Regardless of whether you swing towards Oprah or Richard-and-Judy, the book club phenomenon is now firmly a part of our societies and I couldn’t be happier. Book clubs provide a reason to rejoice. They are one of the few signs around that people are looking outside of themselves and pondering questions about culture and language. I will even go so far as to say it harkens back to ancient Greece when storytelling was not only a communal event, but a religious one. Yes, a culture that finds huge numbers of its population meeting as groups to discuss their emotional and intellectual responses to someone else’s work still has a spring or two left in its stride.
I’ve started talking to book clubs about my own work, and I’m finding new opportunities to do so all the time, and of all the pr I’ve been doing around Tangled Roots, I have to say I am finding this to be the most rewarding. I wish I could sit and chat with everyone who reads my book, but alas…..So, I’ve done the next best thing.
We have asked a person who reads widely and takes her book club memberships seriously to create a list of “Book Club Discussion Questions” for Tangled Roots. Although these were not able to make it into the hard back version (for various reasons), they will be there in the paperback. But why wait? I thought I’d share them with my friends in the blogosphere first. Reading these may make you feel a bit like you’re back at school, but don’t worry. There’s no such thing as a wrong answer when it comes to reading (don’t tell my old teachers I said it, but it’s true!).
1. What is the reason for making the Professor’s subject Physics? And why, specifically, Theoretical Physics and Cosmology?
2. John and Grace are both, predominantly, city dwellers, yet the countryside plays an important role in each of their developments. How is this similar and different for each character?
3. In what way are the characters of Florence and Elena similar?
4. Friends and siblings play major roles throughout the novel. In which way are they similar? In which way different?
5. It has been said that the concept of time itself is a major character in the novel. How is this true?
6. What role does language and “finding the right words” play in the mindset of the major characters?
7. The novel is set within three major political forces — the US, the UK and Russia. How does this underlay the political landscape of the book?
8. Colour and the absence of colour strongly effect each character in various ways. How is colour used throughout the novel?
9. What role does Kendall play in Grace’s life? Does someone play a similar role in John’s?
10. Parts I and II both begin with an epigram. Why?
What fun! And if anyone wants to chat with me in person about these ideas, this weekend they’ll find me here:
Friday, 6 June: Bath, UK — Waterstones 1 pm
Saturday, 7 June: Bristol, UK — Waterstones, Bristol Galleries 3 pm
wow! A book club would need more than one session for those, Sue -but plenty of room for discussion there!I confess those book club questions in paperbacks scare me. My mind immediately goes blank. Now if they’d said ‘come back next week….’
Hope your Bath and Bristol signings go well, Sue. Sorry I can’t make them – am running workshops on both days – a real shame as both cities are easily accessible for me. Does your world book signing tour include Cardiff? x
What interesting questions. I really can’t wait to read the book now.
Hello Sue. It was lovely to meet you at Waterstone’s in Bristol today. I am sure I shall enjoy your book.
I hope a reasonable number of people stopped for a chat and bought the book!
I’ve been away and am now just catching up on everyone’s blogs. I love the questions and I am definately going to recommend your book to our book club (Was going to anyway but now I can tell them that we will have questions we can discuss!!)
C x