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writing pool
A Collection of Reviews, Short Stories and Essays
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Tuesday, September 25, 2007  Reading Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants will make any levelheaded person want to own an elephant, jump onto the next train and join the circus.It tells the tale of Jacob Jankowski, a recently orphaned almost-veterinary graduate of an Ivy League university. His personal tragedy drives him into a state of despair and confusion that will eventually take him into the Circus world circa 1932 after he decides to leave all common sense behind by jumping onto the next passing train. There he is suddenly thrusted into a world of freaks, grifters, performers and misfits. He is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie where he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act who is married to August, the enigmatic but sadistic animal trainer who beats not only the animals Jacob cares for, but the woman he has grown to love. Exquisitely written, Water for Elephants will make anyone remember the crazy dreams we had, at one time or another, about leaving everything including our common sense behind in order to join one of the most spectacular shows in the planet. It appeals to our sense of adventure where Carpe Diem becomes not merely an occasional mantra, but something that is ingrained in our everyday psyches. Here we learn about the ups and downs of spontaneity, the risks, consequences, and complications involved when we leave our comfort zones behind in order to follow a path ripe with colorful experiences. We see, through Jacob’s eyes, that circus life is not all glitz and glamour. We experience the exploitation and mistreatment of both the animals and the workers, we see the lowest lengths human beings would go to in order to get what they want. Here we realize that in every situation, every place we find ourselves in, marginalization will always be present. The author brings to life the cultural differences among the members of the circus, the evident distinctions between classes and subclasses. Performers never mingled with workers unless absolutely necessary. It was during meals that these distinctions were at its peak—performers ate with fellow performers at the center of the tent while workers ate with workers on the shabbier tables located at far sides of the tent. All unpleasantries aside, Water For Elephants makes for a rather interesting read. It will make you want to own an orangutan named Bobo, make friends with Kinko the dwarf and his pet dog Queenie, converse in Polish with Rosie the endearing whiskey-loving Elephant and it will also make you fall in love with the star of the equestrian act or the charismatic ringmaster or the boy who works in the menagerie, or even get it on with one of the clowns. Of course, I will be confused if, out of all the interesting people you see in circuses, you would hit it off with a clown (they scare me) but everyone has a right to be freaky at one time or another.
posted by Tricia @ 7:55 AM 0 Comments:
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