Title: The Elephant Keeper
Author: Christopher Nicholson
Publication: August 2009 by William Morrow & Company
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3/5
“The Elephant Keeper, the story of Tom and the
elephants, in Tom's own words, moves from the green fields and woods of the
English countryside to the dark streets and alleys of late-eighteenth-century
London, reflecting both the beauty and the violence of the age. Nicholson's lush
writing and deft storytelling complement a captivating tale of love and loyalty
between one man and the two elephants that change the lives of all who meet
them.”
The Elephant Keeper is a novel that I am not quite sure
what to say about. I picked up this book because elephants are one of my
favorite animals, and so I thought I would give it a shot.
Throughout the first maybe half of the novel, it is a
lovely story about well, an Elephant Keeper and his two elephants. Tom Page,
The Elephant Keeper, is in charge of the two elephants rescued by his lordship.
Naming them Timothy and Jenny, Tom develops a deep bond with both of them. The
Elephants grow up to be both loved and feared throughout the town, but during the
first part of the novel, their fascinating character definitely shines through
to the reader. I loved the interesting stories about the Elephants and learning
so much about them; it was a nice, light read for a rainy day.
However, throughout the second part of the novel, I
can’t say quite the same thing. The second part seemed like the author was
tired of the cute, elephant story and wanted to change things up a bit. Tom
Page leaves his family to follow the elephant Jenny, while the elephant Timothy
is sold to another buyer. For me, this part of the novel started to drag. I
wanted to finish the book, but I admit I skimmed over a few sections. In the
second half, Tom’s character also starts to change. At the beginning, you saw
an animal-loving, caring protagonist who treated the elephants kindly with
love. Although this aspect did not change, Tom starts to make choices that I
personally disapprove of. I won’t include any spoilers, but some of the events
in the second half of this novel are just weird.
The ending of the novel leaves you hanging. It is gives
you two scenarios, and either one of them could have happened. You choose what
you want to believe. In my opinion, I thought the ending was different but not
in a bad way. I liked that the author gave you a chance to walk down each path
Tom and Jenny could have taken.
In conclusion, if you are the kind of person who takes
the good with the bad, I do suggest you read The Elephant Keeper. The beginning
of the novel is cute and endearing, and I really enjoyed learning about Jenny
and Timothy. However, if you are not so much of that kind of person, maybe you should skip over The Elephant Keeper for now.
