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Popular Literature

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Submitted By posadai
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Running Head: Popular Literature

Popular Literature
Ivan Posada
Instructor, Sheila Bassoppo-Moyo
University of Phoenix
March 28, 2011

Water for Elephants This book is a historical novel written by Sara Gruen, The novel focus on the story of Jacob Jancowski and his experiences since he was a college student through his life experience travelling with The Benzini Brothers Circus. The story is told as a series of memories by Jacob Jankowski, a ninety or ninety-three year-old man who lives in a nursing home, where Jacob is told what to eat and what to do.
The book of his memories began, when he was twenty-three years old. Jacob was studying veterinary at Cornell University when he received the horrible news that his parents were killed in a car accident. Days after his parents accident he found that was not money left and his parents were in a deeply debt because his father, who was a veterinary was treating animals for free, plus all the expenses that were generated by the veterinary school for Jacob (Wikipedia, 2011). One night Jacob was desperate and he jumped on a train, which ended up being a circus train, in where he starts working as an animal caregiver after the owner of the circus found that he was a veterinary student. And after this a multiple events are mentioned in the book about Jacobs’s life and all the things that he had to go through during his life at the circus (Wikipedia, 2011). Years after when Jacob turn ninety-three year old he sees himself waiting for his family to take him to the circus. It is uncovered that Jacob and his wife married and had 5 children. Jacob after finding out no one is coming to pick him up to take him to the circus; he decided to go to the circus on his own. He met the manager and begged him to accompany the circus by selling tickets. Charlie agreed and Jacob believed that he has finally come home. One of the most important aspects of books is that it gives the feeling to the readers whether they could actually see the events on page come to life in their minds. The book has people talking about the writing styles, character development, and whether the writer has established enough to have a book as popular as it is right now. The book absolutely has impact American culture, to the point that has inspired Hollywood to create a movie. In addition, the author genuinely researched the circus to add in nonfictions parts that work good to intrigue the readers, pushing them to magically feel the need to read it until end. Water for elephants the movie by Francis Lawrence starring Robert Pattinson the vampire of the famous twilight saga will come back to create a big effect on American pop-culture as well as he did with Twilight (BookBrowse, 2011). Per reader’s blogs, I have found that people have become more interesting in the circus industry after reading the book. In addition, I have found that the story touched people experiences in relation of getting old, and trying to understand when, where, and who will be there next to them when time past by and the age and wrinkles cover their faces.
In conclusion, many American people have dreamed about running away and joining a traveling circus when moments of depression or sadness. For that reason this book can influence people and make the feel identify. Therefore, the book also emphasized on animal and how animal can teach people love (BookBrowse, 2011).

Reference
Wikipedia. (2011). Water for Elephants . Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_for_Elephants -
BookBrowse. (2011). Water for Elephants Book Reviews. Retrieved from http://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm?book_number=1826

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