August book: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

chosen by Pip

Book Description:

Water for Elephants is "told in flashback by nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski.  Jacob recounts the time he spent with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a traveling circus he joins during the Great Depression. When the 23-year-old Jankowski learns his parents have been killed in a car crash, leaving him penniless, he drops out of veterinary school and turns his expertise with animals into a job with the circus, where he cares for a menagerie of exotic creatures. He also falls in love with Marlena, one of the show's star performers—a romance complicated by Marlena's husband, the unbalanced, sadistic circus boss who beats both his wife and the animals Jankowski cares for."

From Publishers Weekly

What we discussed about the book:

We all loved the book with its quirkiness and unpredictability.  Some felt there were a few strange parts such as the train jumping and Jacob going to kill Walter.

Robert Pattinson/period drama is Rachael's dream, Alana's nightmare.

Most of us liked both parts of the story ie Jacob's life now plus the flashbacks to the circus days.  That took us to the topic of aging and appreciating our elders and their life stories. A lot of us have elderly relatives that we try to visit often, and admittedly, while you appreciate them, the stories do become repetitive and it can be hard to stay interested.  We loved Rosemary for the dignity with which she treated Jacob - unlike the nurse that just pulled the blind down without asking him.

We also talked about whether, like Jacob, it was better to lose your spouse first or for you to die first. Jacob, even though there were times he 'would give anything to have her back', was glad she went first to spare her the pain of losing your loved one.

We discussed how circuses are all about illusion.  Why do we crave the illusion circuses represent?  How do we cater to people's desire for illusion?  We likened this to the PR industry that most of us are involved in, and how 'events' and other PR are all part of an 'illusion'.  Reality doesn't come into it.  We felt that there can be a lot of b#$%@*t and pretension.

We missed a few of the references in the story.  Nobody got the biblical reference to Jacob, and we didn't predict who killed Augustus!  We also missed why Jacob was shitty with McGuinty, the man who boasted about carrying water for elephants.  We guess it was because Jacob knew it to be untrue and that McGuinty was making up stories so the 'girls would fawn over him'.

Movie characters:

It was hard to go past the actors who are playing the characters in the movie:

• Marlena - Reese Witherspoon
  
• Jacob - Ryan Gosling
  
• August - Billy Zane
  
• Big Al - ?
  
• Camel - ?
  
• Walter - Peter Dinklage
  
• Earl - guy from Pulp Fiction
  

And then we were sidetracked into:

Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart.  What is with Kristen - whiny, surly, doesn't seem very happy - don't like her attitude to fame.  Rach loves Rob, and some think he is attractive - bit weedy though and looks like he'd blow over in the wind.  We don't get all the interest in the Twilight series and a lot of us don't think Stephanie Meyer is a particularly good writer.

Which moved us onto Mormons.  Alana had to pitch for work for them for the opening of a temple in Perth, which is only open to the public every 77 years.  Alana and Marie offered the prospective clients tea/coffee three times, and made themselves a coffee, only to be told 'we don't drink tea or coffee'.  Needless to say, they didn't get the job!  PS The temple was incredible.

....Which then moved us onto wedding ceremonies - and some funny stories of 'dry' ones.  Pip ended up drinking in the bushes.  Rachael is just going to end up in the bushes at Pip's wedding!  How do you manage the drinks at weddings?  Bridesmaid etiquette was also a topic of conversation and how to tell friends they aren't in the bridal party!  A tough one!

And in other news:

We got to meet the newest bookclub baby, Finn - thank you for bringing him Bree.  He's beautiful and you look SO well.

Pip prepared a circus feast with mini hotdogs, popcorn, pink and yellow cupcakes and lollies — very cute and beautifully themed!

Pip's wedding preparations are going well.  Jack and Sharon are going to help with 'styling'.  Pip and Wade are probably going to have heavy canapes, then a sit-down main.

Does our blog have any followers? Lets do a few more things with it!

Ratings

Ratings average: 7.9

Ratings range: 6.5 — 9.5 (Rachael gave it 9.5, the last 0.5 being because Rob Pattinson is playing Jacob in the movie.)