elcalotipo

I LOVE this book! It has a strong but flawed hero, an unpredictable villain, and a plot that's strong enough to move the action at a pace that keeps you reading. I read it in one day because I just couldn't put it down. That's a pretty strong recommendation, expecially because I LOATHE circuses. This book isn't necessarily about the circus, though - it's about the lives of the people backstage during the Depression, which concentrates their lives in a way that they might not be, otherwise. The characters are riveting, the action strong and real, and the climax (while expected)is powerful. The real payoff, however, is in the denouement, in which the narrator's problems are solved in a way that feels not only satisfying, but a gift from the author to both the character and the reader. One of the most satisfying things about the book is its treatment of the narrator, who is in his early nineties. Gruen is both gentle and uncompromising with him. He's the old person we all want to be, but his observations of aging, being old, and the lives of the old people around him are scathing. He doesn't bother explaining; he says what he sees and lets other people's feelings be damned. That trait is both startling and comforting, as it takes a lot of the fear out of the idea of aging. A warning to the reader, though: this is not an easy read. The plot provides easy-to-understand sex, drugs, and rock n' roll (in the form of sex, alcohol, and circus music), but it's couched in prose that approaches poetry. If you can't stand synesthesia and powerful metaphor, choose another book. Water for Elephants isn't just fiction, it's literary fiction, and Gruen doesn't pull any punches in regard to word usage and arrangement.

2022-10-25 20:21