I finished Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen on my ride home tonight. I had only added this book reluctantly to my "books to read" list but I'm glad I did.
For those of you who have not heard of this book, it's the story of a young man who runs away from his final exams at Cornell veterinary school and joins a circus. It's got everything; love, drama, elephants, monkeys, and the conflict between good and evil. It gets a 9 on my 1 to 10 scale. It flips alternatively between the protagonist who is now in his nineties; frail, and in a nursing home and the younger man; inexperienced and facing the loss of his parents and the harsh realities of the Great Depression.
This is in contrast to my last book read, The Cat Who Walks Through Walls by Robert Heinlein. This one only got a 6 and that was generous. There was something so mean and macho about his male characters that I kept looking back to the date of publication. The copyright was 1986 but it was hard to believe an author could have such a negative attitude toward women in the last quarter of the 20th century. The plot line, something about time travelers trying to positively redirect history, was confusing and meandering.
Next up will be Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policeman's Union.
A Photo a Day captured by Charles Rubin of Westfield New Jersey. By day he is employed at a major metropolitan newspaper. In his spare time he likes to read, bake bread, ride his bicycle, and spend time with his family. Please feel free to contact him at shaiwest@yahoo.com
1 comment:
I listened to the audio book version of Water for Elephants. There were two male voices to listen to, clearly one older and one younger (David LeDoux and John Randolph Jones). It was a truly wonderful, beautifully written book. Choice of narrator for audio books is crucial--so far my favorite is George Guidall (I think I first heard him reading "The Corrections"--a book that you, I believe, recommended).
Debbie
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