Water For Elephants

Okay, time for another book review. Once again I will try not to give anything away.

This morning I finished Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants. This book was very different from anything I had read before, mainly because it is majestically set in a circus. I actually hesitated about reading this book initially because I thought, 'Am I really that interested in the circus?' Soon after I started reading it I realized that 'yes I am.' So kudos to Gruen for going outside the box and creating a world that keeps the reader dazzled. Water for Elephants also kept me interested. It was fast-paced and you not only become close with the human characters, but you also grow fond of the animal characters as well - the animals were very humanized.

That being said, I had a couple complaints too. First, the story is told by a 90 year old man reminiscing about his life. Throughout the book the reader goes back and forth between past and present. The issue I had was that the 90 year old main character's personality didn't seem to line-up with the younger "Joseph." I understand that aging can cause bitterness, but I almost disliked the older "Joseph" deeming the whole reminiscing technique unnecessary, in my mind.

My second critique should be taken with a grain of salt;I am probably 1 in 100 that would ever pay close attention to this. BUT, I always take note when an author's main character is that of the opposite sex. Gruen wrote her story from the point of view of a man, Joseph. Unfortunately, I just wasn't buying it. His emotions, thoughts, and actions just weren't masculine enough for me (note - a great example of an author writing convincingly in the opposite sex is Wally Lamb's She's Come Undone).

There you have it. I enjoyed this book very much, but it was not 100% praise-worthy. Am I being harsh?

If anyone actually read this review and has a suggestion for my next "read," please let me know. I am thinking of reading Austen's Pride and Prejudice (I can't believe I've never read it!).