Book Review Friday: Water For Elephants

I decided that I, Meghan Moore-Hubbard, am going to read one book a week this year. I have never taken the time to read a whole lot but when I do I am always glad I did. I'm easily distracted by the TV but being unemployed (Drew says that's not the appropriate term because I'm not searching for a job but it makes me sound pathetic so I use it) leaves time for both. So in order to keep this up I have decided to devote my Friday blog posts to reviewing the book that I read that week. This week it was Water For Elephants.....I know I know I'm about a year behind. But better late than never.

I did not see the movie before reading this book (or after for that matter) but now I don't think I want to. Don't get me wrong I thought the book was great but some of the content (ie animal cruelty) is not something I need to see visually, it's bad enough in my mind. In case you're like me and don't get out to the movies or read much here's a little hint: it's about a circus.

Circuses are fascinating to me. Well circuses like this one, not modern day circuses. Granted I probably romanticize them, but can you imagine? Travelling all summer long on a train setting up and tearing down almost daily. Traveling with clowns, animals, performers, and the ever-present "freaks." It just seems so surreal but the exploitation is so real.

I won't give it all away because I know my mom reads my blog (at least she says she does) and I'm delivering it to this book to her to read next week. But suffice it to say Sara Gruen did her research. I don't think I've ever been to the circus, that I can recall. But I felt like I was there. The language, the descriptions, the vivid characters and the story line allowed my usually tame imagination to run wild.
I read this book in about 3 days, it kept my interest for 3 huge reasons:
 1. The main character is an elderly man in a nursing home, bound to tug on my heartstrings
2. He was a vet, so imagining all of those cats, zebras, horses, and eventually an elephant kept the pages turning in my hands.
3. It is set in the depression era, like the Grapes of Wrath I just read but this man's story during the depression differs so wildly from Grapes it's almost hard to imagine they are even in the same country much less the same time period. A good opportunity to compare and contrast America at that time (both fiction I know but an inside look nonetheless).


I suppose I'm not telling you all anything you probably don't already know (it was after all the #1 New York Times Bestseller and a hit movie) but even if you're not a reader this one will keep your interest and keep your imagination running. I give it 2 thumbs up.