Water for elephants book club discussion questions and. Water for elephants by sara gruen book club discussion. My monthly book club meets tomorrow and for once im not going to be rushing off to starbucks to finish the monthly selection. Book club discussion guide about the book mafiadoc. A 2006 novel by sara gruen, water for elephants centers around veterinary sciences dropout and his experiences as the vet for the benzini brothers most spectacular show on earth during the great depression. To what extent do the chapters concerning the elderly jacob enhance the chapters recounting the young jacobs experiences with the benzini. I was astounded at the lack of research which became clear when i. I bought this book because of push advertising and regretted it. Classroom ideas posted april 12, 2011 by sara novel novice 5 comments there is so much to love about sara gruens water for elephants, from the lush and magical setting of a 1930s circus, to the sweeping forbidden romance, to the heartbreaking recollections of narrator jacob jankowski.
The last notes of water for elephants linger long after the book ends. Discussion questions water for elephants water for elephants moves between a story about a circus and a story about an old man in a nursing home. Reading guide for water for elephants by sara gruen discussion guide for book clubs. What does the novel have to say about loyalty during hard times. Jacob jankowski, a retired veterinarian living out his days in an assistedliving facility, drifts in and out of his memories. Reading guide for water for elephants by sara gruen. Water for elephants discussion so recently i read this book and loved it, so my boyfriend listened to the audiobook and also thoroughly enjoyed. Water for elephants is a moving tale about circus life during the depression era with quirky characters and complex emotions underlying the characters actions.
These book club discussion questions reveal important details about water for elephants by sara gruen. The book begins with a quote from horton hatches the egg by dr. Water for elephants book club discussion questions thoughtco. Lit lovers discussion questions a water for elephants discussion from reading group guides writers digest interview with sara gruen. Should the murderer in water for elephants be punished. Water for elephants is one of my most favorite books. Gruen has said that the backbone of her story parallels the biblical story of jacob in the book of genesis.
I meant what i said, and i said what i meantan elephants faithfulone hundred percent. Book club discussion on kite runner khaled hosseini, books, 143 replies please recommend a classic that would be good for a book club. Use these questions on water for elephants by sara gruen to lead your book clubs discussion of this novel. To what extent do the chapters concerning the elderly jacob enhance the. The prologue features a younger version of jacob, who works at a circus and. While reading water for elephants i found the plot hyperbolic and excessively melodramatic and the characters little developed beyond their names. Florida public library k671 county road 17d florida, oh 43545 phone.
Jacob janowskis luck had run outorphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on a rickety train that was home to the benzini brothers most spectacular show on earth. Water for elephants, after being rejected by publishers initially, went on to become a new york bestseller and is available in 46 languages. Book club discussion on water for elephants sara gruen. A thousand splendid suns, memory keepers daughter, etc. How do the chapters about the older jacob enrich the story about jacobs adventure with the circus. This study guide consists of approximately 58 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of water for elephants. Water for elephants is an historical novel by sara gruen. Tips for book discussions from washington center for the book at seattle public library. Two days after he moves into walter and jacobs room, they discuss camels. Do remember, however, that characters can change during the course of the book, and the jacob jankowski. 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.
In what ways and to what extent do the words pathetic grandeur describe the world that gruen creates in her novel. The prologue gives a glimpse of a climatic scene later in the book. Gruen did extensive research before writing water for elephants. The unusual title comes from an incident at the beginning of the novel. Water for elephants summary water for elephants has two plots going on, both starring the same main character, jacob. In one plot, jacob is a young guy just starting out in the world. The circus train only had a limited amount of water on board, and elephants can drink 100300 litres per day approximately 2680 gallons. If you like water for elephants, you might like little heathens by mildred armstrong kalish seabiscuit by laura hillenbrand the adventures of miles and isabel by tom gilling.
Sara gruen has written an utterly transporting novel richly full of the stuff of life. Water for elephants discussion, 1, 4, feb 07, 2020 05. Discussion questions for water for elephants are listed. What is the role of faithfulness and loyalty in water for elephants. The very best discussion questions for little fires everywhere by celeste ng. Did this act as a spoiler or wet your appetite for the story. Jacob mocks another resident at the nursing home who. Novelist sara gruen sweeps her readers off their feet in the opening pages of water for elephantsand doesnt let go until she deposits them at the end of her fantastic tale of passion, madness and fancy. Water for elephants is a best book club book for discussion, about the bond of love, trust, hope, and survival that grows between a circus trio during the depression. When jacob jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world. It was written as part of national novel writing month.
This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of water for elephants by sara gruen. Recommending new books each month to spark lively conversation. I needed to feel that i knew the subject matter in and out. About sara gruen 2 on writing water for elephants sara gruen 2. Water for elephants book discussion questions water for elephants moves between a story about a circus and a story about an old man in a nursing home. In the beginning of the novel, jacob mocks another resident of the nursing home who claims to have worked in the circus and carried water for the elephants. Gruen transports us into the world of a thirdrate traveling circus during the great depression. Winner of the 2007 bookbrowse award for most popular book. Book club discussion guide about the book water for elephants by sara gruen the story is told as a series of memories by jacob jankowski, a ninetythree yearold man who lives in a nursing home. For water for elephants, which was the first historical thing ive written, i did all the research ahead of time. This may be a totally amateur answer, but i totally thought the book was titled water for elephants because of.
It may be slightly over hyped, but it certainly deserves of most of the praise its receiving. The story is told as a series of memories by jacob jankowski, a 93yearold man who lives in a nursing home. Water for elephants questions and answers discover the community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on water for elephants. Suggested book and reading club discussion questions for water for elephants. Water for elephants sara gruen, 2006 algonquin books of chapel hill 350 pp. This months book club discussion is on water for elephants by sara gruen. Water for elephants, 2007, sara gruen water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. Every few chapters, the narrative switches from one jacob to the other. I hate being so enamored with a book and then a crappy movie version comes along and tarnishes it. I read water for elephants for our book club, and i expected it to be as slow, dull, and superficial as most of the other books we have read. Water for elephants is the new york times bestselling debut novel by sara gruen.
Many years before, jacob is a student at cornell university, studying veterinarian medicine in order to join. Readstogo a novel of starcrossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932. In the sections of the book set in the present, when jacob is in his 90s, he makes a big deal about his age and seems really upset by it. Use these book club discussion questions on water for elephants to lead your book clubs conversation on the story. At what point in his life did he seem to be the happiest. Water for elephants is a book that can be read and reread, recommended and handed. With lines of startling beauty, haunting and evocative scenes and finelydrawn characters who dance off the page, readers can dip in and out of the novel, immersing themselves in jacobs memories. The circus, the great depression, a complex elephant, equally complex love, the mists and twists of memory articulated in the utterly winning voice of a very old man whos seen it all.
Find resources for your book club, whether it meets in your living room or across cyberspace. But be warned, this isnt the order of events in the book. Water for elephants by sara gruen is a must read a story about a 90yearold man remembering his days with a circus during the great depression. Water for elephants has two plots going on, both starring the same main character, jacob. Readers may find themselves churning through this book at a rapidfire pace, eager to see what lies ahead, then slowing down as they realize the pages are dwindling.
Water for elephants ny times the guardian goodreads book companion over 10 million copies in print. Only days before graduating from vet school in 1931, young jake learns his parents have died and left him penniless. She wrote the book as part of national novel writing month. Book to movie discussion water for elephants napoleon. Below are the discussion questions for water for elephants. Water for elephants by sara gruen page 1 tips for book discussions from washington center for the book at seattle public library reading critically books that make excellent choices for discussion groups have a good plot, welldrawn characters. Water for elephants by sara gruen reading guidebook club. Bookgroup discussion questions 347 a conversation with the author dave weich is director of marketing and development at powells books.
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