Discussion

 Book Club Discussion Questions


(image found at http://www.amazon.com/)
Questions for Same Kind Of Different As Me
by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
Questions found at: http://www.circleofmoms.com/us-moms-book-club/same-kind-of-different-as-me-discussion-474993#_

- How did Denver's story impact you? Did it shock you?

- Do you ever have the urge to do something, but for some reason you don't, like Ron did on page 23? How does that make you feel when you think about that?

- What stood out to you about Deborah?

- How has someone forgiving you made an impact on your life?

- Have you ever had a catch and release friendship? After reading this book, do you look at those relationships different?

- Have you ever thought of yourself as an "indulgent benefactor"?

- How do you think you miss "keys" in your life?

- How can you remind yourself to look for "key" opportunities?
(image found at http://www.amazon.com/)

Questions for Water for Elephants
  1. Water for Elephants moves between a story about a circus and a story about an old man in a nursing home. How do the chapters about the older Jacob enrich the story about Jacob’s adventure with the circus? How would the novel be different if Gruen had only written about the younger Jacob, keeping the story linear and never describing Jacob’s life as an old man?
  2. Did the chapters about the nursing home change how you think about older people? In what ways are the doctors and nurses condescending? How is Rosemary different? How do you treat older people?
  3. In chapter two, the twenty-three year old Jacob starts his story by telling us he is a virgin. From the cooch tent to the erections the older Jacob gets when being bathed, sexuality is woven into the whole story. Why do you think Gruen added these details? What role does sexuality play in Water for Elephants?
  4. When you first read the Prologue, who did you think murdered the man? Were you surprised by who the actual murderer was?
  5. The book begins with a quote from Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss: “I meant what I said, and I said what I meant…An elephant’s faithful—one hundred percent!” What is the role of faithfulness and loyalty in Water for Elephants? How do different characters define loyalty? (Jacob, Walter, Uncle Al).
  6. Why does Jacob get so mad about Mr. McGuinity lying about carrying water for elephants? Do you see and similarities of temperament between the young Jacob and the old Jacob?
  7. In what ways is Water for Elephants a survival story? A love story? An adventure?
  8. Water for Elephants has a happy ending for Jacob, but not for many other characters. Discuss Walter and Camel’s fates. How does tragedy fit into the story?
  9. There is an “us and them” mentality in the circus between performers and workers. How does Jacob bridge these two classes of people? Why does each group hate another group? Does the circus merely mirror society in an exaggerated way?
  10. Are you satisfied with the end?
  11. In the Author’s Note, Gruen writes that many of the details in the story are factual or come from circus workers’ anecdotes. These true stories include the hippo pickled in formaldehyde, the deceased fat lady being paraded through town and an elephant who repeatedly pulled out her stake and stole lemonade. Gruen did extensive research before writing Water for Elephants. Was her story believable?
  12. Rate Water for Elephants on a scale of 1 to 5.

(image found at: http://www.amazon.com)
Reading Guide for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

  1. What was your experience reading a novel composed entirely of letters? Are there types of information or emotion that letters convey more successfully than other forms of expression? Would a novel in emails have different strengths and weaknesses?
  2. What makes Sidney and Sophie ideal friends for Juliet? What common ground do they share? Do you now have or have you had people in your life who have offered similar support to you?
  3. Dawsey first writes to Juliet because books are so difficult to obtain on Guernsey in the aftermath of the war. What differences do you note between bookselling in the 1940s and bookselling today? Do book lovers share common qualities across generations?
  4. What were your first impressions of Dawsey? How is he different from the other men in Juliet’s life?
  5. Discuss the writers who capture the hearts of the members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Does a reader's taste in books reveal anything significant about his or her personality? Whose lives are changed the most by their membership in the society?
  6. In what ways are Juliet and Elizabeth kindred spirits? What does Elizabeth's spontaneous invention of the Society say about her approach to life? What does her bravery reveal about it?
  7. Numerous Guernsey residents give Juliet access to their private memories of the occupation. Which voices were most memorable for you? What is the effect of reading a variety of responses to a shared tragedy?
  8. How does Remy's presence enhance the lives of those on Guernsey? Through her survival, what recollections, hopes, and lessons are preserved?
  9. What historical facts about life in England during World War II were you especially surprised to discover? What qualities of wartime experience are captured in a detail such as the invention of the potato peel pie? Are there ways in which fiction can provide the means for more fully understanding a historical reality?
  10. Which member of the Society was your favorite? Whose literary opinions are most like your own? Do you agree with Isola that "reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones"?
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)