I just finished reading the book Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen and I absolutely enjoyed it.
It is narrated by the main character, Jacob Jankowski, from his Assisted Living Center as he retells the story of his life in the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth (aka the circus) during the Great Depression. He stumbles upon the show after leaving home and soon enough he becomes the shows veternarian and shakes up the hierarchy of the circus employees (performers above the workmen), often disrupting the usual goings-on of the crew. During his involvement with the circus, he has quite an array of experiences and develops strong bonds with his bunkmate Kinko (a little person clown), a drunk named Camel, Rosie (an elephant), and his boss's wife Marlena (who is married to August who is a complete b&#$*).
I thought Gruen made her characters come alive and I was thoroughly amused by the storyline. It delves into the complexity of human (and animal) relationships and how sometimes the rules have to be broken.
I'd recommend it; just keep in mind there is some scandalous behavior...
Comments