I cheated. I am traveling to Alaska as this blog is posting. I was worried I wouldn't remember to blog today, and I was looking at my kindle books and realized this would be a good topic. So...
Water for Elephants was the first book I read on my iPad. I loved it. It was a page turner. I started it on an airplane flight to Washington DC. Such a fabulous invention - set the iPad on the tray table, and every so often lift up a finger to "flip" the page. Hands free reading! Who would have thought?
Anyway, this was supposed to be about a book, not my love affair with iPad.
I haven't seen the movie. I am not sure if the elephant would be as lovely in the movie as I imagined her from the book. I pictured her smiling and laughing. And of course enduring things that would make no one smile. I do love animals, but I especially loved the knowledge, humor, and intelligence ascribed to Rosie. I remember learning that elephants actually mourn each other - they are quite social beings.
I also enjoyed the perspective of the 90 or 93 year old man telling the story. I can't remember many books being told from that perspective. Te author imagines what the elderly gentleman is thinking as things happen around him and to him in an assisted living home. The grasp on reality slowly slipping away. The humanity. It was really quite beautiful.
I also enjoyed the story, which is quite impressive given that I do not generally read fiction. It was an interesting look at an era of a true depression, so much worse than the recession of today. A story about being trapped. Or feeling trapped at least. A story of devastating loss, risk and reward. A story of an elephant that smiles at you with love in her amber eyes.
I recommend it. (As well as the e-reading experience!)
1 comment:
that was a great book. not sure if I can see the film for same reasons you posted.
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