Water for Elephants
Jacob Janowski’s luck had run out–orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was the Great Depression and for Jacob the circus was both his salvation and a living hell. There he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but brutal animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this group of misfits was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.
Challenges:
This book is added to the list, more to clarify than to list it as challenged or banned.
The book and the film are NOT banned, although the film has had challenges. The film, not the book, has faced allegations of animal cruelty.
- Allegations of abuse: Animal rights groups claim the film depicts the severe abuse of the elephant, Rosie, despite the filmmakers stating that special effects and CGI were used to create the scenes of abuse.
- Misleading representation: Critics argue the film falsely suggests that the depicted abuse was solely a work of fiction by using it as a plot device to further the narrative of the abusive trainer.
- Use of special effects: The film’s production used special effects and CGI to create scenes of violence, but this was not disclosed to the public.
- Lack of full transparency: The filmmakers did not inform the public about the use of special effects to create scenes of animal abuse.
- Renewed debate: The film’s portrayal of animal abuse sparked a renewed debate over the ethics of animal use in entertainment and the role of circuses in animal welfare.