NOVEMBER BOOK - Water for Elephants

[Bethers]

Go for it! I'm going to read till I fall asleep tonight - hopefully will finish it tonight or tomorrow! Have just not read the past couple weeks enough!

Get the discussion started - I know I'm loving the book so far

[Getupngo]

How about a show of hands for all those ready to join a discussion on Water for Elephants? This seems like a window of opportunity with Thanksgiving over and a few weeks before Christmas! Looking forward......

I've reserved the book at the library ... I'm 19th in line.

[Bethers]

I finished the book last night - needed the incentive to do so! Janice, if you're that far down the line, it might be Easter before you can join the discussion - but, you know us - any discussion can be brought back up at any time! And it is a book worth reading. I'm going to give Sparkle my copy tomorrow.

[mtngal]

OK, here is a question (in no particular order) from the BookGroup section of Water for Elephants......

Who did you, upon reading the prologue, think murdered August? What effect did that opening scene of chaos and murder have on your reception of the story that follows?

[Bethers]

For anyone who hasn't read this book and might want to - close this thread NOW - as you'll be reading things you do NOT want to know before reading further. Please do not do yourself the injustice of ruining the book for yourself.

Now, I'm going to start a new post - after I hopefully scared of those who still are reading or want to read this book (which is an excellent book!) to not read this thread any further!

[Bethers]

I thought Marlena committed the murder - and was waiting to find out what August had done to cause it. I never thought he was murdered without cause, but until just before the scene when we finally got back to that episode for the full story - never until just then did I suspect what was about to happen.

If anything, that first scene prepared me for the actions of August that were to follow. I did believe he was probably crazy or evil or both from the opening scene - as I did not believe that he was killed for no reason - although I did believe the coverup for all the years was for Marlena, who I also figured was going to be his wife, etc.

[mtngal]

The opening scene fooled me too Beth, I totally assumed it was Marlena. But it was such a perfect lead in for Jacob's relationship with Rosie.

So Jacob, he was such a dear in the convalescent home, I think this question is really interesting....

2. Looking at himself in the mirror, the old Jacob tries "to see beyond the sagging flesh." But he claims, "It's no good...I can't find myself anymore. When did I stop being me?" page 111 How would you answer that question for Jacob or any individual, or for yourself?

[Paulette]

I don't think we ever stop being "me", i just think we see ourselves differently than the mirror does. I know I do. When I think of myself I see myself as the younger me...long hair (not gray), thinner, more active, more fit. Maybe it is just that the mirror image is too much reality for my brain. Maybe it was the same for Jacob. Or, maybe I'm nuts?

[Bethers]

And it's not just the mirror - I hate seeing my drier sking and fat lol - whether in the mirror or just by looking down (or when clothes buying, God forbid). I think in 20 - 30 more years, I'll be like Jacob and say that's not me in the mirror I empathize, for sure.

I loved his attitude in the nursing home, btw. After spending 4 years with my mother in one, I always liked those that kept the people working there on their toes - and those that spoke up for themselves. I feel sorry for any nursing home that I end up in - as after being an advocate for my Mom while she was in one, I'll hopefully be vocal enough, like Jacob, to demand to be treated as I want to be treated - etc.

[Sparkle]

Beth passed her copy on to me and I loved it! I like books where you feel you are learning something. I did fear, when I read the Prologue, that I had lost "the willing suspension of disbelief" when he mentioned the polar bear running past him. I would have thought it was impossible to keep a polar bear at a circus because of the heat. However, by the end I felt the book had been well researched and admit I could be mistaken about polar bears. In some ways the book reminded me of "They Shoot Horses Don't They?" The sense of desperation in the midst of the Depression was there. There is an Elephant Shelter in Tennessee where retired Zoo and Circus elephants live out their years. The public isn't admitted, the elephants never need to see a human being if they don't want to. The only way you can see them is by Webcam.
I hope I never end up in a Nursing Home. I felt so sorry for Jacob when his family forgot him.

[Liz]

So, that's where you've been, Sparkle, with your nose in a book!

[AlmostThere]

I FINALLY finished the book tonight. It was a hard one for me to get through. I had stopped halfway and layed it down for a month as I really had a hard time with getting past the cruelty to the circus workers and the animals. I also feel like I needed to scratch myself with they horrible hygiene habits of everyone but the owners. And none of that got any better throughout the rest of the book.
And the towns people were always ready to turn on the circus people, too. On one hand it seemed they were excited to see the circus come, but treated them like they were socially way beneath them, too.
It's hard to believe that most of the story was taken from true accounts. What a miserable life.
I guess I can say the author did a fabulous job of storytelling in that it affected me so profoundly.

[mtngal]

Oh Almost There, sorry to hear you didn't enjoy the book. Yes there sure were hard parts, and not just to the animals, people were treated almost worse. I guess the over riding part was the best for me was Jacob's indomitable spirit.

So, I've been falling down on my job here with this book, sorry!, any additional commits, thoughts, specific parts that grabbed you, etc?

[AlmostThere]

Diana, I'm glad I got to read the book as it did open my eyes to the real world in our past history. Those were certainly hard times. Thank you for sharing it.

[Bethers]

When I read the book, I remembered the carnivals and circus' of my youth - the workers of both were from a whole different realm that I was so unfamiliar with - and, yes, unfortunately, they were considered of a lower - maybe lowest class. Whenever crime happened in any city with a carnival or circus in it, you could rest assured that they would be blamed. And this was still true not that many years ago.

This book made these people so real - showed that they were you and I if we'd had different circumstances. These people would be our homeless today, I believe - but instead, they were working their butts of and not being recognized or appreciated for it. I loved the way they were made to be real to me - and I do believe all of this. I think the author did such a fabulous research job -

And, yes, Lenora, I can understand why you had trouble with it - cuz your heart just hated that those things happened - and your eyes were opened to it.