Jacob Jankowski is now an nonogenarian in a nursing home, but he keeps remembering himself as a twenty something during the Depression. Young Jacob has but to sit for his final exams at Cornell before becoming a licensed veterinarian. Unfortunately, just before the exams, he finds out that both of his parents were killed in a car accident and that the family veterinarian practice and home have been mortgaged to the hilt – to pay his Ivy League tuition. Orphaned and stunned, Jacob walks out of his exams and hops onto a train that happens to hold the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Thus begins his career as the show’s vet. In the meantime, he learns the ins and outs of the circus, faces the harrowing politics of the show, and falls in love.
Some of this book was, as I mentioned, harrowing. The brutality and inhumanity found on the circus is mind boggling. The subject-matter was clearly well researched by Gruen, as evidenced by the notes in my edition and the photographs included at the beginning of several chapters. Also, the book was fairly well written. I liked the narrative structure with the nursing home scenes interspersed with the circus scenes. And the ending was unexpected but fitting.
While I admired the setting and the writing, the plot just didn’t completely come together for me. I enjoyed it but felt a distance from the characters. I especially didn’t care about Marlena, the love interest. She wasn’t developed at all – other than her pink sequins. And, while it could be the result of reading it on a ten-hour transatlantic flight, the climatic moment foreshadowed in the first chapter didn’t catch me. Even the happy ending didn’t touch me like I felt it should have. Also, there was a lot of bawdiness that I felt was overplayed. Still, the book is set at an interesting time and in an interesting place. It’s probably worth the read for the circus setting alone.
Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen 
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I listened to the audio version of this one… I’m sad I missed the pictures! I enjoyed it a little more than you seemed to, but I think it really fit my mood at the time – I was mostly looking for something to completely take my mind off everything else, and the descriptions of circus life managed that quite well. I agree that it wasn’t the most powerful plot, but it was absorbing enough to keep me happy.
Thanks for linking to me. :) I hear you on the Marlena thing! One thing that I thought WAS well done was the portrayal of Jacob as an elderly man in the nursing home; his words and impressions were very eye-opening for me.
I really enjoyed all the details about the circus- although a lot of it was, as you said, pretty harrowing. I think the final scene would have had more impact if I hadn’t been expecting it all along- she should have left out the foreshadowing.
I read this one a while ago and ended up feeling much like you did. (Good review btw!) There were some aspects of the book I found disturbing, but over all it was a good story. One odd moment for me was shortly after finishing this book. We went to visit my husband’s grandmother in a nursing home. This book was very fresh in my mind and it really gave me an new perspective while visiting and seeing all the elderly people there. Kinda’ sad.
I liked this one better than you did, I think – my review is here: http://www.3rsblog.com/2007/07/just-finished-water-for-elephants.html
I’ve edited it to link to yours.
I wasn’t totally in love with this book but I find myself recommending it. I, too, loved the Jacob as an old man parts of the story.
This book sounds like it depends on the viewer holding the notion of running away and joining the circus as romantic. Would I like it even if I disagree?
I read this a while back and really didn’t dig it. The characters just didn’t appeal to me, and I didn’t feel drawn to their world. The details were good though. Just overall…meh. Kinda didn’t care what happened to anyone.
Also, I thought the ending was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too contrived.
I felt similarly! So many people love, love, loved this book, and I found the subject matter fascinating, but I didn’t love the story, or find the characters that engaging…
I felt the same way you did about the book but you probably wrote it out better than you did. The best part was just reading about circus life in general.
Fyrefly – The pictures really did add a lot to the book for me. Still, I think listening to the audio book might have made it a more enjoyable experience.
Heather – I completely agree about the portrayal of Jacob as an old man. I was really impressed with how realistic it was.
Jeane – I guess that is the risk you take with foreshadowing – sometimes it ruins the punch.
Sarah – It sounds as though this book was worth the read for you, if just for the added insight. I love that books can do that!
Florinda – I’ve added a link to your review. Thanks for sharing.
Care – I understand that compulsion. Even though I didn’t love it either, I think it’s a readable and recommendable book.
Blake – I think this book seeks to dissuade people of the notion that joining the circus is romantic. So, yes, I think you might like it even if you don’t buy in to the romanticism of “running away to join the circus.”
Suzi – As you probably gathered from my review, I agree.
Gentle Reader – It makes me think that Gruen should maybe write a nonfiction book about the circus.
Amy – I definitely agree, learning more about the circus was the main redeeming characteristic of the book.
Thanks so much for linking my review. Too bad you didn’t enjoy it as much as I did. I’m glad you liked it.
I have this one on my wish list and have read mixed reviews – I was interested to see what you thought.
I loved this book while I read it. But it has not stuck with me. I seem to have forgotten everything about it — and it hasn’t even been a year since I read it.