Water for Elephants

Hi all,
We just finished reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (and Elizabeth's finishing it as we speak). From the grapevine, I heard that Katy loved it and I assume that Heidi loved it as well especially since she tends to like books with more drama, heart, and personal reflection. And, Heidi encouraged Nick to finish it with us. Nick can be an honorary member.
There are three aspects of this book that intrigue me. One is that it takes place during the great depression. Being a history teacher, I always enjoy a good fictional book that takes me back in time or to a different place. The other intriguing aspect is that this is a book about the circus. I really love books that teach me something new about life, and having grown up in an immigrant Korean family, I really do not have any connection to the circus in any way. The author clearly had to do immense amounts of research in order to write this book because many of the ideas in the book were based off of documented situations that happened in the Ringling Bros. Circus. The third intriguing element, and perhaps the least intriguing of the three, is that the author is from the Chicago area. I enjoy supporting local authors or reading books about Chicago (The Time Traveler's Wife).

However, reading this book right after Michael Chabon's Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Clay makes me realize the superiority of Chabon's writing, which is probably why he won a Pulitzer Prize for his book. Although I enjoyed Water for Elephants and found it entertaining, the writing does not compare to Chabon's or Eugenides or J. Saffron Foer. I would not list Water for Elephants as one of my favorites. However, I would describe this as a good book. It is a good book because it is simple and easy to read. It is a good book because it is about a unique subject. It is a good book because it is fun and entertaining.

One thing that I have to point out is that Stephen King gave a positive comment about Water for Elephants- his comment is on the back cover. We had a little Memorial Day gathering last night which led to the viewing of King's book-turned-into-movie called The Mist. I have to explain that I hate watching scary movies. They make me tense, make my heart race, and those scary moments follow me into my dreams. Although there were some suspenseful scenes, the movie was not too incredibly frightening. But, without giving the entire movie away, I must say that I left feeling disturbed once the movie ended and now believe that King is totally demented.