Our book club talked nonstop for an hour and a half on "Water for Elephants," and we agreed it is well written, entertaining, a fast read, and full of richly detailed layers and vivid characters. We particularly enjoyed going over the discussion questions included in the back of the book.

This story is replete with all the earmarks of the Gothic tale it intended to be -- horror, lurid events, passion, romance, crazy people, innocent victims, whispered tales of ghosts, scandals, a decaying mansion, twins, many sub-plots, a sense of melancholy, and secrets ... lots and lots of secrets. (See note at end for more info.)

Our book club was divided on this one, with some disliking it and others respecting the work without enjoying the read overmuch. I loved it, although I was ready for it to be over by the time this tangled narrative wound to an end. (It's DENSELY written -- not a "light" read.) But I love the melodrama of a proper English Gothic novel, and I enjoyed the surprises at the end. I bought the book expecting it to be set in modern times but it felt more historical, without ever actually specifying.

On my own, I'd have given this a four-star review. It seemed more fair to give it the two-star, though, after our club's discussion.

NOTE: See this Wikipedia entry to get a feel for what "Gothic" really means: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_fiction