Another reason this book really appealed to me is the Depression era setting of the early 30s and the magical, misfit world of the traveling circus. You give me American history and circus freaks in one shot, and I'll give you my undivided attention. I didn't take AP American in HS because somebody forced me. I love this stuff!
The story goes like this: 23yr old Jacob is a few exams away from getting his veterinary degree from Cornell (ooh Ivy league) when both his parents are killed in a car crash. His dreams of joining his father in the family vet practice are squashed when he finds out his parents were in debt and Jacob is now broke as well. Completely distraught, he can't take his exams and wanders off one night, jumping in an open car of a passing train. Not just any train though, this was the Benzini Bros Most Spectacular Show On Earth! In other words, a traveling circus. He fumbles his way around as the new guy, getting bumped right to the bottom of the circus pecking order until... they find out he's a Vet! (well, just an exam away from a Vet) These skills get him noticed pretty quickly, by both the maniacal horse trainer August, who is now his boss, and his wife Marlena, a performer and centerpiece of the drama-filled love triangle between Jacob and August. Big Al, the snarky, conniving circus owner also plays a big role, strong arming Jacob through blackmail and threats in attempts to make more money for himself despite their circus being so far in the red. Jacob takes a liking to all the animals in the menagerie, particularly Rosie the elephant.
Interesting thing about this story is its Titanic-esque narration. It's told by the present day 93yr old Jacob who begrudgingly lives in a nursing home. Every 4th chapter or so, it comes back to Jacob's current life- battling dementia, loneliness, and telling bits and pieces of his life in the circus 60 years prior. As the story goes, after lots of fights aboard a moving train, Jacob and Marlena get together, August and Big Al are eventually killed during a Benzini Bros show gone awry, resulting in a history-making stampede that subsequently sent the circus into bankruptcy. Jacob and Marlena get married, take Rosie and the horses and join another circus for 7yrs until they quit the biz and settle into domesticated life. (He ended up taking the exams and working as a Vet to support the family.)
It's obvious a lot of research was put into this book. The author noted how she toured circus museums, spoke with elephant trainers, and studied the early 30s to get the details just right. Now I obviously didn't live through that decade, but her writing was pretty on point, right down to the deplorable train car smells/conditions as a result of packing animals full and traveling 3 days straight in 90deg heat. (The details were too vivid sometimes...)
While I'm not a fan of the modern day circus and would never support their cause, in this era the circus was something really spectacular; something that would stir up excitement at each town's stop on the line. Basically a group of wayward performers and laborers who dealt with a less-than-glamorous lifestyle as part of this traveling...well...circus act. It's all pomp, costumes, and smiles when the lights are on, but behind the scenes- it's as cutthroat and backstabbing as Wall Street. Rival circus companies kept tabs on the liveliness of their competition, quick to roll up to circus train that couldn't hack it, buying up their performers, animals, and equipment.
This is a really great story that wasn't too sappy, didn't go overboard on crisscrossing story lines, and incorporated some really interesting pieces of history, as well as the battle of good and evil in the life of those in a traveling circus.
Here's the trailer
I definitely want to see the film version. I have the ability to separate and judge each one equally. So if the movie is sub par, I'll still remember and appreciate reading the book and how I interpreted the story, which is never the same for two people. Part of the reason books are so cool : )
And one last thing- the title! I know when I had to write papers, I always obsessed over the title. I felt it had to be perfect to spark my enthusiasm and create the ultimate tie-in to my entire story.
The Water for Elephants title came from a comment a fellow nursing home resident made during one of Jacob's present day narrations. Another man was showing off in front of the old ladies at the home, saying he worked for a circus and would carry the water for the elephants. (This comment was relevant because there was a circus in town, setting up right across from the nursing home.) These words stung Jacob, as he knew this man had never worked for a circus, and that you must take the elephants to water, not bring it to them. His nostalgic thoughts brought back all the memories of the best times of his life, and hearing someone casually fib about his circus days pretty much sent him off into grumpy old man fury. Spoiler alert here... the ending is pretty sweet, with Jacob jumping ship from the nursing home, getting front row seats at the circus show, and befriending the circus boss, who is so impressed with his life's story, he offers him a job with the circus- at 93yrs old.
Definitely read this one!
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