Book to movie: Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Published by Algonquin Books in 2006

"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. 

 

I'd read this book last year and did not like it at all. I usually like anything about this period, especially circus life, but this one just didn't feel right.  You could definitely tell the author has done a great amount of research about the circus and the time period, but she wasn't able to turn it into a great story. I'd thought it had potential, but didn't live up to it.

Today I've found out that it's being made into a movie with very well-known names such as Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz and Robert Pattinson. From what I've seen and read on this page, it looks like this is gonna be one of those times when the movie is better than the book. Here's the IMDB page for the movie for those of you who are interested. It will be released next year, so we have quite a bit to wait.

Anyone read the book? Excited for the movie?

Movie night.

But what's the point of breathing if somebody already tells you the difference between an apple and a bicycle? If I bite a bicycle and ride an apple, then I'll know the difference.

Men Who Hate Women

I've started watching this last night, but I couldn't finish it. I really, really liked the book The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, so I want to like the movie, too, but eh... The places, including the towns and the houses, are just like what I've pictured. But the characters I liked a lot in the book are so not working for me in the movie: Mikael Blomkvist has no charm, Lisbeth Salander doesn't look way younger than she is, and Erika Berger isn't fierce at all.

I'm going to finish watching it just so I can say I've given it a shot. For those of you interested, here's the IMDB link to the movie.

P.S. I find that my brain is automatically filling the blanks while watching the movie, which makes me wonder what the people who haven't read the book will think about it.