Goodreads Rating: 4.06
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pages: 335
I saw all the movie previews for this book so in traditional me fashion, I wanted to read the book first. I got it from the library so it was a waiting game as to when I would get to read it. Now that I have its another book that I can't believe I waited so long to pick it up. Why must there be so many books in the world?
Goodreads Synopses:
An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of star-crossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of "Riding Lessons." "Gritty, sensual and charged with dark secrets involving love, murder and a majestic, mute heroine (Rosie the Elephant)."Q"Parade."
My review after the jump.
I think this is one of the first books I've given a five star rating since I started my blog. Quite honestly, the goodreads synopses does the book no justice because what this book is-is no less than amazing. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but mine happens to be that this is one of my all time favorite books. My compairison to the movie almost ruined the book for me, but I'm glad that I was able to get past it.
The beginning of the book is very misleading, and it really made me dislike Marlena, the leading lady of this books. It is Marlena who begins an affair with Jacob, our hero, only they don't sleep together until its already been assumed by other people that they were indeed together. I did not like her one bit until the end.
One of the most charming aspects of this book is how it flips between young Jacob as he works on the circus with the animals and then back again to him, 90 or 93 (he's not quite sure). I thought that the switch between the two worlds is great because on one side you see this young man who has his whole life ahead of him and then you see where he is today.
I loved when he talked about the animals and how he took care of them. Once he mentioned that he was a vet student, you can tell that he is going to work in the capacity of vet to the animals. I hated how the animals were mistreated by August, especially Rosie, who was the lovable elephant. Although Rosie seems stupid, she proves to be a lot smarter than anyone thought.
Most of the characters have redeeming qualities that, although they are rough around the edges, you can't help but feel for them. Walter and Camel, Jacob's two bunkmates are no exception to that characterization. Walter- a midget clown and his dog Queenie, are very mean at the start until a prank makes Water soften up on the new guy. Camel was the one that helped to get Jacob a job on the circus to begin with.
What made the book for me was also the ending, and although you can interpret it two ways, I chose to see it as an old man who isn't ready to settle down into a nursing home and so instead he moves forward with his life on board with another circus.
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