Book Review: Water For Elephants

I finished Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen yesterday. Now I'm all in "finished a good book and don't have another one around" mourning lol. Yes, this is a good book. Very well written, super story, fleshed out characters, well researched...a good book all-around. I am completely surprised it is written by a woman. The main character is a man, an old man when we first meet him, and in my opinion women writers just don't do a male main character justice...especially when the story is first person, as this one is. But you will completely believe that the voice you hear is a man's. This book, for me, had a pretty sad undertone, though it ends happily (and I was pleasantly surprised that it did so.) There is plenty of sex, violence, and cursing, so if you are trying to avoid that in your reading then be forewarned. I myself don't appreciate a lot of sex and or violence (or cursing!) in books I read, but I do tolerate some to get at a good story written in a good manner...and this book meets those requirements for me. We start off meeting our main character as an old man in a nursing home. The circus is coming to town, and our speaker begins recounting his life as a circus vet. We go from present to past in a seamless and enjoyable manner and by the time we get to the end (on the day the old man is to go to the circus with his family) you'll be rushing to get more reading time in to finish and find out what happens.

Happily, I am well on my way to meeting my Spring Reading Thing challenge! I am also part of a challenge to read 50 books this year, and Water For Elephants makes #15 for me. While I enjoyed this book very much, I admit that the last few novels I've read have been somewhat, er, complicated (Middlesex, Peony In Love) and I need a little literary break. In other words, I needs me some chick lit lol! I'll let you know what I find. Until then, happy reading!