I've always wondered what it would be like to write a book from a woman's perspective. I honestly don't think I could do it without being extraordinarily self-conscious. Sara Gruen does a fine job of opposite-sex storytelling, but it's interesting to note what Sara puts into Jacob's head to make him a man. Most of Jacob's thoughts that are stereotypically masculine are his sexual thoughts. Even as an old man he longs for one last roll in the hay.... He notices the bosoms of his nurse and talks about getting a boner in the shower with a nurse there watching. Outside of this, I think Jacob is oddly feminine. He is very non-confrontational, especially when August lets him get bitten by the toothless lion, he storms away (which is how my mom and various ex-girlfriends would always handle confrontation). Also his initial relationship with Kinko is weirdly feminine, how he goes through his books to try and figure his roomie out. Just seemed like something a freshman girl would do when her roommate was out of the room... Maybe I'm confusing his youthful innocence with femininity, but what did ya'll think?
Oh yeah, and I picture August as being Billy Zane from Titanic.
Yay book club!
3 comments:
When I was about 75 pages in, I glanced at the About the Author blurb on the back flap. It said something about her not eating meat and/or living on an organic farm somewhere. I certainly don't mean to hate on her for purportedly respecting the earth, but that image of her, combined with the delicate picture of her leaning slightly to the side, cast a different light on my reading of the rest of the book.
That came out kind of hatefully. But you know what I mean? Once I had that idea in my head, it seeped into everything Jacob said or did, like when he was having a baby and Marlena was all, it's not mine, but I'll love it anyway! I mean, no. Wait.
I think that he comes across a little bit like Mulan, successfully passing for a male, but inevitably displaying many feminine characteristics, except only for us, and not the other characters, to point out.
And I agree, Billy Zane would be excellent...I was thinking a mix between him and perhaps a younger Jim Broadbent, with a waxed moustache, of course -- http://scryscript.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/jim-broadbent.jpg
Yeah... I could definitely see Jim Broadbent beating the hell out of an elephant.
SPOILER ALERT-- I'm just saying.
Decorum, decorum. Water for Elephants was my favorite book.
Just kidding. But, I did enjoy it.
Yes, the vegetarian, pastoralist author is omnipresent in the rolling pastures of the circus grounds and Jacob's ladylike figure. But, perhaps none of this matters. Gruen's plot is not exceptional. Yes, the story takes some interesting turns, but in the end it is just a very long fable. The moral: kids, follow your dreams, even when you're old. Maybe you'll meet a hot chick along the way.
Let's take a look at Gruen's strengths. Let's look at what made this book a NY TImes Bestseller.
I think it was her characters. And, after reading your criticism about Jacob, I agree that he does not belong on a list of Gruen's best personages.
I loved some of the others:
In August, we find a manic enthusiasm that is charismatic and repulsive; Jacob appears to be his protege at the outset, but by the end of the story it is a relief to see his torso demolished by Rosie's trunk. How does Gruen accomplish the complexities of August's character?? By throwing in a straight-edged character like Jacob for August to tussle with.
Camel was great. And so was Kinko. Even if Jacob exhibits his youthful innocence (blegh) in exploring Kinko's kinky rags, Gruen uses her protagonist's naivete to probe the private life of a rather closeted character-- exposing things that would never otherwise be known.
So, while I see what both of you mean about Jacob's youthful innocence (which you two attribute with femininity), I'm not sure she ever intended her protagonist to be the strongest of her novel. Maybe he was just a way for all of us to meet the rest of the circus folk.
So, for that reason, I pick Scott Wolf of Party of Five fame http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2004/04/gallery/partyoffive/swolf.jpg to be my Jacob. What a bitch.
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