Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
A story told in two voices, but by the same person. Jacob Jankowski is ninety, or ninety-three, one or the other. He can't remember which as he languishes in a nursing home. His younger voice - age twenty-three in 1931 - describes the loss of both parents just as he is about to sit for his veterinary medicine exams at Cornell. His grief is compounded by the further loss of his parents' home, mortgaged to pay his tuition, and his father's veterinary business, which has been accepting eggs and produce as payment from his Depression-weary neighbors. The bank takes all leaving Jacob homeless and without a veterinary practice to step into.
Jacob's attempt to write his exams comes to naught so he turns in a blank test, walks away from campus and keeps walking, following train tracks, until he collapses in unknown territory. He hops the next train which turns out to be that of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth.
The circus is owned by Uncle Al, a self-serving miscreant and bottom feeder who picks up performers, equipment, and animals each time another circus crashes on the rocks of the Depression. Al aspires to Ringling status so chooses to ignore the small matter of final exams and hires Jacob as his ivy league educated veterinarian, placing him in charge of the menagerie and reporting to August, the equestrian director and superintendent of animals.
August is the classic charming and charismatic abuser who begs forgiveness while claiming joke gone awry. His younger wife, Marlena, is the star of the equestrian act. Jacob's first patient is one of her horses who eventually must be put down. The growing attraction between the young pair does not go unnoticed, especially by August who, as a paranoid schizophrenic, might have imagined it even if not there.
Periodically the story moves to present day. Nonagenarian Jacob shares his nursing home existence during the weekend when a circus is in town, and located within sight of the home. He is anxious for Sunday, when his "people" will come and take him to the show. He worries about losing his faculties and laments that his offspring are not interested in his old stories. His only ally is nurse Rosemary, who at times thinks he calls her Rosie.
Rosie is the elephant that Uncle Al acquires from a defunct circus. He believes an elephant act is his ticket to reaching Ringling's level. Jacob, as Rosie's caretaker, develops a relationship with her even as she seems to ignore commands and misbehave, while August beats her for her assumed lack of cooperation. It takes Jacob to assemble the puzzle pieces of Rosie's history and discover why such an intelligent creature can't seem to follow directions.
An interesting aside to this novel is that Gruen said she used parallels with the biblical story of Jacob. A few items come to mind - the name, obviously, resting his head on a flat rock, the many trials. However, unless one is a bible scholar or has recently completed a reading of those chapters the connections might go unnoticed. The story stands on its own without it but some readers might enjoy looking for similarities. On the other hand, Gruen's Jacob lost his birthright when the bank took his family home and business. This in opposition to the biblical Jacob having usurped the birthright of his older twin, Esau. Let the reader be the judge.
Gruen has meticulously researched all the historical details: circus folk, animal acts, trains, the Depression, even Jamaican ginger extract - jake - and the paralysis known as jake leg that struck tens of thousands of victims during later Prohibition.
Be prepared for a somewhat outlandish ending, but in spite of it's oddity, readers will not begrudge it of the elderly Jacob. On the contrary, we will want it for him.
Jacob's attempt to write his exams comes to naught so he turns in a blank test, walks away from campus and keeps walking, following train tracks, until he collapses in unknown territory. He hops the next train which turns out to be that of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth.
The circus is owned by Uncle Al, a self-serving miscreant and bottom feeder who picks up performers, equipment, and animals each time another circus crashes on the rocks of the Depression. Al aspires to Ringling status so chooses to ignore the small matter of final exams and hires Jacob as his ivy league educated veterinarian, placing him in charge of the menagerie and reporting to August, the equestrian director and superintendent of animals.
August is the classic charming and charismatic abuser who begs forgiveness while claiming joke gone awry. His younger wife, Marlena, is the star of the equestrian act. Jacob's first patient is one of her horses who eventually must be put down. The growing attraction between the young pair does not go unnoticed, especially by August who, as a paranoid schizophrenic, might have imagined it even if not there.
Periodically the story moves to present day. Nonagenarian Jacob shares his nursing home existence during the weekend when a circus is in town, and located within sight of the home. He is anxious for Sunday, when his "people" will come and take him to the show. He worries about losing his faculties and laments that his offspring are not interested in his old stories. His only ally is nurse Rosemary, who at times thinks he calls her Rosie.
Rosie is the elephant that Uncle Al acquires from a defunct circus. He believes an elephant act is his ticket to reaching Ringling's level. Jacob, as Rosie's caretaker, develops a relationship with her even as she seems to ignore commands and misbehave, while August beats her for her assumed lack of cooperation. It takes Jacob to assemble the puzzle pieces of Rosie's history and discover why such an intelligent creature can't seem to follow directions.
An interesting aside to this novel is that Gruen said she used parallels with the biblical story of Jacob. A few items come to mind - the name, obviously, resting his head on a flat rock, the many trials. However, unless one is a bible scholar or has recently completed a reading of those chapters the connections might go unnoticed. The story stands on its own without it but some readers might enjoy looking for similarities. On the other hand, Gruen's Jacob lost his birthright when the bank took his family home and business. This in opposition to the biblical Jacob having usurped the birthright of his older twin, Esau. Let the reader be the judge.
Gruen has meticulously researched all the historical details: circus folk, animal acts, trains, the Depression, even Jamaican ginger extract - jake - and the paralysis known as jake leg that struck tens of thousands of victims during later Prohibition.
Be prepared for a somewhat outlandish ending, but in spite of it's oddity, readers will not begrudge it of the elderly Jacob. On the contrary, we will want it for him.
posted by Joanne Carnevale | 3:44 PM
6 Comments:
Joanne, I read this book a little less than a year ago for a book club that I belong to. I remember finding it an enjoyable read but only have a vague memory of the details. A good book but not a great one.
It was this year's Read Across RI selection and indeed a good read. I agree that, while it's well-written and enjoyable, it's not a masterpiece. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Thanks for weighing in.
Just finished this one myself,oddly about the time I learned of this web page. I think that great books are, and should be a rarity. This was a good read, of the sort I would freely recommend, though your right, not great.
Books like lyrics, should transport you to a place, and then make that place familiar. The circus portion of the story was completely enjoyable, though the older Jacob made me less comfortable. It ties together nicely and I liked the end twist. I felt comfortable with the landscape of the circus.
A common treatment to create a familiar atmosphere is to use allusions to classic themes, often the bible or folklore. I didn't feel it worked particularly well here, though I "got" it. Overall it was a worthwhile read. Spot on Joanne. Bravo.
Thanks, Charles. I think Gruen's thorough research payed off in a big way by placing the reader into the historical context and providing much satisfaction. It also buttressed the modern end of the story which would have seemed lacklustre without it. We'd probably not have accepted the ending had we not been so immersed in the history. Could there be a movie in here somewhere? I wonder . . .
I liked Water for Elephants. I don't know if it is a "good" book or a "great" book, but I found it to be a very good read. The kind that keeps you up later at night than you intended. I liked the slightly offbeat characters and story. It reminded me of Robertson Davies books: The Cornish Trilogy and The Deptford Trilogy. Having just had the experience of my father having to go into a nursing home, I could also empathize with the older main character.
Yes, a good read, indeed. I like what CharlesofWarwick said about the great ones being so because of their rarity. I also thought of my father who has done a couple of rehab stints in a nursing home. Fortunately, through planning and organizing, he is able to stay in his house. Other similarities are that he uses a walker and doesn't participate much in the conversation (probably because his hearing is poor). He's 10 years younger than Jacob but seems older due to all his medical problems. So those sections of the book tugged at me, too. Thanks, Deb!
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