Author: Sara Gruen
Style: Warm and poetic
Within a few pages, I could tell that I was going to be drawn into this story. The narration flowed smoothly without any rambling monologues - good start. The story alternates between the protagonist's (Jacob) current existence and observations of day to day difficulties in his old age home and his memories of his early life. At first, I was annoyed by the idea of intermittent accounts of Jacob coming to grips with his aging physical appearance, memory loss and apparent depression...but it turned out to be quite heartwarming. The style of the 'flashbacks' was written in the present tense, which made it more enjoyable. It was similar in that Jacob's experiences were described with just as much innocence and candor as they were in the 'present'. I should also note that the descriptions of the circus animals and how they interacted with the performers and workers were sweet and colourful. I actually slowed my pace to enjoy the content of each chapter - whether it was in the present, or in the flashbacks.
Content: Some difficult subject matter, but mostly a love story
Once again, I was totally immersed in this novel. I didn't have any previous knowledge about the subject matter - only what I had seen in the trailer for the film. The novel begins on quite a somber note, but quickly unravels into an interesting tale that you can google elsewhere. I suppose the majority of the novel takes you through Jacob's account of his new life with a traveling circus and the relationships he develops along the way. About halfway through, there are some allusions to mistreatment of the circus animals which
caught me off guard, but weren't heavy enough to ruin the book for me.
Desire to finish: 100%
I took my time with this one... but I'm pretty excited to see how the adaptation turned out. I don't expect it to be as great as the novel, but am willing to give it a try.
Once again, I was totally immersed in this novel. I didn't have any previous knowledge about the subject matter - only what I had seen in the trailer for the film. The novel begins on quite a somber note, but quickly unravels into an interesting tale that you can google elsewhere. I suppose the majority of the novel takes you through Jacob's account of his new life with a traveling circus and the relationships he develops along the way. About halfway through, there are some allusions to mistreatment of the circus animals which
caught me off guard, but weren't heavy enough to ruin the book for me.
Desire to finish: 100%
I took my time with this one... but I'm pretty excited to see how the adaptation turned out. I don't expect it to be as great as the novel, but am willing to give it a try.
Other comments: This book was recommended to me, and I probably wouldn't have given it a chance otherwise. It's worth checking out.
Overall recommendation: Read it.
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