Book Club: Water For Elephants Ch 1-311
Posted by Joy // Categories: Book Club // Tags: Water For Elephants
Welcome to the first meeting of the Water For Elephants book club! We’ll be discussing chapters 1-3. Please discuss freely with your fellow readers and, most importantly, have fun! We’ve posted a few discussion questions below to get the conversation started, but feel free to ignore them and start your own discussions!
Spoiler Warning! Comments will contain book spoilers for the chapters being discussed; however, we do ask that those who have read ahead in the book not spoil future chapters for those who haven’t!
Discussion Questions
1. Reflect on the prologue - what are your impressions of the opening scene?
2. Based on the first few chapters, what differences do you see between young Jacob and old Jacob? How do you think his character will develop?
- Book Club: Water For Elephants Ch 22-25
- Book Club: Water For Elephants Ch 13-15
- Book Club: Water For Elephants Ch 4-6
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1. It's hard to answer this question having read the whole book…but I have to say the first time I read the prologue and then when I read it again at the end of the book, I was shocked that I did could not tell who was weilding the weapon! It was a great twist. Sara is really amazing that way.
I agree! I totally had one scenario stuck in my mind the whole time, and I was completely shocked by the ending.
2. I have to say when I was first reading old Jacob, I found him very crotchety and I thought I was not going to enjoy switching back and forth between his past and his present day…but by the timeit got to the part where Jacob had to go back to him room because he was arguing with the other residents, I was so upset for him. And when that nurse brought him the fruit salad from her lunch with real apples in it, I could not stop crying. I fell in love with old Jacob and just kept thinking there has to be some way things can end happily for him…but I couldn't find a way. I just found myself in tears so many times by Jacob's present circumstances. I guess the biggest similarity I see between old Jacob and Young Jacob in those first few chapters is they are both very serious. Even though young Jacob was just worried about being a virgin and old Jacob was worried about keeping his mind in a watered the down environment of the nursing home, They were both so focused on how huge that obstacle seemed to them. I hope that makes sense to everyone.
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Hi! Unfortunately I don't have a copy of the book in my hands because I took it from the library… but let's see want I can do…
The prologue surprised me. I knew something about the plot when I read it and I couldn't imagine a scene like that in the story. Or at least I couldn't believe that the character I thought was responsible of the situation could actually do that! - by the way, I found out I was wrong! That made me think that I had to expect something totally different from the book.
I love when authors get you thinking one thing for the whole book and then shock you at the end. It makes a bigger impact. ;)
Concerning the differences between young and old Jacob, I found the old one sort of surly (is it how you say? sorry, I'm Italian!), a trait that he didn't possess when he was young, as far as I could read in the first chapters. Probably it depends on the fact that he's frustrated for not having a reason to live anymore. He's full of the same energy that he had in the past days but there's nothing he can do anymore. I agree with Christine: they were both serious. Jacob has always been fair, he is respectful, and demands the same respect and honesty.
Reading the first chapters I thought I would be a little bored, especially with the old Jacob. I couldn't imagine how the story could develop. I must say that Jacob surprised me, he proved stronger than what I could expect from the first chapters.
I definitely was hoping for more young Jacob chapters, but I really came to enjoy older Jacob by the end!
The prologue was a bit confusing to me. Like some else had mentioned above, I thought one thing and another thing occurred. But the prologue was engaging from the start. It drew you into the story and kept you wanting to read. Regarding the difference between Old Jacob and Young Jacob, I had a blast reading about Old Jacob. I don't know why but Old Jacob reminded me of a patient I know. I work at a nursing home and Old Jacob's seemingly grumpy personality reminds me of that person. After I had read the first few chapters about Old Jacob, it made me appreciate this patient's grumpy exterior. I can say that this book had made me more empathetic and sympathetic towards older citizens.
I have a patient thats somewhat similar to him as well. I love working with ederly people, because like kids they just say what they're thinking. But I definitely think old Jacob is a fun character.
I thought the from the very beginning of the book it was a page turnder. I have to admit that I am a bit further then the rest of you are now, but thats only because it was so good. I think that the differences between old Jacob and young Jacob are hysterical. I told my brother about him and we just have a good laugh. I think that he's one of those out spoke individuals…not necessarily a roudy old man just tempermental. He of course doesn't want to loose his freedom which a lot of ederly people tend to feel. He just wants to get out there and enjoy his life still. He feels that he was done a great injustice by being but into the nursing home in the first place. But young Jacob is just that…young and naive. But I love seeing more and more how the characters are developing.