Is that a trunk, or are you just pleased to see me? Scene from the movie adaptation of Water for Elephants
If you have ever been tempted to run away to the circus, May's Tyneside Book Club choice may be what you need to cur that desire. The circus is not much fun for human or animal in Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants.
Members agreed that Gruen's novel was easy to read, and had a propulsive plot that kept you reading. It was also well-researched, and the author's attention to detail was used to paint a convincing picture of a Depression-era circus. Indeed Gruen pulls no punches in depicting a grim and cruel environment.
Most members found the detail of the circus the most convincing part of the novel. They felt less involved and interested in the central love story, feeling it was slightly by-the-numbers. There was a feeling that Marlena in particular was a little thinly-drawn to draw the reader's care. That was not universal though, with some finding that the love story helped keep them engaged.
There was also disagreement about the framing device used by Gruen. She regularly returns to an old people's home where the central character Jacob awaits the arrival of a circus. Some found these sections moving and engaging, others felt they did not add much.
There was a convincing villain in the shape of August, and a supporting cast of characters - though some were dispatched with a rather cruel and peremptory speed as the novel reached a conclusion.
For some, although the novel had a page-turning quality, it lacked a little depth and lapsed into cliche. But others found the depth in the passion the author clearly has for exposing the cruelty of circuses and the desperation caused by the Depression. That period setting though also did allow readers to believe that cruelty was firmly in the past rather than being more current.
While some found the ending implausible, others felt it was poignant, and may even have been fantastical rather than literal. There was certainly plenty to discuss.
Members agreed that Gruen's novel was easy to read, and had a propulsive plot that kept you reading. It was also well-researched, and the author's attention to detail was used to paint a convincing picture of a Depression-era circus. Indeed Gruen pulls no punches in depicting a grim and cruel environment.
Most members found the detail of the circus the most convincing part of the novel. They felt less involved and interested in the central love story, feeling it was slightly by-the-numbers. There was a feeling that Marlena in particular was a little thinly-drawn to draw the reader's care. That was not universal though, with some finding that the love story helped keep them engaged.
There was also disagreement about the framing device used by Gruen. She regularly returns to an old people's home where the central character Jacob awaits the arrival of a circus. Some found these sections moving and engaging, others felt they did not add much.
There was a convincing villain in the shape of August, and a supporting cast of characters - though some were dispatched with a rather cruel and peremptory speed as the novel reached a conclusion.
For some, although the novel had a page-turning quality, it lacked a little depth and lapsed into cliche. But others found the depth in the passion the author clearly has for exposing the cruelty of circuses and the desperation caused by the Depression. That period setting though also did allow readers to believe that cruelty was firmly in the past rather than being more current.
While some found the ending implausible, others felt it was poignant, and may even have been fantastical rather than literal. There was certainly plenty to discuss.
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