SPOILER ALERT!!! If you are not reading or planning to read Water for Elephants book or script, then do not read this post or the comments. We are reading Water for Elephants together and I want everyone to feel free to discuss openly. You should join us if you haven’t already! Go and catch up!!
Oh, was that prologue intriguing or what?!? Anytime someone gets a stake in the head in the first 4 pages, I mean, you
know you are in for something good. The first time I read that, I seriously gasped out loud. Then I thought, yep, this book is going to be good!
Then we go into the first chapter with the older Jacob, and a look into the world of assisted living. Ick! I feel bad that any of my relatives have had to go through this, and I swear the descriptions may make me seriously reconsider placing any other family members in such care. I swear, with the descriptions, I too could smell the Depends. I kind of can’t wait to see who they’ll cast as the older Jacob. I always picture James Garner. He’s like my go to vision of an older man. Plus, he just seems like he could carry that bad ass attitude that older Jacob kind of has. I can totally see him arguing with another old man about the water.
Okay, chapter 2, before we even get into the part where I start crying like a baby, can we talk about all the ways Twilight relates back. First, yes, Rob will be playing Jacob. And although these characters go away pretty quick, Edward the room mate and Catherine Hale, the girl he’s interested in. C’mon. It’s too much! You have to smile a little bit at that, especially before the hammer drops.
The accident. Oh my gosh. And just thinking about what Jacob has to look at in order to identify his parents? Well, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I just started bawling. And then the new sign out in front of the house, signifying the life that would have been had that accident not happened? Gah, water works to the max.
Anyone who’s experienced a death in the family can really sympathize with all the people who come around, who try to make you feel better, but really don’t know anything. The numbness Jacob felt struck me hard because I’ve felt that numbness a couple times in my life. The author really nailed those feelings to a tee.
Then, after burying his parents, the 2nd proverbial ax falls… Jacob’s dad, the good man who was trying to help people who couldn’t afford it, had lost it all. The bank took everything, and now Jacob truly has nothing. Nothing. This is important, cause only a man who has nothing could do what he did. Leave his final exams for vet school and jumps on a random train.
This is where Jacob meets Camel, Grady, Bill and Blackie, circus workers for the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Camel gets Jacob his first gig on the show, shoveling shit. But all this time, we get to start seeing an image of what putting a circus together is all about. There is so much going on, you almost have to read sections twice just to get a clear image of what is going on. The lingo. The “rules.” It’s intriguing. It’s like seeing a piece of society you’ve never real seen before.
Especially the men only show. Wow, was I not expecting that. Not even a little bit. And poor Jacob, this is his first time seeing a women naked and this is what he sees. I’d think for the first really naked women, Barbara may be a little much. The description is intense, and I’m not sure it will translate perfectly from book to script to screen cause it’s borderline pornographic. I think I blushed a little bit while reading it. Can’t wait to see Rob blush on the big screen, that’s for sure! All I know is, this is not the circus I remember going to when I was a kid. The circus’s of the 1920s were redonkulous!
What do you think so far? Did you cry like a baby? Blush thinking of Barbara?
April 12th, 2010 at 8:15 am
So glad I wasn’t the only one who caught all the Twi-references.
I can’t even begin to imagine what Jacob is going through having lost literally everything. My heart breaks for him. Also: I adore older Jacob. And James Garner would be awesome!
I think this line: “It’s like seeing a piece of society you’ve never real seen before” sums it up perfectly. Looking forward to more Robcob next week!
April 12th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Older Jacob is pretty much exactly how I want to be when I’m older. Maybe a little slower, but still have my wits about me!
April 12th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
I picture old Jacob soooo spunky…can’t wait to see who they get.
May 19th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Me too! My friends thought I was just being a Twi-hard, (again!) but seeing this post allowed me a sigh of relief. Yes, I am a Twi-hard, but at least I’m not Twi-crazy, (lol, ok maybe I am a little).
“Age is a terrible thief. Just when you’re getting the hang of life it knocks your legs out from under you and stoops your back…” This is my favorite line so far. It speaks so much to what we all feel as we transcend through each phase of our lives.
April 12th, 2010 at 9:00 am
The twi coincedences are so funny! Jacob kills me tho…I’m coming to terms
the scenes with Jacob post-parent death were heartbreaking. I can’t even imagine what that feels like. I felt his loneliness and lost attitude. It made the intro to the circus life feel like a grand curtain was being pulled back to reveal amazingness!
I reread a couple of times as well to fully dive into the circus life. I had to let the jargon sink in. I love how descriptive the author was because I felt like I was Jacob seeing everything for the first time. Even the cookhouse got me hungry!
Jacobs intro to barbra was hot! I felt like I could envision this young man
standing guard but completely taken by her uh…show
I gotta work…bbl to talk more
April 12th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Having lost one parent, and at a far younger age then Jacob, I completely get it. Sometimes I still feel a bit lost about it.
And yes, the author’s descriptions are just amazing. She really makes you feel not just like you are there, but that you are living it.
April 12th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
I love that…u really need that too when you’re talking about something as vibrant as a circus.
April 12th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
This book is a veer off my usual course of reading for me, but I’m really enjoying it! I feel so sorry for Jacob. I am also SOOO glad I didn’t grow up in the great depression.
April 12th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
The prologue made me gasp out too! I am wondering who it was that actually did the staking.
I envision James Brolin as an older Jacob. He looks so much like Rob to me. But it will be hard for however plays the older Jacob since he has to play 90.
I am SO glad I was not the only one who saw the Twi relation. I play 6 degrees of Twilight A LOT, but chapter 2 made it WAY too easy!
Chapter 3 was my favorite. The descriptions were amazing and it helped create a perfect vision of the circus in my mind.
April 12th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
Old Jacob is a likable character as soon as he presents himself. Great sense of humor and a fighter to boot. My heart was breaking for young Jacob as the shocking realty of his life comes crashing down on him like a ton of bricks. Leaving him no choice but to flee his pain. This story just draws you in immediately.
April 12th, 2010 at 6:05 pm
i felt that way too…each chapter just draws you in further…you’re quite attached to Jacob immediately.
April 12th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
As Jacob hops on the train you are transported to another world leaving the pain and loss behind. Thankful he has good ol’ Camel looking out for him. Barbra and her swinging ta ta’s definitely had to be an interesting learning experience for Jacob. Lol
April 12th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
I totally agree with everyone’s comments so far! I found myself drawn and liking Jacob (weirds me out using ‘liking’ and ‘Jacob’ in the same sentence LOL) from the start! I like older Jacob because hes funny and interesting, he was making LOL, lit’rally! With younger Jacob losing his parents and the way it all came about was heartbreaking! So sad! And as everyone has mentioned, the way WFE was written, you feel like you’re at the circus WITH Jacob! Everything is so vivid! I really cant wait to see where this goes….
April 12th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
I agree with the comments so far. I missed some of the Twilight references. Goodness, was I sleeping!
I so appreciate the detailed descriptions.
It grabs you at the beginning with the stake.
The loss of the parent is so hard and to lose both at once. I could feel his pain and shock. In one moment he loses everything.
When I think of circus, I always think of the Cecil B. DeMille movie, ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’. This is the underside or at least different side of circus life.
April 12th, 2010 at 10:12 pm
Dove right in and then came the tears.
Heartbreaking the way he lost his parents and the way it overwelms him. Don’t have my book out so I won’t say anymore. I’ll be ready next Chps.
Thank you for doing this Amber*
April 12th, 2010 at 10:25 pm
Well, I flew through my reading assignment because I was loving what I reading so much. I had a hard time putting it down, but I wanted to stay with the timeline for the book discussion.
Clearly, we were all having what I like to call Twiobservations. It’s too weird that Rob’s character’s name is Jacob. Noticed the Cornell roommate’s name was Edward and that the girl’s last name was Hale.
When he jumps on the train and it says, “…my jawbone bangs rhythmically on the iron edging,” I couldn’t help but think of jawporn
When Camel is laughing because Jacob doesn’t know he’s jumped on the circus train he says, “Ah, that’s precious. Precious indeed.” The Precious is precious, Camel. LOL!
When they describe Cecil’s “spat-clad feet,” my mind went immediately to Rob’s photoshoot in Details.
Okay. Back to the story. I love the author’s tone. She clearly has a sense of humor. There were many lines that had me laughing out loud. I love that old Jacob is still spunky as hell and giving that old coot crap for saying he carried water for elephants, even causing him to fall out of his wheelchair. Shouldn’t have been funny, but it was.
As soon as I read the part about Barbara, I wondered who they were going to cast for that part and how much of it they would leave in the movie. Too funny!
Bottom line . . . loving the book. Can’t wait to read more.
Lisa
April 12th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
Oh, forgot to say that the part where Jacob falls to his knees on the porch with his face in his hands gutted me. I hope it’s in the movie and that Rob pulls the emotional intensity off.
May 19th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
You can’t forget it’s not just a Hale Twiobstervation, but Catherine, too (Hardwicke). Lol, sorry I was keeping notes when I could steal a few minutes away from work!
April 13th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
I know I’m a latecomer, but I just picked up my copy of the book late yesterday…..just finished the 1st 3 chapters and I’m loving it already. I got the Twi references too…..quite funny. It was sad to read he lost both his parents and his family home and business all in one shot. I like how the author goes into detail with the circus workers as they’re putting everything together. Like mitts40 said, it reminds me so much of “The Greatest Show On Earth”. It can only get better. Its too bad his first time seeing a naked woman had to be in that strip show but that hopefully will get better for him later on. Cant wait for the next reading…at least I will be on time for it.
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