Thursday, March 27, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
A Good Read
Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen is a good read. The tale is set in the 30's during the depression, and centers around a traveling circus. Water For Elephants is written through the eyes of Jacob Jankowski the circus veterinarian. The point of view alternates between Jacob as a 93 year old nursing home resident, reminiscing about his past and the young Jacob, The Benzini Brother's circus veterinarian. Running from a family tragedy, Jacob happens upon the very hard life of the circus but he endures the most unimaginable circumstances for the love of Marlena one of the circus performers. Unfortunately Marlena is married to August, an abusive cruel man.
Jacob cannot abandon Marlena though they are just friends once he witnesses August's abuse.
As difficult as life is during the depression in the circus, life in the nursing home is untenable for Jacob.
The book illustrates what it means to be human with all of its frailties and cruelties and capacity for love. Love is very powerful throughout the book and extends beyond Jacob and Marlena, to Rosie the elephant and to the numerous characters who look out for one another on a daily basis. Love appears too in the nursing home between Jacob and a kind nurse who hears him when he speaks.
Sara Gruen gives sensitive Insight into the hardships of running a circus during the depression. How to feed the circus folk and the circus animals during the hardest times. The hierarchy of mealtimes, who gets fed and to whom. The cruelty to humans and animals.
The Benzini Brothers Circus was based on one of the numerous traveling circuses of the time - not quite the scale of Ringling Brothers. It satisfies any urges you may have to runaway with the circus, it did for me. I too identified with Jacob as a 93 year old man - if I live to be 93 what will my life become?
What can one hope for at 93?
Jacob cannot abandon Marlena though they are just friends once he witnesses August's abuse.
As difficult as life is during the depression in the circus, life in the nursing home is untenable for Jacob.
The book illustrates what it means to be human with all of its frailties and cruelties and capacity for love. Love is very powerful throughout the book and extends beyond Jacob and Marlena, to Rosie the elephant and to the numerous characters who look out for one another on a daily basis. Love appears too in the nursing home between Jacob and a kind nurse who hears him when he speaks.
Sara Gruen gives sensitive Insight into the hardships of running a circus during the depression. How to feed the circus folk and the circus animals during the hardest times. The hierarchy of mealtimes, who gets fed and to whom. The cruelty to humans and animals.
The Benzini Brothers Circus was based on one of the numerous traveling circuses of the time - not quite the scale of Ringling Brothers. It satisfies any urges you may have to runaway with the circus, it did for me. I too identified with Jacob as a 93 year old man - if I live to be 93 what will my life become?
What can one hope for at 93?
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