“The memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski’s ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man during the Depression, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion. To Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope...”
I opened this book the other day and simply could not put it down. This was a book that--a year or two ago--was part of my library’s reading program. They posed the question “What if everyone in a community read the same book?”, and this book was one of the answers. I will admit that I had NO interest whatsoever in reading it when it was all the rage. When the movie adaptation came out, however, my interest was tweaked. It still took me a bit to pick up the book because I could not get over the title. Once I read the book, I understood the title, but my mother is right in saying that it means absolutely nothing to readers just glancing at the book. Unfortunately, the title did not help the book in my eyes, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
As I read, however, I was slowly drawn into the world that Gruen created. (Yet again...I’ve failed to RAIR...so this has to show how much I loved it.) When I scratched the surface of the book, I was a little concerned that the book would turn into a Nicholas Sparks novel (think along the lines of The Notebook). I’m SO thrilled that I was wrong. The flashes between past and present were flawless and utterly captivating. I completely fell for Jacob, both young and old. I have to say (not to give too much away) that my favorite part was how the author began the novel and then tied it into the ending. THAT was fantastic. Another thing that I really loved was the awesome twist at the end. This really showed the author’s creativity and innovation. She really made this book something special and I’m so glad that I gave it a chance. I only wish I’d read it sooner!
Jacob’s background was rich and colorful, but remained remarkably heart-wrenching. I felt an incredible amount of sympathy for ninety or ninety-three-year-old Jacob. It really makes one pause and A) think about how she treats her older relatives, B) how she will feel when old age hits her, and C) whether she’ll feel as trapped as Jacob does when the years come out of nowhere and age her body but not her mind. This book gave me a lot to think about and I believe it can do the same for many more readers. Jacob is an entrancing lead and his character is one that is beyond appealing in many different ways.
Marlena was a good female lead. I liked her as Jacob’s counterpart and I believed the reasons he fell for her. The way the story was told kept her mysterious and allowed the plot to really captivate the readers. You wanted to know how she felt about Jacob and what she was really going through with August.
Overall, I really loved the other characters (though I don’t have time to go through them all). Some of the working men blended, but this wasn’t a huge problem as it didn’t affect my enjoyment. The tale was masterful and I could feel the love and passion in every line of this book (and I recommend reading the little afterward to add a little more to this). I recommend this book. Please don’t be put off by the title--I promise you’ll get it eventually! Though the movie adaptation didn’t get excellent reviews, I’m still curious and look forward to getting my hands on it.
"A most untraditional love story, this is the celebrated tale of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who involuntarily travels through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate affair endures across a sea of time and captures them in an impossibly romantic trap that tests the strength of fate and basks in the bonds of love."