Chosing what book to read can be daunting. Unlike a movie, or YouTube video, where you commit yourself to a certain amount of time, you never really know how long a book is going to take. I've read 500 page novels that go by in a few days, and itty-bitty novellas with dense, florid prose that seem to take months. On top of the time issue, there is the whole guilt-factor, and the many different levels of it, when you decide that enough is enough, and this book is just not doing it for you.
One more thought before getting into this book review: lately I've found myself reading very similar type books. Thinking books. Books with rich themes and poetry, oftentimes laden with nihilism and darkness. After reading Water For Elephants I can now say that I see the cooling refreshingness in reading something as escapist and ephemeral as Sara Gruen's debut novel.
This book follows a very classic format and feels almost like low-reaching cinema in some ways: A young man leaves town, undertakes a new life he would have never imagined by joining the circus, falls in love, encounters problems and obtains resolutions, fights a nemesis, and all while undergoing the adventure of a lifetime. I don't mean to sound cynical, and if I do, it's only because I'm used to books that have such untraditional formats and plotting devices.
Despite following this familiar narrative, Water For Elephants is pretty fun and occasionally transporting. You feel like you are at the Big Top, with a frequently rotating cast of surly roustabouts and clever carnies. The pacing of the book is very good, too, as its caterwauling speediness and efficiency often parallels the rollicking attitude of a depression era circus.
My Mom recommended this book to me. It's really a total mom book; It even has book club questions in the back (along with a powells.com interview with my old co-worker Dave Weich!). I still liked it though. Give it a shot if you've got a gray weekend going on and need a little swirling color in your head, or, if you just want to escape to the circus for a few days.
