Book Club Discussion Questions
For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, and our BookBrowse Review of Water for Elephants.
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
About the Book
Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob
Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man,
tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most
Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns,
with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow,
irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of
the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell.
Jacob was there because his luck had run out --- orphaned and penniless, he had
no direction until he landed on this locomotive "ship of fools." It was the
early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was
lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there
because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide
mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray
hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only
problem was, Rosie didn't have an act --- in fact, she couldn't even follow
instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and
trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.
Surprising, poignant, and funny,
Water for Elephants is that rare novel with a
story so engrossing, one is reluctant to put it down; with characters so
engaging, they continue to live long after the last page has been turned; with a
world built of wonder, a world so real, one starts to breathe its air.
- To what extent do the chapters concerning the elderly Jacob enhance the
chapters recounting the young Jacob's experiences with the Benzini Brothers
circus? In what ways do the chapters about the young Jacob contribute to a
deeper understanding of the elderly Jacob's life?
- How does the novel's epigraph, the quote from Dr. Seuss's Horton Hatches the
Egg, apply to the novel? What are the roles and importance of faithfulness and
loyalty in Water for Elephants? In what ways does Gruen contrast the antagonisms
and cruelties of circus life with the equally impressive loyalties and instances
of caring?
- Who did you, upon reading the prologue, think murdered August? What effect
did that opening scene of chaos and murder have on your reception of the story
that follows?
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- How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
- What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
- Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Algonquin Books.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.
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