**********
Water for Elephants
Sarah Gruen
number of voters: 8
percentage of voters who finished the book: 100
highest rating: 8.75
lowest rating: 7
average rating: 8.1
experimental star rating system, average star rating: 4.3 stars
*****
She was a circus performer. He was a veterinarian student. Water for Elephants is the story of their complicated relationship.
But it isn’t entirely what you’d expect: Her names is Rosie, and she is an elephant.
The story begins with a catastrophe at Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a circus that is struggling to make ends meet during the Great Depression. But before the reader can even begin to grasp what is happening, we are hurtled forward to a near-present day nursing home, where the story’s protagonist withers.
Author Sara Gruen’s masterful sense of character propels the rest of the tale. We are taken back and forth between two worlds where we can alternately marvel at the wonders of a young man’s life on a circus train in early 20th century America and then contemplate the complexities and challenges of his growing old at the start of the 21st century.
Ultimately, Water for Elephants is a story about love and hate, about young and old, about wisdom and naivety. It stretches the boundary of what is normal, what is acceptable, and what can be tolerated. It details the battles and bonds between people and animals in sometimes brutal yet ultimately heartwarming fashion. It is well researched, well written, and, to put it simply, a spectacular read.
Aside from a slight hesitation due to some occasional yet vivid sexual content, Water for Elephants is highly recommended.
