Set in the 1930s, a former veterinary student takes a job in a travelling circus and falls in love with the ringmasters wife. 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. Use these book club discussion questions on water for elephants to lead your book clubs conversation on the story. The circus was the main setting of the book, water for elephants. He uses his training to help and care for the animals. A 42yearold asian elephant named tai most recently known for the role of rosie in foxs water for elephants was abused by its trainers in. 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. Its not terribly surprising, then, that one of the most memorable characters in this animal lovers new novel is a pachyderm named rosie. Pdf water for elephants download full pdf book download. 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. Also, if you want a special treat, listen to it on audiobook. The water for elephants community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and.
Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. According to the novel this period is the most difficult, because. The title, water for elephants, is almost a little inside joke with the reader once weve finished the book, that is. Author interview sara gruen, author of water for elephants. Jacob jankowski, a veterinary student at cornell, discovers that his parents have been killed in a car accident. The circus train only had a limited amount of water on board, and elephants can drink 100300 litres per day approximately 2680 gallons. Water for elephants is fun, sweet and thrilling and will pull you into the mysterious. Every few chapters, the narrative switches from one jacob to the other.
The book was published on may 26, 2006, under algonquin books, in the united states of america. If jacob did not ride that train and become a vet for the circus, water for elephants would have never became a book. 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 written as a firstperson account and closely follows the life of jacob jankowski as flashbacks of his 20s, as he spends his old age in a nursing home. Jacob, the books narrator and protagonist, worked as a vet and trainer of sorts at a circus.
Water for elephants sara gruen books the new york times. There, he works as the shows vet, and falls ever more in love with marlena, the star of the circus and. The following quote from jacob, taken from the book, describes, in detail, the marvelous scene. The physical setting of water for elephantsa tatty 1930s train circusis. Pdf water for elephants book by sara gruen free download. Water for elephants in one plot, jacob is a young guy just starting out in the world. This study guide consists of approximately 58 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis. With a showmans expert timing, gruen saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of americana.
Free download or read online water for elephants pdf epub book. Water for elephants chapter summaries flashcards quizlet. When jacob jankowski arrived for the first time at the circus where he worked, he was in awe. Water for elephants resembles stealth hits like the giants house, by elizabeth mccracken, or the lovely bones, by alice sebold, books that combine outrageously whimsical premises with crowdpleasing romanticism. Joesph mcguinty says he used to carry water for elephants at the old circuses, which annoys jacob cause he doesnt think its true. The only place the movie veers from the original is in its details of the older, current jacob. Young jacob is able to do whatever his heart desires including, jumping on. Winner of the 2007 bookbrowse diamond award for most popular book. If you say that you carried water for elephants, i am. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required.
Water for elephants, after being rejected by publishers initially, went on to become a new york bestseller and is available in 46 languages. In water for elephants, the character jacob becomes the veterinarian in the circus. The novel hit the new york times bestseller list and reached number one on july 8, 2007. Water for elephants, published in 2010, is a contemporary novel by sara gruen. Jacob is studying at cornell when he learns of his parents accident and that all their belongings have. The first edition of the novel was published in may 26th 2006, and was written by sara gruen. The main characters of this fiction, historical story are jacob jankowski, rosemary. Water for elephants elephant was abused in 2005, says. This particular symbol is introduced in the first few pages of the novel, when the older jacob is sitting down to dinner at the nursing home with his. The band starts playing very fast and the redlighters set all the circus animals loose. The movie water for elephants stays close to sara gruens beloved book particularly with the 1930s circus memories section. An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of starcrossed lovers, set in the circus. Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month.
The story happens in the benzini brothers circus of america in the 1930s. Water for elephants has two plots going on, both starring the same main character, jacob. The title is somewhat of a joke between the author, sara gruen, and the readers. Water for elephants is a delightful, moving book, and the ending was a very pleasant surprise. Its the story of jacob, who runs away to the circus during the depression when his life falls apart around him. 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. The last notes of water for elephants linger long after the book ends. In the book, jacobs narration takes place in his own mind. It was in this bucolic setting that gruen started writing her third novel following riding lessons and flying changes after intensive research that included several. It has 335 pages, and is classified as historical romance and fiction. Winner of the 2007 bookbrowse award for most popular book. A comprehensive guide to aid in discussion and discovery 30 multiple choice questions on the book, plots, characters, and author insightful resource for teachers, groups, or individuals keep track of scores with results to.
I know i shouldnt do this, but somehow i cant help myself. Gruen transports us into the world of a thirdrate traveling circus during the great depression. Water for elephants the novel water for elephants is written by the bestselling author sarah gruen. Water for elephants, published in 2007, is sara gruens third novel. Sara gruen keeps her cats ashes in an urn behind her desk and donates a portion of her book royalties to animal charities. Water for elephants begins violently and then veers into weirder terrain. Ive always been a complete sucker for animals, says gruen, whose novel water for elephants has garnered.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Rosemary is the nursing home caregiver who listens to his stories and gives him real food. Triviaquiz for fans features youll discover inside. Water for elephants book by sara gruen thriftbooks. Jacob jankowski jacob jankowski is the narrator of the novel, and senior in college whose ready to explore the world and find where he belongs. 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. These book club discussion questions reveal important details about water for elephants by sara gruen. The two readers, david ledoux and john randolph jones, did a wonderful job of bringing both jacobs young and old to life. What he didnt know was that the train he jumped on was a circus train. His stay here is cut short by the death of his parents. A symbol that is strategically included throughout the story is the title of the novel. A novel and millions of other books are available for instant access. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of water for elephants by sara gruen.
First, young jacob is found on the campus of cornell university in ithaca, new york. There are three main settings in water for elephants. The alternating glamour and squalor of the circus world gruen expertly conjures may truly be one of the greatest shows. 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. 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 makes use of a framing device similar to one the screenwriter used for the bridges of madison county. Water for elephants is the new york times bestselling debut novel by sara gruen. In the beginning of the book, jacob leaves college and hops on a train. The author, sara gruen allows readers to read the book from two perspectives, one from young jacob and the other from older presentday jacob. They create a plan to completely ruin the circus for good. Water for elephants is a book that can be read and reread, recommended and handed off between friends. Do you believe that animals show emotion, as in the novels references to rosies smile.
She wrote the book as part of national novel writing month. An old jacob, played by hal holbrook, tells his story in. Pdf summary of water for elephants download full pdf. It stars reese witherspoon, robert pattinson, and christoph waltz the film was released in the united states on april 22, 2011. 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. An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of starcrossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of riding lessons. When jacob overhears a man at the assistedliving center claim to have been a water boy for the elephants on a circus, jacob knows the man is lying because jacob himself once worked as a vet on a traveling circus. The grand rapids press you need this elephant in your life. This is where almost all of the action of the story took place.