Water for Elephants

I think I first learned of this title on Librarything, and learning that it was a novel set in the Great Depression, and the main character was a veterinarian in a circus, well having been among those who mourned the cancellation of Carnivale, I knew I'd at least try to read it. (I've tried and dropped books in the past; haven't you? You realize there are so many books, so little time, and if the book isn't working for you, put it down.)

It's an easy read, and it shows all the benefits of research, including carnie slang that you've never heard before. It got rave reviews from many of the readers who posted, but I suspect most of those postings were not the most demanding readers. This is clearly and overall a love story. Its setting is rendered well, but the writing is not epic - as I said, it's an easy read. It has effective pace, the characters are not fleshed out perfectly but they don't interfere too much with the story. You won't be rereading sentences twice or more to fully understand them. In fact, after reading it I felt like I'd finished a satisfying soft drink. I was not thirsty anymore and I don't expect to reread this title anytime soon. Probably the best compliment I read about this book, and one I wholeheartedly agree with, is that it has the happiest ending I've read in a novel. Certainly worth reading if you like this period, there are some dark moments but all in all if it is ever filmed it will probably make a PG-13 flick.