Water for Elephants is a historical novel by Sara Gruen. The novel centers on Jacob Jankowski and his experiences in a travelling circus called The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. This one had been on my "to read" list for a while now since it was on the NY Times Bestsellers List, but once I heard that it was going to be turned into a film, it quickly rose to the top. Hehe. The novel is told through Jacob's perspective when he is an old man living in a nursing home reminiscing about his time working in the circus in his early 20s. The dynamic that develops between Jacob, the dysfunctional foreman, and his beautiful wife is the main cause of drama in the novel and had me turning the pages quickly to find out what was going to happen. I don't want to give too much away because I would definitely recommend this for you ladies to read. The film will star Robert Pattinson, Christoph Waltz, and Reese Witherspoon, so as I was reading the novel, I visualized them as the characters and I think it made the story come more alive for me.
What do you think about reading novels that already have a film adaptation or one in production? Does it help you get a clearer image of the characters or would you rather be able to come up with your own visual of the characters?
3 comments:
I just finished Water for Elephants and absolutely loved it. The main reason I read it was because it is being turned into a film. I do like to imagine the characters how I want to...and maybe since the film hasn't come out yet, I still could a bit. I sometimes would imagine Robert, Reese and Christoph in the roles and sometimes it would be something my imagination conjured up.
I read this book a while ago... and didn't like it very much. The plot felt very predictable and Jacob a little flat in terms of character development. I actually hope the film will be better than the book.
I also read this one a while back. I liked the book a lot, and I think given its setting, it should be a fun film to watch.
Post a Comment