Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    A Study Guide for Sara Gruen's "Water for Elephants"
    A Study Guide for Sara Gruen's "Water for Elephants"
    A Study Guide for Sara Gruen's "Water for Elephants"
    Ebook42 pages31 minutes

    A Study Guide for Sara Gruen's "Water for Elephants"

    By Gale and Cengage

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    A Study Guide for Sara Gruen's "Water for Elephants," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Literary Newsmakers for Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Literary Newsmakers for Students for all of your research needs.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCengage Learning - Gale
    Release dateSep 20, 2016
    ISBN9781535842433
    A Study Guide for Sara Gruen's "Water for Elephants"

    Read more from Gale

    Related to A Study Guide for Sara Gruen's "Water for Elephants"

    Related ebooks

    Teaching Methods & Materials For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Cep, Lin, Grame, DiFranco, and More

      May 7, 2019

      This week brings us a bounty of new books, including Casey Cep's account of Harper Lee’s failed attempt to write a true crime book and a memoir of equestrian dreams in Mongolia. The post Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Cep, Lin, Grame, DiFranco, an

      7 min read

    • Article

      Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Day, Würger, Owuor, and More

      Mar 12, 2019

      Hot off the presses this week, three debuts, two much-welcomed sophomore efforts, and a memoir drawing comparisons to 'H Is for Hawk.' The post Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Day, Würger, Owuor, and More appeared first on The Millions.

      5 min read

    • Article

      Benjamin Nugent

      Jun 15, 2018

      Claire’s roommates threw her out on November third, for falling behind on rent and hogging the Xbox. During the next three weeks, she lived in other people’s houses. She missed the Xbox, but couch surfing was like a game. She had to not smell like co

      20 min read

    • Article

      In Brief

      Jul 12, 2023

      In Brief
      7 min read

    • Article

      Previews

      Nov 10, 2019

      Previews
      3 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Jan 4, 2024

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • Article

      Great Read

      Mar 23, 2022

      Great Read
      5 min read

    • Article

      Great Read

      Nov 2, 2023

      Great Read
      8 min read

    • Article

      Lol

      Jul 14, 2021

      Lol
      3 min read

    • Article

      Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Shteyngart, McCarthy, Davies, and More

      Nov 2, 2021

      Here’s a quick look at some notable books—new titles from Gary Shteyngart, Tom McCarthy, Peter Ho Davies, and more—that are publishing this week. The post Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Shteyngart, McCarthy, Davies, and More appeared first on The

      8 min read

    • Article

      Kiwi Pride

      May 21, 2023

      New Zealander Anna Paquin stars in this new movie, based on the real-life story of 16-year-old Jessica Watson, who sets out to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world. To accomplish this massive feat, Jessica must overcome immense ch

      2 min read

    • Article

      Don Weller

      Jul 20, 2021

      Don Weller
      13 min read

    • Article

      View from THE BACK

      Dec 29, 2021

      ABBC drama about the so-called ‘dirty’ Duchess of Argyll, which started on Boxing Day, raises the question of just how far gender equality has come since the 1960s. A Very British Scandal stars Claire Foy as Margaret of Argyll, who was embroiled in

      2 min read

    • Article

      On My Radar: Andrea Elliott’s Cultural Highlights

      Jan 7, 2023

      Born in Washington DC in 1972, journalist Andrea Elliott is an investigative reporter for the New York Times. She was awarded the Pulitzer prize for feature writing in 2007 for her series An Imam in America, and the 2022 Pulitzer prize for general no

      2 min read

    • Article

      W & H WEEKEND

      May 6, 2021

      W & H WEEKEND
      2 min read

    • Article

      Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Shipstead, Ryan, Walker, and More

      May 17, 2022

      Here’s a quick look at some notable books—new titles from Maggie Shipstead, Eimer Ryan, Sarai Walker, and more—that are publishing this week. Want to learn more about upcoming titles? Then go read our most recent book preview. Want to help The Millio

      5 min read

    • Article

      Kids’ Stuff

      Nov 27, 2023

      Kids’ Stuff
      8 min read

    • Article

      Call Of The Wild

      Nov 2, 2020

      Call Of The Wild
      4 min read

    • Article

      Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Offill, Stuart, Sharlet, Sparks, Lavery, and More

      Feb 11, 2020

      Our own Thomas Beckwith takes a look at some notable books—titles from the likes of Jenny Offill, Douglas Stuart, Jeff Sharlet, Amber Sparks, and Daniel M. Lavery—that are publishing this week. The post Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Offill, Stuar

      5 min read

    • Article

      LAURA JEAN McKAY

      Dec 1, 2021

      WHEN THE WINNER OF THIS YEAR’S Arthur C Clarke Award, The Animals In That Country, was announced, award director Tom Hunter heralded the book as a “first contact novel, only the multiple alien species that humanity encounters have been sharing the Ea

      3 min read

    • Article

      Readers Recommend

      Jan 1, 2020

      A house painter named Mr. Popper dreams of being an Antarctic explorer. When he gets a penguin, his dream comes true. Soon one penguin turns into two, and soon a dozen penguins are in the household. It’s too expensive to take care of ten babies, so M

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Evolution Of The Texas Cowgirl

      Aug 26, 2021

      The Evolution Of The Texas Cowgirl
      11 min read

    • Article

      Best Western

      Mar 17, 2020

      Best Western
      5 min read

    • Article

      Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Crosley, Gayle, Fajardo-Anstine, and More

      Jun 7, 2022

      Here’s a quick look at some notable books—new titles from Sloane Crosley, Caleb Gayle, Kali Fajardo-Anstine, and more—that are publishing this week. Want to learn more about upcoming titles? Then go read our most recent book preview. Want to help The

      6 min read

    • Article

      Ashley Avis

      Jan 4, 2024

      Ashley Avis
      3 min read

    • Article

      Great Read

      Mar 22, 2023

      Great Read
      8 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for A Study Guide for Sara Gruen's "Water for Elephants"

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      A Study Guide for Sara Gruen's "Water for Elephants" - Gale

      information.

      Water for Elephants

      Sara Gruen

      2007

      Introduction

      Water for Elephants, published in 2007, is Sara Gruen's third novel. The inspiration for the book was a Chicago Tribune article about Edward J. Kelty, a photographer who followed traveling circuses around the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. Gruen was so fascinated by the images that accompanied the article she bought two volumes of old-time circus photographs. She abandoned the book she had been planning to write and immediately began researching the world of the train circus. A few years later, Water for Elephants was published.

      Her story of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth was crafted using many fascinating facts and anecdotes about the history of the American circus and the Great Depression, the time during which the main action of the story is set. Part history, part romance, part murder mystery, the novel's use of authentic circus language from the period reflects the meticulous research that went into the book. Featuring fairytale elements, this glimpse of Americana is by turns dark, violent, sad, and heartbreaking, but it delivers a truly memorable happy ending. Ranked number one on the New York Times bestseller list for several weeks, Water for Elephants was one of the most popular novels of 2006.

      Author Biography

      Sara Gruen was born in 1969 in Vancouver, Canada. A dual citizen of Canada and the United States, Gruen moved to the States in 1999 for a technical writing job. She was laid off two years later and decided to try writing fiction full-time instead of looking for another job. Her debut novel, Riding Lessons was published in 2004 to wide critical and popular acclaim. Her next novel, Flying Changes continues the story of her protagonist from Riding Lessons. Published in 2005, Gruen's second novel was as well received as her first.

      Gruen was inspired to write Water for Elephants in 2003 after reading an article about Edward J. Kelty, a photographer who followed traveling circuses around the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. The photo that accompanied the article so fascinated Gruen she abandoned the book she intended to write and started researching the world of the train circus. She spent the next four-and-a-half months studying her subject and in 2006 the novel was published.

      The book was met with immediate popular acclaim and became a bestseller. In the New York Times Book Review, critic Elizabeth Judd writes,

      Unsurprisingly, writers seem liberated by imagining a spectacle where no comparison

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1