Water for Elephants (Sara Gruen)

I picked up Water for Elephants on a whim because I liked the title and the premise was cool: Old-timey circus workers rescue a trained elephant from cruelty. I understood that, while the story was fiction, the author did some research and incorporated several real-life incidents. So, based on this, I actually crossed the threshold of a physical Barnes & Noble, picked Water for Elephants off a wooden shelf, and presented my plastic card to a human cashier. For all this effort, I truly hoped the novel would be superb. In some ways, it was.  But overall, no.

Water for Elephants is the story of the struggling Benzini Brothers circus, for which the main character and narrator, Jacob Jankowski, works as a veterinarian. Jacob falls in love with Marlena, a kind and beautiful performer. Unfortunately, Marlena is married to the violently temperamental animal trainer, August. When the circus acquires an elephant, Jacob and Marlena struggle together to defend the sweet pachyderm against August’s rages. The story divulges the slimy underbelly of circus life, including gross mistreatment of both human workers and animals, right up to the stunning climax when Marlena ends August’s reign of terror.

Photo from www.nonhumanslavery.com

Gruen alternates the novel’s setting between a contemporary nursing home where 93-year-old Jacob now lives in a state of semi-dementia, and the 1931 traveling circus. In the nursing home, as Jacob waits for his family to escort him to a modern circus, he wafts in and out of lucidity and mentally revisits his old Benzini Brothers days. Although the flashback technique feels a little worn and, in Gruen’s hands, contrived, it does set up a finely constructed and sentimental ending, which is one of the novel’s strengths.

Aside from the tender conclusion, the story itself has other redeeming qualities. The plot is engaging enough to keep you reading, especially as it nears the climax. Also, Gruen exposes the abuses that occurred in depression-era circuses and, which I fear, probably still exist to some extent. Several scenes are emotionally excruciating, but responsible consumers should be aware of ugly realities.

Unfortunately, Water for Elephants also disappoints.  First, the characters are shallowly constructed. I didn’t walk away with a lasting identification with any of them, and in fact, by the time I wrote this post, I had to look up all of their names. Also, Gruen’s writing style is flat and unmemorable. While the premise was promising, her blasé rendering diminished what might have been a great novel in the hands of a more skilled wordsmith.

Photo by Lynne Harty (saragruen.com)

If you care about animals, you want a good story, and you’re not a finicky reader, then step right up! Water for Elephants will entertain and amaze, and it may even spur you to reconsider your attitude toward traveling animal shows. But if you’re hungry for something profound and beautiful, then move along, folks. There are lots of bigger, better shows out there.

Check it out on Amazon!