For a book with such a high profile and 4 stars on Goodreads (with an impressive 871,521 ratings), you would expect this book to have swooping writing, realistic/believable characters, humor, romance, adventure, excitement, drama, lessons, a complex plot, tension … this book had none of that. I cared for a single character, and that was an elephant. I wanted this book to live up to its potential, which is a college dropout joining a Depression-era travelling circus. The book was less about that than it was about two shallow, undeveloped characters “falling in lust” and causing problems. They caused insipid and melodramatic problems. Now that I think about it, the perfect role for Robert Pattinson.
Firstly, we are expected to believe this ill-fated, whirlwind romance. It should sweep you away like Romeo & Juliet, but injected with prohibition-era slang and problems. This book will leave you yawning. Firstly, it’s just melodrama for most of the book with the occasional action scene. I realize that not all books should require action scenes; it’s a problem when action is inserted simply to pump a little life into this limp story. The rest of the book is Marlena and Jacob being boring together and staring at each other from across the room (I assume). Pass.
Secondly, no one matters. Almost every character is flat, dull, and impossible to sympathize with. Jacob is supposedly kind and generous, but all I get is that he feels bad for people and likes the way Marlena looks. Marlena gets the even shorter stick: she’s boring, attractive, and fashionable. That is literally all we know about her. I was actually disappointed with the number of female clichés in this book, which was written by a woman! I expected better. But Marlena’s lack of characterization leads you to question why Jacob is “in love” with Marlena. Does she, too, have a good heart? Is she strong, independent, funny, interesting, artsy, stubborn, adventurous, opinionated? Well, we don’t know that, but we do know she has a collection of gorgeous sparkly dresses! I think the only thing you can truly infer from this book is that Marlena is a slow learner, and is definitely rash. She complains that she married August before she really knew him (and now he’s obsessive, violent, bi-polar and jealous), yet she leaps into an affair with Jacob after knowing him two months. And even in those two months, they never really get to know each other, unless you count kissing and staring longingly at a person “knowing” someone.
Although, I suppose Marlena is simply being treated the same way as all the other characters in this book. No one else rises about stereotypical base level. I was angry about all of their actions.
But why am I drawing so much attention to the characters? There are plenty of novels in which the characters populate the background, and the plot charges forward instead. This book is technically more of a character-driven novel, considering that it’s about Jacob’s journey on this circus and what he learns. And, I guess, his relationship with Marlena. His dull, shallow, uninteresting relationship.
The characters are either too contradictory or too black and white. I’m supposed to believe that August is his bi-polar disorder, but also believe that a tough weight lifter will drop his strong emotional façade and discuss emotional subjects with a stranger? Okay, fine. I get that Gruen was trying to add depth, but it came across as inconsistent.
At the risk of rendering this review invalid, I will submit that I read this book a year ago. It was so ordinary that I have forgotten many of the details and major plot points. Browsing other reviews jogged my memory a bit, but most of this book has been lost to time (thank goodness for that). There are other issues I believe I had with this book, and believe me, I did, but they are forgotten, and so you shall have to rely on other reviews for more details about the book’s specifics.
I can’t say I would recommend this book to anyone. I understand the appeal of a love story, but there are so many other great books with real characters and actual plots and good writing! And many of them have love stories! If you specifically liked romance and the circus elements, definitely check out The Night Circus. It has beautiful writing, interesting characters, romance, magic, legitimate tension, and more. That book blew this one out of the water (for elephants). If you liked the depression-era setting, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is very much about poverty during the depression, but it’s nothing like this book in terms of plot. It is heart-breaking and beautiful, and very much worth the read.
Firstly, we are expected to believe this ill-fated, whirlwind romance. It should sweep you away like Romeo & Juliet, but injected with prohibition-era slang and problems. This book will leave you yawning. Firstly, it’s just melodrama for most of the book with the occasional action scene. I realize that not all books should require action scenes; it’s a problem when action is inserted simply to pump a little life into this limp story. The rest of the book is Marlena and Jacob being boring together and staring at each other from across the room (I assume). Pass.
Secondly, no one matters. Almost every character is flat, dull, and impossible to sympathize with. Jacob is supposedly kind and generous, but all I get is that he feels bad for people and likes the way Marlena looks. Marlena gets the even shorter stick: she’s boring, attractive, and fashionable. That is literally all we know about her. I was actually disappointed with the number of female clichés in this book, which was written by a woman! I expected better. But Marlena’s lack of characterization leads you to question why Jacob is “in love” with Marlena. Does she, too, have a good heart? Is she strong, independent, funny, interesting, artsy, stubborn, adventurous, opinionated? Well, we don’t know that, but we do know she has a collection of gorgeous sparkly dresses! I think the only thing you can truly infer from this book is that Marlena is a slow learner, and is definitely rash. She complains that she married August before she really knew him (and now he’s obsessive, violent, bi-polar and jealous), yet she leaps into an affair with Jacob after knowing him two months. And even in those two months, they never really get to know each other, unless you count kissing and staring longingly at a person “knowing” someone.
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| "Marlena- I love you for your... uh...." |
Although, I suppose Marlena is simply being treated the same way as all the other characters in this book. No one else rises about stereotypical base level. I was angry about all of their actions.
But why am I drawing so much attention to the characters? There are plenty of novels in which the characters populate the background, and the plot charges forward instead. This book is technically more of a character-driven novel, considering that it’s about Jacob’s journey on this circus and what he learns. And, I guess, his relationship with Marlena. His dull, shallow, uninteresting relationship.
The characters are either too contradictory or too black and white. I’m supposed to believe that August is his bi-polar disorder, but also believe that a tough weight lifter will drop his strong emotional façade and discuss emotional subjects with a stranger? Okay, fine. I get that Gruen was trying to add depth, but it came across as inconsistent.
At the risk of rendering this review invalid, I will submit that I read this book a year ago. It was so ordinary that I have forgotten many of the details and major plot points. Browsing other reviews jogged my memory a bit, but most of this book has been lost to time (thank goodness for that). There are other issues I believe I had with this book, and believe me, I did, but they are forgotten, and so you shall have to rely on other reviews for more details about the book’s specifics.
I can’t say I would recommend this book to anyone. I understand the appeal of a love story, but there are so many other great books with real characters and actual plots and good writing! And many of them have love stories! If you specifically liked romance and the circus elements, definitely check out The Night Circus. It has beautiful writing, interesting characters, romance, magic, legitimate tension, and more. That book blew this one out of the water (for elephants). If you liked the depression-era setting, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is very much about poverty during the depression, but it’s nothing like this book in terms of plot. It is heart-breaking and beautiful, and very much worth the read.
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