It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford. Removed from a spring break elective course at the bedford, n. The handle is made of wood, metal, plastic, or fiberglass, and there is a sharp steel hook at one end. At one point, theyre even made to pull and lift thick, heavy logs, in a. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. Water for elephants ebook by sara gruen rakuten kobo. Water for elephants is a 2011 american romantic drama film directed by francis lawrence and written by richard lagravenese, based on sara gruens 2006 novel of the same name. Only the violent use of a bull hook persuades it to obey. Water for elephants won the book sense book of the year award in. As you pore through water for elephants, a book with a special.
Joshilyn jackson, author of gods in alabama so much more than a tale about a circus, water for elephants is a compelling journey not only under the big top, but into the protagonists heart. Stop use of bullhooks on elephants from 25 august 2010. Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. The bullhook is a tool used by mahouts, and many elephant handlers in zoos, circuses and temples, in the management and disciplining of elephants. It is also called an ankus, elephant goad, or elephant hook. May 26, 2006 i read water for elephants for our book club, and i expected it to be as slow, dull, and superficial as most of the other books we have read. Use these book club discussion questions on water for elephants to lead your book clubs conversation on the story. Bullhook or ankus the bull hook was used by elephant trainers to get the elephants attention and guide the animals to their tasks. I decided to not watch the movie when i heard it was coming out simply because i didnt want to possibly ruin the experience id had with the book if the movie wasnt uptopar. He gives jacob something called a bull hook and says he is going to. Sara gruens book, water for elephants, was a runaway best seller an internationally acclaimed novel told as the reminiscences of an old man, jacob, about his experiences with a depressionera circus where he witnessed the brutalities inflicted on people and animals alike. Sara gruen uses her talent as a writer to bring that world alive for the reader.
The bullhook is a hook usually made of steel which is attached to a long handle and is traditionally used to jab sensitive areas of the elephants body such as behind the ears, around the anus or on their trunk. School district 2010 after a parent complained about the novels sexual content. When i read water for elephants the book, i knew the film would be difficult to make. The day has gone by when this was entertainment sat 12 aug 2017 03. May 22, 2006 jacob janowskis luck had run outorphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on a rickety train that was home to the benzini brothers most spectacular show on earth. A bullhook is a stick usually with a sharp metal tip that is used by oregon zoo elephant keepers to train and direct elephants to submit to human commands. Water for elephants movie tiein by sara gruen, paperback.
Sara gruen has a voice to rival john irvings, and i am hopelessly, unabashedly in love with this book. Robert pattinson stars alongside tai the elephant in water for elephants and an animal rights group claim he has been abused the film of the abuse. Water for elephants is a story about an elderly man, jacob, who recalls an adventure in his younger years. Even when not in active use, the bullhook is a threat to the elephant and a constant reminder of the pain and physical punishment that can be delivered at any time.
Fate steps in when an elephant is acquired as a substitute. Joshilyn jackson, author of gods in alabama so much more than a tale about a circus, water for elephants is a compelling journey not only. The first time we hear gruen reference the title in the book is when jacob realizes one of his fellow nursing home patients is telling a white lie about working for the circus. Water for elephants by sara gruen is a must read a story about a 90yearold man remembering his days with a circus during the great depression. The truth is, it is summer and i am desperate for a distraction away from my recent obsession with greys anatomy reruns fueled by netflixs instant queue. Water for elephants is the new york times bestselling debut novel by sara gruen. In the secret video, released by animal defenders international, tai the elephant is shown being mistreated by the trainers that made her a star.
I hate being so enamored with a book and then a crappy movie version comes along and tarnishes it. Water for elephants, published in 2007, is sara gruens third novel. Bullhand or bull handler circus employee working with the elephants. Oct 21, 2009 robert olen butler so much more than a tale about a circus, water for elephants is a compelling journey not only under the big top, but into the protagonists heart. Water for elephants is an enchanting pageturner, the kind of book that creates a world that engulfs you from the first page to the last. After the workers coax rosie back to the circus, he takes the bull hook and beats. He hit her with the bull hook over and over again until earl dragged him out of the menagerie. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of water for elephants by sara gruen.
A relief at sanchi and a fresco at the ajanta caves depict a threeperson crew on the war elephant, the driver with an. Jacob, the books narrator and protagonist, worked as a vet and trainer of sorts at a circus. Ringling bros bullhook abuse and lame elephants peta. A national bestseller in canada and a new york times bestseller in the united states, this is a book destined to become a beloved fiction classic. Robert olen butler so much more than a tale about a circus, water for elephants is a compelling journey not only under the big top, but into the protagonists heart.
The bullhook, elephant goad, or ankus is a tool used to control, train and handle elephants in captivity. Water for elephants by sara gruen wherewhy its been banned. On our first date, my husband took me to see tod brownings freaks, a 1932 horror film with a distinctly diane arbus feel. Used on elephants an animal rights article from from. Based on a bestselling novel by sara gruen, it has the fussy, overstuffed feel. In the united states and canada, water for elephants was released theatrically in 2,817 conventional theaters. Baby elephants are dragged by their ears and hit with. With lines of startling beauty, haunting and evocative scenes and finelydrawn characters who dance off the page, readers can dip in and out of the novel, immersing themselves in jacobs memories. She wrote the book as part of national novel writing month. May 10, 2011 robert pattinson stars alongside tai the elephant in water for elephants and an animal rights group claim he has been abused the film of the abuse is believed to have been taken in 2005 at the. Beautifully written, water for elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. What are the main conflicts in sara gruens novel water for elephants. Water for elephants by sara gruen at the best online ebook storage.
The use of the bullhook physically harms elephants. In one plot, jacob is a young guy just starting out in the world. Find books like water for elephants from the worlds largest community of readers. Water for elephants has two plots going on, both starring the same main character, jacob. The denver post so compelling, so detailed and vivid, that i couldnt bear to be torn away from it for a single minute. Gruen transports us into the world of a thirdrate traveling circus during the great depression. Jacob janowskis luck had run outorphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on a rickety train that was home to the benzini brothers most spectacular show on earth. Iron manimal, underground, scars, the escapists daughter. Read online water for elephants by sara gruen for free. The baby has a bullhook used against the roof of its mouth just to teach it to stand up.
Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The title, water for elephants, is almost a little inside joke with the reader once weve finished the book, that is. I read water for elephants for our book club, and i expected it to be as slow, dull, and superficial as most of the other books we have read. Its a story set in the 1930s in america, during the great depression. The bullhook is a tool used to punish and control elephants. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. And when rosie, tortured by augusts bullhook, lies beaten and. May 26, 2006 water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. The elephant goad, bullhook, or ankus from sanskrit a. Robert pattinson stars alongside tai the elephant in water for elephants and an animal rights group claim he has been abused the film of the abuse is believed to have been taken in 2005 at the. My affection for water for elephants fox studios is essentially indefensible. It consists of a hook usually bronze or steel which is attached to a 6090 cm 2. Water for elephants was released in theaters on april 22, 2011.
Aug 25, 2010 handlers use the steelpointed bullhook, a weapon similar to a fireplace poker, to prod, hook and strike elephants and force compliance with commands. When jacob overhears a man at the assistedliving center confess to having been a water boy for the elephants in a circus, jacob knows the man is lying. Download and read online for free water for elephants by sara gruen. Read water for elephants absolutely for free at readanybook. The elephants are taught to perform stunts such as painting pictures, kicking footballs and throwing darts. But be warned, this isnt the order of events in the book. Water for elephants star electrocuted and beaten with hooks. Sara gruens arresting new novel, water for elephants, explores similar subject matter the pathetic grandeur of the depressionera circus. Apr 22, 2011 weve probably all seen a movie and wished it were 40 minutes shorter or read a book and thought, damn, this really could have been condensed and lost nothing. Jul 23, 2018 water for elephants by sara gruen is a must read a story about a 90yearold man remembering his days with a circus during the great depression. Weve probably all seen a movie and wished it were 40 minutes shorter or read a book and thought, damn, this really could have been condensed and lost. The one simple reason why performing elephants are never happy elephants.
The prologue features a younger version of jacob, who works at a circus and. The story is told as a series of memories by jacob jankowski, a 93yearold man who lives in a nursing home. Mar 11, 2011 sara gruens book, water for elephants, was a runaway best seller an internationally acclaimed novel told as the reminiscences of an old man, jacob, about his experiences with a depressionera circus where he witnessed the brutalities inflicted on people and animals alike. Water for elephants is the touching story of jacob jankowski, a ninetythreeyearold man, who is reminded of his colorful past when a circus sets up next door to his assistedliving center. Goodreads members who liked water for elephants also liked. Water for elephants is a rich surprise, a delightful gem springing from a fascinating footnote to history that absolutely deserved to be mined.
The one simple reason why performing elephants are never. The man agrees, saying that jacob will go down in the records book as the oldest. The narrator, our protagonist, is jacob jankowski, a ninety or ninety three year old man who wants, more than anything else, to sink his teeth in apples and to be able to walk independently. Jun 19, 2010 bullhook or ankus the bull hook was used by elephant trainers to get the elephants attention and guide the animals to their tasks. Handlers use the steelpointed bullhook, a weapon similar to a fireplace poker, to prod, hook and strike elephants and force compliance with commands. Unfortunately the animal fails to respond to any verbal instruction. Trust us, water for elephants is going to be one of the surprise hits of 2011.
Water for elephants star electrocuted and beaten with. Sara gruens very readable novel is a story of impossible love set in the circus world during the 1930s and is set to be made into a blockbuster film starring robert pattinson and reese witherspoon. Official page for sara gruen and her books, including the international bestseller water for elephants 2006. Water for elephants is a book that can be read and reread, recommended and handed off between friends. Moments later, a bloody wound the size of a quarter can be seen behind tonkas left earflap. Water for elephants is one of my most favorite books. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading water for elephants. Tessa fontaines astonishing memoir of pushing past fear, the electric woman, follows the author on a lifeaffirming journey of loss and selfdiscovery through her time on the road with the last traveling american sideshow and her relationship with an adventurous, spirited mother. It was the great depression and for jacob the circus was both his salvation and a living hell. August is brutal with rosie, beating her with a bullhook when she fails to follow orders. A thousand splendid suns, memory keepers daughter, etc. Mar 01, 2011 water for elephants is an enchanting pageturner, the kind of book that creates a world that engulfs you from the first page to the last.