The story is told as a series of memories by jacob jankowski, a 93yearold man who lives in a nursing home. The book is stuffed with authentic, largely forgotten details about life during the depression. Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing. Water for elephants is one of my most favorite books. Marlena works with eleven horses on a routine shown under the big top. At the end of the book, when the nesci brothers swoop in and try to steal. She lives in western north carolina with her husband and three sons, along with their dogs, cats, horses, birds, and the worlds fussiest goat. A novel and millions of other books are available for. The denver post so compelling, so detailed and vivid, that i couldnt bear to be torn away from it for a single minute. Marlena ran away from home to join the circus and married august, the head animal trainer. On our first date, my husband took me to see tod brownings freaks, a 1932 horror film with a distinctly diane arbus feel that takes a. Author interview sara gruen, author of water for elephants. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. He also falls in love with marlena, one of the shows star performersa romance complicated by marlenas husband, the unbalanced, sadistic.
August marlenas husband and the head animal trainer. When her husband hits her, she says she wont put up with it and firmly leaves him and no matter how much he begs and pleads, she refuses to take him back. A thousand splendid suns, memory keepers daughter, etc. Gruens own menageriewhich she shares with her husband and three. I watched the filmmovie titled water for elephants before reading the book.
I hate being so enamored with a book and then a crappy movie version comes along and tarnishes it. I decided to not watch the movie when i heard it was coming out simply because i didnt want to possibly ruin the experience id had with the book if the movie wasnt uptopar. An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of starcrossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of riding lessons. Water for elephants is a rich surprise, a delightful gem springing from a fascinating footnote to history that absolutely deserved to be mined. Marlena is the main love interest in the book, water for elephants, and also a performer at the circus.