UMC.org Book Reviews: Water for Elephants
he circus! What an engaging and intense microcosm, full of exotic characters and drama—both staged and real. Sara Gruen’s third novel is as generously infused with love as with the hard realities of of Depression-era circus life. The Bernini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth travels through Depression-era Midwestern towns bringing sequins and fantasy pouring out of railroad cars and parading down Main Street. Unemployment and hunger have made such a distraction irresistible for the “rubes” who come to see the show. Beyond the vivid distractions of the big top, Gruen deftly pulls aside the tent flaps to show readers something of the unadorned lives inside.
UMC.org Book Reviews: The Inhabited World
The dust jacket of David Long’s latest novel describes him as “a writer’s writer,” which sounds accurate. Well-respected, but not widely read, those who know Long’s work cherish his lyrical prose and well-crafted stories of loss and regret. The Inhabited World continues both of these themes as well as the meticulous attention to detail found in his previous novels, The Falling Boy and The Daughters of Simon Lamareaux. However, The Inhabited World seems much more likely to capture wider public attention. This is because David Long employs the same clever “hook” that has catapulted several recent novels to unprecedented popular success. Following recent runaway bestsellers like The Lovely Bones and The Five People You Meet in Heaven, the main character of The Inhabited World has died and is now recalling his former life from the unique perspective of the afterlife.