protagonist, worked as a vet and trainer of sorts at a circus. I believe this film is on for animal lovers and not off at all, i highly recommend it to them.
It follows the story of a young man whose circumstances are suddenly altered and who finds himself homeless and jobless. These book club discussion questions reveal important details about water for elephants by sara gruen. So, at the end of the book, despite the fact that hes ninetythree years old. The story is fluently truncated from the extended length of the book into a simple twohour film courtesy of screenwriter richard lagravenese the horse whisperer, the mirror has two faces. This clip from the movie, water for elephants, shows the stampede scene. August can be very friendly and sweet on the surface, but deep down he is a cruel and cold man. Water for elephants is a 2006 novel by canadianamerican author sara gruen. 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. Water for elephants, published in 2007, is sara gruens third novel.
Ana is the daughter of matthias, head scribe to herod antipas, tetrarch of galilee. Feb 02, 2012 the movie water for elephants stays close to sara gruens beloved book particularly with the 1930s circus memories section. Aug 05, 2008 a meticulously researched, fastpaced, engaging and ultimately very satisfying novel set mostly ina depression era travelling circus. Ringling bros is a big abuser of animals, especially elephants. If youre looking for a rationale for water for elephants, its listed as a scholastic reading counts book side note. 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. The story is fluently truncated from the extended length of the book into a simple twohour film courtesy of screenwriter richard lagravenese the horse whisperer, the. Water for elephantsbook or movie by charlene neal on prezi.
Their two, completely separate personalities clash and collide. Water for elephants is a story about an elderly man, jacob, who recalls an adventure in his younger years. Jacob jankowski, a retired veterinarian living out his days in an assistedliving facility, drifts in and out of his memories. Water for elephants a dissapointed ending showing 150 of 116. Water for elephants is one of my most favorite books. I read water for elephants a few years ago and from time to time, i reread my favorite novels. 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.
The band starts playing very fast and the redlighters set all the circus animals loose. Despite her often cliched prose and the predictability of the storys ending, gruen skillfully humanizes the midgets, drunks, rubes. The prologue features a younger version of jacob, who works at a circus and. Jul 04, 2011 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.
Water for elephants by sara gruen at the best online ebook storage. In the book, jacobs narration takes place in his own mind. The movie water for elephants stays close to sara gruens beloved book particularly with the 1930s circus memories section. The movie in principle, francis lawrences water for elephants covers the exact same ground as the book. Water for elephants book club discussion questions and. Sara gruen has written an utterly transporting novel richly full of the stuff of life. Read online water for elephants by sara gruen for free. Water for elephants 2011 frequently asked questions imdb. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of water for elephants by sara gruen. 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. 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. Im not an advocate of boxed reading programs like this, but i know many schools use them. Water for elephants is a book that can be read and reread, recommended and handed off between friends. 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.
The novel was adapted for the movie by american screenwriter richard lagravenese. Water for elephants is a rich surprise, a delightful gem springing from a fascinating footnote to history that absolutely deserved to be mined. Water for elephants was adapted into a major motion picture starring reese witherspoon, rob pattinson, and. Based on the book by sara gruen, water for elephants is the story of jacob jankowski who as an old man is recounting the tale of when he first. The denver post so compelling, so detailed and vivid, that i couldnt bear to be torn away from it for a single minute. Water for elephants book club discussion questions and answers. As the sadistic august, waltz simmers with alternating charm and viciousness two qualities he perfected in his oscarwinning turn in inglourious basterds. Elephant awareness month october is elephant awareness month in tennessee.
He is portrayed as a bit of a rebel, arguing with other residents, complaining about the food. I hate being so enamored with a book and then a crappy movie version comes along and tarnishes it. Water for elephants is the new york times bestselling debut novel by sara gruen. While i enjoyed the movie with robert pattinson and reese witherspoon, the novel is far better. 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. Water for elephants is a moving tale about circus life during the depression era with quirky characters and complex emotions underlying the characters actions. August goes on rages and rants of complete insanity due to the. Apr 22, 2011 weve probably all seen a movie and wished it were 40 minutes shorter or read a book and thought, damn, this really could have been condensed and lost nothing. The alex award is given to books that are written for adults but appeal to teen readers.
The title, water for elephants, is almost a little inside joke with the reader once weve finished the book, that is. The only place the movie veers from the original is in its details of the older, current jacob. Download and read online for free water for elephants by sara gruen. See tod brownings freaks, you pore through water for elephants the difference. The story is told as a series of memories by jacob jankowski, a 93yearold man who lives in a nursing home. Water for elephants moves between a story about a circus and a story about an old man in a nursing home. Goodreads members who liked water for elephants also liked.
Dec 21, 2011 read the book then got the audio cd for my daughter who has a disability it was good loved it. Characters characters continued the deletion of uncle al from the movie was not something that changed the movie very much. Apr 27, 2011 the movie in principle, francis lawrences water for elephants covers the exact same ground as the book. 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. For starters, weve got forbidden love and adultery. So i purchased the book and slowly began retreating. Despite her often cliched prose and the predictability of the storys ending, gruen skillfully humanizes the midgets, drunks, rubes and freaks. When jacob jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, drifters, and misfits, a secondrate circus struggling to. It may be slightly over hyped, but it certainly deserves of most of the praise its receiving. Her works have been translated into fortythree languages and have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. 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. Water for elephants movie tiein by sara gruen, paperback.
I was, for the first time in years, saddened to come to the end of this book. Water for elephants by sara gruen book club discussion. Jacob and marlena simmer with sexual tension for about the first threequarters of the text. Water for elephants book ending vs movie ending showing 1. Water for elephants and over 8 million other books are available for amazon kindle. In fact, people who are less sensitive about animal rights issues might not even understand what it is all about. May 22, 2006 jacob janowskis luck had run outorphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on a rickety train that was home to the benzini brothers most spectacular show on earth.
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