How do the chapters about the older jacob enrich the story about jacobs adventure with the circus. Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. I watched the film water for elephants when it first came out in 2011. The main characters of this fiction, historical story are jacob jankowski, rosemary. In the book water for elephants by sara gruen, there are some slight biblical themes if you look closely.
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. The movie water for elephants stays close to sara gruens beloved book particularly with the 1930s circus memories section. 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. Water for elephants is the story of jacobs life with this circus. I do not wish to give away too much of the storyline but something tells me people will like this movie as much as the book if not more. Sara gruen has a voice to rival john irvings, and i am hopelessly, unabashedly in love with this book. But be warned, this isnt the order of events in the book. Another article in our series highlighting water for elephants.
Sara gruens water for elephants the cornell daily sun. Water for elephants is the new york times bestselling debut novel by sara gruen. By jim castagnera special to the history place 5211. The last notes of water for elephants linger long after the book ends. Apr 29, 2008 i went to my bible and read the story of jacob. The truth is, jacobs still the same person he used to be. Although i wanted more emotion between marlena and jacob, its a romantic story, full of action, love for animals and a magnificent circus. The film was released in the united states on april 22, 2011. Sara gruens arresting new novel, water for elephants, explores. 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. Interspersed between the main story, set in the past, relating young jacobs.
An old jacob, played by hal holbrook, tells his story in flashback to a. The animals are mangy, underfed or fed rotten food, and abused. Jacob and marlena are attracted to each other it wouldnt be a story without a love triangle but shes off limits. In what other ways does water for elephants parallel the story of the biblical jacob. In water for elephants, jacob comes in and gets in uncle als good graces without a lot of history that august has. In both cases of his storytelling within the book to rosemary and charlie, his audience is eager. In what ways and to what extent do the words pathetic grandeur describe the world that gruen creates in her novel. After his parents death, jacob jankowski is left penniless and homeless. We know he is having problems remembering things at 90 or 93. However, if we dig a little deeper, we find the story of jacob in the king james old testament bares some resemblance to the story of jacob in water for elephants.
However, in her 2006 novel water for elephants, sara gruen showed that the circus life might not have been as glamorous as it appeared from the outside. Jacob, the books narrator and protagonist, worked as a vet and trainer of sorts at a circus. Ittells the story of jacob, a young man who joins the circus and ends up falling in. Water for elephants though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside jacob jankowskis ninetysomethingyearold mind. Overall, water for elephants was a book that grabbed me from the beginning. I absolutely loved the book, biblical reference or not. The story is told as a series of memories by jacob jankowski, a 93yearold man who lives in a nursing home. Sara gruen has a voice to rival john irving s, and i am hopelessly, unabashedly in love with this book. She did extensive research on circuses and many of the characters and events depicted in water for elephants were based upon true stories. Water for elephants is a story about an elderly man, jacob, who recalls an adventure.
Jacob jankowski, a veterinary student at cornell, discovers that. Water for elephants moves between a story about a circus and a story about an old man in a nursing home. On the first night after his leaving cornell, for example, jacob as did his biblical namesake lies back on the bank, resting my. Water for elephants by sara gruen 2006, hardcover for. In gruens water for elephants, jacob is shown to have a close relationship with rosie, the circus elephant.
Use these book club discussion questions on water for elephants to lead your book clubs conversation on the story. To emphasize this, the whole book is written in the present tense. Jacob is working overtime as the narrator of water for elephants. How jacob coaxes rosie to perform thereby saving the circus lies at the heart of the novel. Water for elephants the role of memory in the novel. Oct 21, 2009 he starts narrating the story, but suddenly you realize you are reading young jacob while being at the circus.
Water for elephants by sara gruen book club discussion. An old jacob, played by hal holbrook, tells his story. Water for elephants centers around twentythreeyearold jacob. The name of the character jacob is the first clue and its pretty obvious. The book went on to receive numerous awards and nominations as well as a film adaptation in 2011 starring robert pattinson and reese witherspoon. Did this act as a spoiler or wet your appetite for the story. Walter starts out as jacob s enemy and ends up as his friend.
Water for elephants has two plots going on, both starring the same main character, jacob. How do the names of many of the characters reflect names of characters in the biblical account. Kinko says jacob can start using his real name walter. Reflecting on the fact that his platitudes and stories dont hold his childrens interest, the elderly jacob notes, my real stories are all out of date. The narration if i am not mistaken is all in first person. Are his memories of his time in the circus accurate though. So what if i can speak firsthand about the spanish flu, the advent of the automobile, world wars, cold wars, guerrilla wars, and sputnikthats all ancient history now. Sara gruen makes the fictional characters seem unbelievably real. It is a world filled with a menagerie of exotic animals, midgets, freaks, performers, and a sadistic circus. Gruen transports us into the world of a thirdrate traveling circus during the great depression.
Essentially, this is a retelling of the standard lovetriangle tale. Water for elephants begins violently and then veers into weirder terrain. August takes jacob under his wing initially, but later jacob learns his true colors. The first edition of the novel was published in may 26th 2006, and was written by sara gruen. Water for elephants makes use of a framing device similar to one the screenwriter used for the bridges of madison county. As jacob lies in his bed, drifting in and out of sleep, lucidness and dreams, the compelling story of his experiences as a young man unfolds in sara gruens mesmerizing new novel, water for elephants. Bookmarks magazine a love letter to a colorful but terrifying past and an exciting story from cover to cover. How do the names of many of the characters reflect. Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing. Baton rouge journal jacob s search for lost time is vivid and atmospheric, his story told with passion and an eye for the curious and entertaining detail. Water for elephants chapter summaries flashcards quizlet. Water for elephants by sara gruen 2006, hardcover for sale.
Water for elephants book club discussion questions and. How do the chapters about the older jacob enrich the story about jacob s adventure with the circus. These book club discussion questions reveal important details about water for elephants. Sara gruen wrote water for elephants in 2006 as part of the national novel writing month. She wrote the book as part of national novel writing month. 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.
Jacob becomes the circus vet and the protector of rosie, the sweettempered elephant whose story lies at the heart of the book. Water for elephants parallels to the biblical story of. In water for elephants, jacob jankowski recalls the great benzini brothers circus disaster. There, he works as the shows vet, and falls ever more in love with marlena, the star of the circus and beautiful wife of the temperamental ringmaster. Water for elephants, published in 2006, is sara gruens third book and her most successful to date.
Jacob jankowski, who is currently ninety or ninetytwo, tells the story of how he left. 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. Free download or read online water for elephants pdf epub book. Younger jacob and older jacob each gets to have his say. I only wish the focus was broader with water for elephants than just the love triangle but then this is jacob s story to tell which is a reminder to consider how much really happened, especially. The only place the movie veers from the original is in its details of the older, current jacob. The prologue gives a glimpse of a climatic scene later in the book. Even when living in the nursing home, jacob demonstrates that his violent tendencies remain when. Apr 22, 2011 8 big differences between water for elephants book and movie apr. 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. The main character, jacob jankowski, is a 90 or 93 year old man he cant remember which. Pdf water for elephants book by sara gruen free download. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 335 pages and is available in paperback format. Sara gruen spares no detail in chronicling the squalid, filthy, brutish circumstances in which he finds himself.
Sara gruens water for elephants is one of those books, but richard lagraveneses. Fans of the story looking for more gritty, circus related tales should check out the following books like water for elephants. He starts narrating the story, but suddenly you realize you are reading young jacob while being at the circus. Blackandwhite photographs of real american circus scenes from. Before starting work on the book, she had never before attended a circus. Joesph mcguinty says he used to carry water for elephants at the old circuses, which annoys jacob cause he doesnt think its true. At first he doesnt even let jacob call him by his real name.
How would the novel be different if gruen had only written about the younger jacob, keeping the story linear and never describing jacob s life as an old man. At the beginning of water for elephants, he is living out his days in a nursing home, hating every second of it. As the resident veterinarian of uncle als circus, jacob. In water for elephants, jacob comes in and gets in uncle als good graces without a lot.
Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the benzini brothers most spectacular show on earth. How do the elderly jacob s memories of marlena and their life together confirm or alter those expectations. Jacob s search for lost time is vivid and atmospheric, his story told with passion and an eye for the curious and entertaining detail. There are several concepts within this book that are pertinent to real life. Heads up folks water for elephants is coming out as a movie soon and i am looking forward to seeing it. Sara gruen has written a rare book that is a great story, well written and bearing one of the happiest endings you will ever read. Its the story of jacob, who runs away to the circus during the depression when his life falls apart around him. His life wasnt always like this, however, because jacob ran away and joined the circus when he was twentyone. Events lead him to joining the circus as their vet, working under their unstable boss august whose violent tendencies give everyone reason to be cautious around him, including his beautiful and quiet wife marlena, whom august is very possessive of and who jacob finds himself soon falling in love. This quiz takes a look at the many components of the story water for elephants by sara gruen. Discussion questions for water for elephants are listed.
It stars reese witherspoon, robert pattinson, and christoph waltz. Have you ever wondered if the story your reading have any hidden meaning to it. It was an innovative, compelling story that i truly enjoyed more than almost any. What does the novel have to say about loyalty during hard times. If you say that you carried water for elephants, i am. Stephen king has an idea for the story joe biden could be telling. Every few chapters, the narrative switches from one jacob to the other.
Sara gruen uses her talent as a writer to bring that world alive for the reader. Water for elephants is the story of jacob s life with this circus. I can sort of see a parallel to the stealing the birthright part. Im not quite sure what originally attracted me to this book for i am not, by any means, a fan of the circus. Loyalty in water for elephants, by sara gruen 1204 words. Pdf water for elephants download full pdf book download. What is jacobs relationship with rosie in water for. The best thing about water is the telling of the story by jacob jankowski, who is a 90 or 93 year old vet depending on how you look at it, now confined in a residential nursing home and looking back into his past. Water for elephants by sara gruen 2006 this fast paced book is written in the first person.
Water for elephants movie tiein by sara gruen, paperback. Jacob jankowski is living at home when his parents accident occurs. The first time we hear gruen reference the title in the book is when jacob realizes one of his fellow nursing home patients is telling a white lie about working for the circus. The circus man water for elephants by sara gruen is a fascinating and captivating novel told from the point of view of jacob jankowski, a veterinarian who jumps aboard a traveling circus during the depression in the 1930s. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. In what ways is water for elephants a survival story. Jacob, when narrating in his older years, demonstrates to readers that he remains as a static character throughout the novel. Jacob is 23 and just shy of getting his degree in veterinary medicine from cornell when he learns that his parents have been. Mar 18, 2008 it came up as question 16 in the water for elephants reading group guide. Sara gruen has said that the backbone of her novel parallels the biblical story of jacob, in the book of genesis. Jacob was the only one who saw what truly happened to august. Marlena and jacob dont return to the circus by choice. I never read the book, but i was interested in the film as a girl who read twilight with an interest in robert pattinson. Water for elephants by sara gruen, the elephant whisperer by lawrence anthony, modoc.
In water for elephants, the story is told through jacob jankowski at two different parts in his life. The novel has received high praise from numerous critics, and has. Once jacob earns the right to use walters real name, things start to change. On the first night after his leaving cornell, for example, jacobas did his biblical namesakelies back on the bank, resting my head on a flat stone page 23. On the first night after his leaving cornell, for example, jacob as did his biblical namesakelies back on the bank, resting my head on a flat stone page 23. He is brought to the trailer to meet the circus owner and it is there our narrative begins. I think the film makers have managed to make a film about the depression era without it being depressing. Water for elephants book club discussion questions and answers. Water for elephants is a story about an elderly man, jacob, who recalls an adventure in his younger years. How does water for elephants connect with real life. In the story, jacobs experiences with the benzini brothers are. An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of starcrossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of riding lessons. Acts of kind, honesty, faithfulness or hatred from characters throughout the novel towards jacob, resulted in the same acts from jacob.