I admit, it has taken far too long for me to recognize that anyone can truly find their self in fiction. I’ve always considered myself abnormally strong-minded (or simply numb to surprise… however you say it,) but the humbling power of fiction has taken me aback.
Until months ago, my recreational reading consisted of trade (marketing, advertising and digital) related publications. Sure, there’s something to be said for books which make you a smarter professional and, subsequently, better at your job. However, for me, I’ve found my mind needs something a little more stimulating; therapy that’s not found on FOX, YouTube or even–one of my favorites–Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe. This realization hit me in the most pleasant of places, Kauai, HI.
My newly found love for fiction began with Yann Martel’s “Life of Pi” and has since moved onto “Water for Elephants,” a novel by Sarah Gruen. “Water for Elephants” chronicles the Life of Jacob Jankowski, a young man whose promising life is shattered by tragedy, then, decades later as a 91-year-old held captive in assisted living.
It’s the early 1930s–depression spreads the country like cancer and prohibition is in full effect. Days before graduating with an Ivy-League degree, Jacob jumps a train and finds himself traveling with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Emotionally and monetarily stranded, and with nothing to lose, Jacob does what’s needed to survive.
My brief synopsis doesn’t do Water for Elephants much justice, but Amazon.com’s does.
Filed under: Random
When did you learn how to read?