Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

                When I picked up this novel, I expected to be delving into one of the best books ever written (well, maybe not EVER written, but pretty close). I heard wonderful things about Water for Elephants, and I was excited to get reading! However, this novel was a big disappointment…I expected the best, but I cracked open a book that was only slightly above average.

Water for Elephants is a novel told from alternate perspectives (both past and present) by the same protagonist, Jacob Jankowski. In the present, Jacob is a 90-something year old man living in a nursing home. He is isolated and bored, without any real enthusiasm or purpose in his life. He states in the first chapter: “I used to think I preferred getting old to the alternative, but now I’m not sure. Sometimes the monotony of bingo and sing-alongs and ancient dusty people parked in the hallway in wheelchairs makes me long for death” (13). The news of the arrival of a travelling circus however, causes the ghosts of Jacob’s past to reappear and throws his mundane routine into a tailspin. Jacob as a younger man was an integral part of a circus, and it slowly comes to light as the novel progresses, that Jacob has kept a secret for many years about a murder that occurred during his years in the circus. For the entirety of the novel, Jacob slips in and out of reality, detailing both his past and present life in rotating chapters. It is only at the very end of Water for Elephants that the secret surrounding the murder is revealed.

Although the basis of the novel sounds intriguing and mysterious, Sara Gruen does not deliver a novel that contains either of these qualities. The secret that Jacob Jankowski has kept hidden for decades is essentially a disappointment. Reading the novel, the secret of the murder becomes obscured and insignificant in the unfolding of the storyline; there is no suspenseful build up to the big secret reveal at the end of the novel (and to be perfectly honest, I even forgot that there was a secret to begin with). Creating cliffhangers is clearly not one of Ms. Gruen’s strong suits. I do have to say however, that although Sara Gruen has not mastered the art of mystery, she exemplifies masterful writing in the chapters told from the perspective of Jacob as an aging man in a nursing home. Gruen has created a unique, relatable and completely human protagonist in Jacob as a 90 year old man. Jacob instills compassion in readers; he also possesses wit and depth. Just one example of this can be seen on pages 7-8 when Jacob declares: “This being Friday, we’re having the usual nutritious but uninteresting combination of meat loaf, creamed corn, reconstituted mashed potatoes, and gravy that may have been waved over a piece of beef at some point in its life. And they wonder why I lose weight…I know some of us don’t have teeth, but I do, and I want pot roast…I want corn on the cob. Sometimes I think that if I had to choose between an ear of corn or making love to a woman, I’d choose the corn…sometimes I substitute an apple for the corn.”

Although elderly Jacob is honest, sincere and made of flesh and bones, Jacob as a young man does not possess any of these stellar attributes. Contrary to his older persona, the young Jacob is extraordinarily superficial. It’s true that young Jacob falls in love, and cares for and protects animals throughout the novel, yet despite these actions, Jacob remains aloof. A prime example of Jacob’s emotional distance from readers occurs at the very beginning of Water for Elephants. Within the first pages of the novel, Jacob’s parents die in a terrible accident, leaving him utterly alone in the world. The deaths of Jacob’s parents start a chain of events that essentially lead Jacob to run away and inadvertently join a circus. The tragic and sudden deaths of both of Jacob’s parents do not have any resounding impact on Jacob. Their deaths are not even mentioned after the second chapter of the novel. Death is not a significant, life altering, heartbreaking event in Water for Elephants; its impact does not reverberate throughout the rest of the novel. It almost seems as if the younger Jacob is impervious to death.

My last BIG fault with Water for Elephants is the repetition of the prologue WORD FOR WORD in an ending chapter in the novel (Chapter twenty-two to be more specific). In an attempt (I’m assuming) to create some type of cohesiveness to the tale, Sara Gruen places the prologue exposition at both the beginning and the end of the novel. Placed at the beginning of Water for Elephants, the prologue essentially becomes the substratum for the rest of the novel by establishing the mystery of the murder. However, by repeating the prologue at the end of the novel (I mean come on! You can’t even bother to tell it from a different perspective?), Sara Gruen demonstrates her complete lack of originality. It appears as if at the end of 300 pages, Ms. Gruen simply got tired of writing. (This repetition really irked me to no end).

Overall, Water for Elephants is a fast read based on an interesting concept (…I mean, it’s not being transformed into a major motion picture for nothing). However, there are many flaws within the novel that I just can’t look beyond! Thus, in my book review, it earns only a 12.5 out of 20. The more detailed system breakdown follows:

Total Points Awarded:

12.5

Point Breakdown 101:

Category 1: Theme

A. Consistent and clear theme(s)

B. Fully developed and explored theme(s)

                -Tie into plot and character development

C. Thought invoking theme(s)

                Total Points Received in this Category: 1

                ***Points Lost: Did not meet requirement B or C

Category 2: Characters

A. Characters are unique

B. Characters are animated and relatable (3 dimensional)

C. Characters possess human characteristics and depth

D. Character learns something about self or world; Experiences a moment of clarity/ revelation

E. Characters seek to enhance plot and themes

                Total Points Received in this Category: 3.5

                ***Points Lost: Received .5 on requirements A, B, and C

Category 3: Plot

A. Beginning, middle and end (although not necessarily in that order)

                -Organized structure (interrelation of all parts of a story to make a whole; completeness)

B. Cohesive, thoughtful design to story telling

C. Meaningful, significant purpose (what aim to reveal, criticize, or showcase)

                -Clarity, thoughtfulness and relevance of detail to enhance purpose

D. Presence of a struggle /conflict/ trial/ adversity

E. Interesting/ attention holding

F. Satisfying Conclusion

                -Brings together Plot, Theme, Character in a succinct and satisfactory manner

               

Total Points Received in this Category: 5

                ***Points Lost: Did not meet requirement F

Category 4: Style

A. Writing style is accessible to readers (not elevated language)

B. Style accurately communicates themes and enhances character representations

C. Contains consistency in expression, execution and design of ideas

D. Illuminates rather than obscures basic human truths

E. Effectively helps to create a complete reality

F. Effectively communicates human emotion with unique and powerful language

Total Points Received in this Category: 3

                ***Points Lost: Received .5 on requirements D and E; did not meet requirements B or F

Caitlin’s Overall Opinion of the Book:

                This is a fast and easy read. Water for Elephants is enjoyable although it is hard to really connect on a more than superficial level with the majority of the main characters. It would not be the first book that I would pick off a bookshelf, but it also wouldn’t be the last.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

             As you probably guessed, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is my first book blog of choice.

The terms “book” and “novel” cannot accurately describe this masterpiece of words by Foer. Within Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran Foer creates an artistic and unique storyline which perfectly portrays the post 9/11 world. Foer delves into the heartache and grief faced by a young boy Oskar, and his family, as they attempt to come to terms with the ever present reality of death. At the heart of the novel stands the precocious protagonist, Oskar Schell, who has recently lost his father in the 9/11 attacks. In an attempt to hold onto his father’s memory, Oskar begins a journey to uncover what he believes is a mystery surrounding a key that he finds among his father’s belongings. Throughout the novel, Oskar invokes a significant sympathetic response on the part of the reader; he possesses a plethora of human characteristics and emotions, and on the whole is an entirely believable character.

In Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Foer uses a wide array of visual elements and distinctive typography to chronicle the emotions and adventures of Oskar. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is part novel, part poetry, and part illustration; Foer creates a new manner of storytelling which is compelling and honest. He transforms mere words into a heartbreaking reality which is enhanced by his impeccable style.

As a side note: I underlined multiple sentences, phrases and paragraphs in my copy of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close that I thought were just too touching, truthful and beautiful to pass by without some type of recognition. Jonathan Safran Foer has a way of writing that communicates human emotion and thought in a magical way. I picked a few sentences that I thought were particularly moving (removed from the context of the novel, it is a lot harder to understand the emotion behind them, but here they are anyway!):

“I like to see people reunited, maybe that’s a silly thing, but what can I say, I like to see people run to each other, I like the kissing and the crying, I like the impatience, the stories that the mouth can’t tell fast enough, the ears that aren’t big enough, the eyes that can’t take in all of the change, I like the hugging, the bringing together, the end of missing someone” (109)

“Sometimes I can hear my bones straining under the weight of all the lives I’m not living” (113).

“I thought, it’s a shame that we have to live, but it’s a tragedy that we get to live only one life” (133).

“You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness” (180).

“He stared at me so hard that I wondered if he wasn’t listening to me at all, or if he was trying to hear something incredibly quiet underneath what I was saying, sort of like a metal detector, but for truth instead of metal” (255).

Overall, I have awarded Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 19 points out of 20. Foer’s novel met all of my criteria, with the sole exception of subsection F in Category 3: Plot. I felt that Jonathan Safran Foer ended his novel somewhat abruptly and did not really tie the novel together in a satisfactory manner. Below, please find my system breakdown for a better understanding of how I awarded the points!

Total Points Awarded:

19

Point Breakdown 101:

Category 1: Theme

A. Consistent and clear theme(s)

B. Fully developed and explored theme(s)

                -Tie into plot and character development

C. Thought invoking theme(s)

                Total Points Received in this Category: 3

Category 2: Characters

A. Characters are unique

B. Characters are animated and relatable (3 dimensional)

C. Characters possess human characteristics and depth

D. Character learns something about self or world; Experiences a moment of clarity/ revelation

E. Characters seek to enhance plot and themes

                Total Points Received in this Category: 5

Category 3: Plot

A. Beginning, middle and end (although not necessarily in that order)

                -Organized structure (interrelation of all parts of a story to make a whole; completeness)

B. Cohesive, thoughtful design to story telling

C. Meaningful, significant purpose (what aim to reveal, criticize, or showcase)

                -Clarity, thoughtfulness and relevance of detail to enhance purpose

D. Presence of a struggle /conflict/ trial/ adversity

E. Interesting/ attention holding

F. Satisfying Conclusion

                -Brings together Plot, Theme, Character in a succinct and satisfactory manner

               

Total Points Received in this Category: 5

***Points Lost: Did not meet requirement F.

Category 4: Style

A. Writing style is accessible to readers (not elevated language)

B. Style accurately communicates themes and enhances character representations

C. Contains consistency in expression, execution and design of ideas

D. Illuminates rather than obscures basic human truths

E. Effectively helps to create a complete reality

F. Effectively communicates human emotion with unique and powerful language

Total Points Received in this Category: 6

Caitlin’s Overall Opinion of the BOOK:

Without hesitation, I advise you to pick this novel up and read it…you won’t regret it.

The System

Welcome to the 3-5-6-6 Book Rating System!!

Even though I am most definitely not an Emerson fan (I mean, come on…all that elevated language about nature as the oversoul and the overriding importance of individualism…enough said), I am however going to start my blog with a few tidbits from the Emersonian school of thought. Emerson, in his essay, the American Scholar seeks to communicate what is best in literature (American literature more specifically). He laments that each individual in present day society has become fragmented; each human being is now defined solely by their function: for example, a Teacher is seen as a teacher, nothing more, a Farmer as merely a farmer, etc. In the American Scholar, Emerson calls for every American to be actively thinking; thinking is not just a specialty that should be reserved for those who function as Academics. Americans should no longer content themselves with imitating and parroting the thoughts of others, rather each person should think independently and seek to expand as an individual. In the words of Emerson (confusing as they may be…), he also mentions that books are meant to inspire this active thought.

Although I do not usually agree with Emerson, I have to admit that he is really onto something BIG with all his talk about “active thought”. In an effort to actively (haha…get the pun?) engage my mind (and hopefully inspire others to do the same), I have devised a book reviewing system (thus, not only am I using my brain, BUT I’m also incorporating books!!...Emerson would be so proud). My methodology allows readers to rate books on a twenty point scale. There are 4 Categories: Theme, Characters, Plot and Style. Each of these Categories is divided into subsections. If a book meets all of the points in the Theme subsection, it receives a total of 3 points; if a book meets all of the points in the Characters subsection, it receives a total of 5 points; if a book meets all of the points in the Plot or Style subsection, it will receive 6 points respectively. A book will only receive points based on how many subsection points it meets. For a book to receive the highest number of points (20), it MUST adhere to ALL points awarded in each of the 4 Categories. Below, I have listed the Categories and also the subsection criteria for the rating system (to hopefully make it a bit easier to understand):

Category 1: Theme

A. Consistent and clear theme(s)

B. Fully developed and explored theme(s)

                -Tie into plot and character development

C. Thought invoking theme(s)

                Total Points Able to Receive: 3

Category 2: Characters

A. Characters are unique

B. Characters are animated and relatable (3 dimensional)

C. Characters possess human characteristics and depth

D. Character learns something about self or world; Experiences a moment of clarity/ revelation

E. Characters seek to enhance plot and themes

                Total Points Able to Receive: 5

Category 3: Plot

A. Beginning, middle and end (although not necessarily in that order)

                -Organized structure (interrelation of all parts of a story to make a whole; completeness)

B. Cohesive, thoughtful design to story telling

C. Meaningful, significant purpose (what aim to reveal, criticize, or showcase)

                -Clarity, thoughtfulness and relevance of detail to enhance purpose

D. Presence of a struggle /conflict/ trial/ adversity

E. Interesting/ attention holding

F. Satisfying Conclusion

                -Brings together Plot, Theme, Character in a succinct and satisfactory manner

               

Total Points Able to Receive: 6

Category 4: Style

A. Writing style is accessible to readers (not elevated language)

B. Style accurately communicates themes and enhances character representations

C. Contains consistency in expression, execution and design of ideas

D. Illuminates rather than obscures basic human truths

E. Effectively helps to create a complete reality

F. Effectively communicates human emotion with unique and powerful language

Total Points Able to Receive: 6

At the end of each book rating, I will also include a separate section called: Caitlin’s Overall Opinion of the BOOK. With this last piece of information, I hope to add an element of finality to the system, and give a bit more of my opinion (so that at the end of reading my review, you will know once and for all where I stand!!).

That’s it for now. Blog ya later!!