SPOILER ALERT!!! If you are not reading or planning to read Water for Elephantsbook 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!
Chapters 1-3, where the waterworks begin!
We pick right back up outside of all Barbara’s tent, but this time she is “entertaining” for $2 a person. Ew! Poor Camel,
drinking his jake, finally tries to figure out Jacob’s story. When Jacob says he has nothing to go back home to, Camel leaves it at that. Pretty sure he just gets that whatever it is, it must be bad. So he begins the work of getting Jacob on the show.
We finally meet Uncle Al, the leader of the show. It’s clear Camel is not in a high enough position to garner much attention from Uncle Al, so his first attempt is fruitless. So Camel goes and sees Earl. I picture Earl as a scary looking man, but clearly has a good heart. When he grabs up Camel and gets him up on the train, you know right away he is one of the good guys.
After an uncomfortable night on the train that shows us there is no love for the Polish (which Jacob is), Earl gets him up and takes him to Uncle Al. Literally throwing him in to see him, but it apparently is all part of the plan, which Jacob is not aware of. I have to say, Jacob is quick on his feet the entire conversation, except for the fact that even he can’t work around the fact that Uncle Al is off his nut.
Then we really meet August. August who comes to the rescue and reveals that Jacob went to vet school, earning Jacob a shot at a job on the show. Seemingly a nice guy, right?
Then we are introduced to Kinko. This is like the chapter for introducing characters, right? Clearly he is not excited about having Jacob in his space, but mainly cause he is a performer and snooty, which you just had to know they would be.
And now we are back to old man Jacob, who is being woken up by the nurse Rosemary. I do hope if I have to ever be in a home like that, I have a Rosemary with me. He’s watching the circus that’s across the way, and it seems like even though he is trying not to show his excitement, you can tell he is. And how jealous he is of the other people that get to go first. So jealous that it makes him grouchy. And the non-Rosemary nurse isn’t helping matters either.
Then comes the incident in the dining room, and Jacob gets so upset at the lack of real food that he throws his tray. So they decide he is depressed and give him new meds, and I just feel wretched about it cause I can’t really blame him for the outburst. It’s so sad, and continues my theory that I really never want to put anyone in my family in a nursing home.
Back to younger Jacob, and after a horrible night of sleep, it’s time to meet Marlena and take care of her horse. And let it be known, I can actually picture Reese in this role, even though so many are having trouble with it. I get it. I think she’ll be fine.
After a look at Silver Star, Jacob knows it’s bad. Really bad. But then crazy Uncle Al basically says Jacob has a job, as long as he can fix the horse.
We also learn exactly what Uncle Al is all about. A vulture of a ringmaster who chases down busted shows and buys up what he can, hires performers who have no where to go. That’s how he’s pretty much built his show. So as soon as word of a show collapsing happens, Uncle Al packs up everything and goes.
August continues taking care of Jacob, getting him water and a change of clothes. And personally, I cannot wait to see Kinko yelling at Jacob about touching his stuff. Hearing someone of a small stature call Rob a pisshead is just going to make my day!
We kinda get a brief glimpse of the first moment of crazy from August. Jacob and him go to feed the cats meat (which is already horribly bad) and August sets him up to get bit by a lion. Luckily the lion had no teeth, but August finds it hilarious. Almost sickeningly so. And that’s when the warnings come from others too that Jacob needs to be very careful around August.
There is also the first moment of something between Jacob and Marlena. When she looks at his arm where the lion bit him, and you can already see there is something starting there. Like they get each other.
So what did you all think? Anything you can’t wait to see on film?
April 19th, 2010 at 7:10 am
Confession: I barely brush the five-foot mark. In three-inch heels. So as “someone of a small stature,” I’m going to get a kick out of that interaction between Kinko and Jacob, too.
At this point, I feel for Older Jacob. He’s still sharp as a tack, but his body just isn’t working the way it used to. Yes, he’s depressed. But I wish there was a way to treat the cause and not the symptoms (with medication).
I think you’re right about the moment between Marlena and Jacob. But it struck me as an oh-crap-now-he-knows-just-how-crazy-my-hubby-is scenario. He has some insight into her secrets after the lion-biting and taking care of Silver Star. (P.S. Reese will be fab in this role. No doubt.)
Also: Uncle Al and August already creep me out. For realz.
April 19th, 2010 at 8:46 am
4-6 was good….met interesting characters. Had to make mental note for my sons not to put me in a nursing home…ever….shoot me and put me out of my misery first. Uncle Al is definitely a devious one but August will have to be watched more closely. Cant wait to see what happens between Marlena and Jacob. And gotta watch that Kinko and his dog too.
May 24th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
I will say this for MOST nursing homes, they suck. But my grandmother was getting to the point where we could not take care of her anymore by ourselves and we all decided that she needed a place that she could thrive & not whither. We VERY carefully chose a home and everyday I took my lunch break with her. That hour a day wasn’t much, but I enjoyed hearing all the gossip in the home for the day.
Looking back now that she’s gone I wonder how the home really treated her. “Seeing” what the elder Jacob went through breaks my heart, and I hope everyone in a home has a person like Rosemary to alleviate some of the hardships, but I doubt that’s the case. People like her are rare, in print or life.
April 19th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Can’t wait to see him with Marlena/Reese* and can’t wait to see him working with the animals : )
April 19th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
I don’t know why, but when I read about Kinko, I get this picture of a certain Eclipse director in my head. I can see him being really angry about his water being used or his porn being trifled with. August is clearly has that wacko side about him and when I realized what would happen to Silver Star’s remains, I was shocked. But honestly the conditions being described are so different from anything I have ever experienced, it’s a real trip reading this book and getting a view into this completely different world.
April 19th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
this section was really good because of the introduction of August, Al, Marlena, and Kinko….but I was emotionally struck by the scenes with Older Jacob. i cried when they medicated him…
April 26th, 2010 at 12:16 am
[...] Chapters 4-6, lots of new characters! [...]
April 26th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
4-6 was quite a lot to digest… all the new characters, the nice nurse in the assisted living facility, Kinko’s eight pager, Jacob getting chomped on by a lion!
April 27th, 2010 at 11:36 am
I just finished H2O for Elephants. What a great book and I am soo looking forward to RPatz playing Jacob. I could see him playing the part all through the book!
May 3rd, 2010 at 12:17 am
[...] Chapters 4-6, lots of new characters! [...]
May 10th, 2010 at 12:15 am
[...] Chapters 4-6, lots of new characters! [...]
May 17th, 2010 at 12:16 am
[...] Chapters 4-6, lots of new characters! [...]
May 24th, 2010 at 12:16 am
[...] Chapters 4-6, lots of new characters! [...]
May 31st, 2010 at 12:18 am
[...] Chapters 4-6, lots of new characters! [...]