Rachel's Reviews > Water for Elephants
Water for Elephants
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![203107](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1357253758p2/203107.jpg)
I think I expected too much out of this novel and therefore had room only for disappointment. Though I finished the book in its entirety, I wrote a short review on my blog about halfway through, expounding on the aspects of the book that irritated me. I have adapted it herein.
First, the main "heroine," Marlena, is incredibly flat & boring. The narrator/main character, Jacob, is clearly infatuated with her, but I'm not sure why other than she looks good in pink sequins. She's married to her arrogant, bipolar boss, so maybe there's some sort of damsel-in-distress complex triggered in our hero. Regardless, I don't care about her. She doesn't engage me or hold any allure. The novel really ends up being more of a romance tale, and to be honest I think it would be just as interesting (more so?) without Marlena.
There were several instances of explicit sexual encounters fairly close together in the heart of the novel that annoyed me. I don't inherently react against books with sex, but I do object to explicit, gratuitous sex. It felt more for shock value than actually relevant to the plot or characterization. The instances of it are over-the-top and some even slightly grotesque to the point of distraction. The crudeness calmed down after a bit, but it distracted me through the center of the novel.
Furthermore, I'm not even sure the narrator is believable/realistic. It takes him too long to figure things out; he likes to describe a scene in excruciating detail before he "realizes what's going on." If I had been standing next to him, by the time he "realizes what's going on," I would have smacked him over the head and left. Too often he encounters situations in a total stupor. OK, so people don't always react instantaneously. But when you describe it in exhaustive detail, it doesn't make me think something is happening quickly. (Speaking of descriptions, every strong smell is described as "overwhelming." Really, is that the best adjective you've got?) Additionally, I can't quite reconcile the young Jacob to the 90/93-year-old Jacob. A lot can change in 70 years, but I can't see the sensitive, humble Jacob I meet in large stretches of the novel with the bitter, crotchety old Jacob I meet in shorter excerpts. Maybe some more explanation of what caused the change would have helped.
The story has so much potential in its unique setting: Depression/Prohibition-era traveling circus. This alone kept me reading because I was curious at least to see where the narration was going. Will it end with Jacob's death or something else? How long does he stay on the circus, etc? So I guess kudos to the author for that: at least the uniqueness of the setting & atmosphere keeps me intrigued.
Maybe I expected too much. Still, I give the book credit: despite my disappointment, I was curious to the end.
First, the main "heroine," Marlena, is incredibly flat & boring. The narrator/main character, Jacob, is clearly infatuated with her, but I'm not sure why other than she looks good in pink sequins. She's married to her arrogant, bipolar boss, so maybe there's some sort of damsel-in-distress complex triggered in our hero. Regardless, I don't care about her. She doesn't engage me or hold any allure. The novel really ends up being more of a romance tale, and to be honest I think it would be just as interesting (more so?) without Marlena.
There were several instances of explicit sexual encounters fairly close together in the heart of the novel that annoyed me. I don't inherently react against books with sex, but I do object to explicit, gratuitous sex. It felt more for shock value than actually relevant to the plot or characterization. The instances of it are over-the-top and some even slightly grotesque to the point of distraction. The crudeness calmed down after a bit, but it distracted me through the center of the novel.
Furthermore, I'm not even sure the narrator is believable/realistic. It takes him too long to figure things out; he likes to describe a scene in excruciating detail before he "realizes what's going on." If I had been standing next to him, by the time he "realizes what's going on," I would have smacked him over the head and left. Too often he encounters situations in a total stupor. OK, so people don't always react instantaneously. But when you describe it in exhaustive detail, it doesn't make me think something is happening quickly. (Speaking of descriptions, every strong smell is described as "overwhelming." Really, is that the best adjective you've got?) Additionally, I can't quite reconcile the young Jacob to the 90/93-year-old Jacob. A lot can change in 70 years, but I can't see the sensitive, humble Jacob I meet in large stretches of the novel with the bitter, crotchety old Jacob I meet in shorter excerpts. Maybe some more explanation of what caused the change would have helped.
The story has so much potential in its unique setting: Depression/Prohibition-era traveling circus. This alone kept me reading because I was curious at least to see where the narration was going. Will it end with Jacob's death or something else? How long does he stay on the circus, etc? So I guess kudos to the author for that: at least the uniqueness of the setting & atmosphere keeps me intrigued.
Maybe I expected too much. Still, I give the book credit: despite my disappointment, I was curious to the end.
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Reading Progress
January 23, 2008
– Shelved
Started Reading
April 5, 2008
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 112 (112 new)
message 1:
by
Ann
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rated it 1 star
Apr 16, 2008 10:08AM
![Ann](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1208393892p1/1088029.jpg)
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![Kathleen](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
![Tracy](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1421770740p1/1970794.jpg)
I'm glad I wasn't the only one who disliked this aspect of it!
![texast](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1505926256p1/68944.jpg)
![Eva Celeste](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1191641349p1/479633.jpg)
I could not even finish it. After about 2/3 of it, I cared enough only to thumb to the end and read the resolutions (of the 1930's story and the present day story), both of which were equally unbelievable. The writing was just so rambling and long-winded and overly detailed. The characters were flat, and the plot was somehow both too dramatic, yet uneventful.
![Mari](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
![Barry](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1273886561p1/1972476.jpg)
![Rachel](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1357253758p1/203107.jpg)
I'm so glad I wasn't alone in disliking this. Even now, a couple years later, I get annoyed thinking about this book and hearing all the people who rave about it.
![Cindy](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1342671830p1/1681848.jpg)
![Rebecca](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1269624900p1/3189556.jpg)
![Rachel](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1357253758p1/203107.jpg)
Really? That's sad. In my personal experience, I find it hard to believe that all old people inevitably become mean-spirited & bitter. I guess I was fortunate enough to have several grandparents and elderly mentors who were kind, gentle, humorous people. The ones who became negative/a different person only became so through the denigrating disease of Alzheimer's.
![Kristy M](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1275345162p1/2856468.jpg)
The sex elements were there as a part of realism. They were included so she would be seen as "writing like a man" they were included because it was part of how the circus was at the time. I imagine these were some of the real stories she gathered from circus people that she mentions at the end of the book. She didn't merely want to right some made-up from thin air romance novel.
![Mish](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1359208893p1/5071350.jpg)
![Emiline](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1331227382p1/2876819.jpg)
![Magen Selmic](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1557967677p1/5539024.jpg)
![Bianca](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1318557078p1/5284442.jpg)
![Carol](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
![Casey](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1402705649p1/5232300.jpg)
![Carol](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
![Carol](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
![Rachel](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1357253758p1/203107.jpg)
![throse19](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1311474217p1/5863410.jpg)
![Kirsten](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1299642189p1/3217191.jpg)
![Erica](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1376116294p1/6410790.jpg)
Jacob in the nursing home was an incredible story...again maybbe the audio helped because the narrator sounded authentic. i ffound it to be realistic for people who had been "forgotten" in a nursing home. My mom was a registered nurse and worked on a geriatric ward for a number of years and Jacob dreminded me off some of her stories.
Anyway, i enjoyed the audio book...i unerstand what people are saying and i tbink the points are valid, ut as a whole the story engaged me
![Erin](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1557327314p1/2899540.jpg)
![Brandy Shark](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1442634364p1/4764366.jpg)
![Amanda](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1712711256p1/4218215.jpg)
![Dianne](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1555145357p1/4276145.jpg)
![Andria Rotherham](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1365680467p1/7257560.jpg)
![Danielle W](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1360554932p1/5603363.jpg)
![Rachel](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1357253758p1/203107.jpg)
![Mish](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1359208893p1/5071350.jpg)
I think "grotesque" (odd, ugly or absurd, bizarre) is a good description of the sex in the book.
I think it's bizarre that you think it's bizarre that the sex in the book is bizarre!
It just seemed out of place for the content and style of the story.
![John Braine](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1658312661p1/3570671.jpg)
![Mish](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1359208893p1/5071350.jpg)
I'd not heard of 2 girls 1 cup before - have just seen the clip and will probably have nightmares now!
The sex in the book is certainly not extreme but I don't know why it was included - didn't make any sense - like you said it was gratuitous.
![Brandy Shark](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1442634364p1/4764366.jpg)
I'm not against sex scenes in novels (or film), but in this book, the sex scene was poorly written, and all other references to sex (masturbation, and the whole deal with Barbara) were sloppy, and just over-the-top trying to sound like a stereotypical male.
![Mish](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1359208893p1/5071350.jpg)
I think you have something there - it was ill-fitting - I had a bad feeling as him as an old man too - perhaps too much a stereotypical grumpy old man?
![Brandy Shark](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1442634364p1/4764366.jpg)
I was not very convinced that I was reading a story that was really being told by a man. I could tell that it was a woman trying desperately to sound like what people think a man (especially a young man who is a virgin) would think.
Few authors can successfully pull off writing the first person POV of the opposite sex, and sadly, Sara Gruen failed. Horribly.
![Mish](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1359208893p1/5071350.jpg)
That must be it.
I felt that way about a few scenes in "The Time Traveller's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger.
It's clear that the jarring effect is because it doesn't fit.