Book Club Questions
10 Generic Book Club Questions to Jump Start Your Discussion
By
Molly Lundquist
You've been all over the web. You've searched every book club site you can
think of, but you can't find a reading guide with discussion questions. Not
a good sign-especially because it's your turn to lead the book club
discussion. So now what do you do?
First thing-don't panic. Second-keep in mind that book club reading guides
are fairly new to the trade: publishers began issuing them with any
regularity about 10 years ago, maybe less. So B.G. (before guides), book
clubs actually had to figure out how to lead their own discussions. Yikes.
But even if you can't find a specific reading guide for your title, things
still aren't as stringent as they were back then. Now you can find Generic
Book Club Questions-like the set listed below. These 10 questions are
designed for any novel and will generate rich, lively book club discussions.
1. How did you experience the book? It's
not always helpful to talk about whether or not you liked the book, but
rather how you felt as you were reading it? Were you pulled effortlessly
into the book...or did you have difficulty getting into it? Why? Did you
find yourself amused, intrigued, enthralled, disturbed, fearful, irritated,
angered, or impatient?
2. Are the characters convincing-do
they come across as believable human beings with underlying motivations? Are
they fully developed as emotionally complex individuals? Or are they
one-dimensional, with little emphasis on their inner lives?
3. Which characters do you admire or dislike-and
why? What are their primary characteristics; how would you describe them? In
what ways do the characters interact with others-a parent with children; a
husband with his wife; a friend with friend.
4. What motivates the actions of a
given character? To what degree does the character's past play a role in her
present actions? Are those actions justified or ethical?
5. Do any characters grow or change
over the course of the novel? Does any character come to learn something
about himself or view the world differently? If so, what does she learn? Or
is the character "static," unchanging from beginning to end?
6. What is the central conflict of the plot? Is the conflict internal to the character (a psychological conflict)? Or is it external, having to do with character vs. character? Character vs. society? Character vs. nature? (Most novels have a combination of both internal and external conflict.)
7. Is the novel plot-driven? In other
words, does the plot unfold quickly, focusing more on action than on the
inner lives of the characters? Which do you prefer?
8. Is the plot well-developed? Is it
believable...or is it forced? Is it suspenseful or more contemplative? Does
it unfold naturally, or do you feel manipulated along the way by
coincidences, odd plot twists, or cliffhangers?
9. Is the ending satisfying?
Predictable or not? Does is wrap up the ends neatly? Is it too neat, too
pat? Does it leave some issues unresolved, questions unanswered? If you
could change the ending, would you...if so, how would you change it?
10. What central ideas might the author be exploring-the
novel's themes? Consider ideas about the nature of love, the requirements of
goodness, the meaning of justice, the burden of the past...basic human
issues that are at stake in the book.
At times I think generic book discussion questions are better than the
ones issued by the publishers. Those read too much like a nasty pop quiz. I
can't answer the questions-sometimes they're too specific, too precise. In
fact, I'm not sure anyone can answer them, except the author...and even then
I'm not sure.
The generic book questions, on the other hand, are more open-ended and
depend to a larger degree on the experience of the readers. And because of
their broader nature, I think they get to the heart of a novel more
effectively than the pre-packaged versions.
So the answer to the question above-what do you do when you can't find
specific discussion questions for your title-is to relax. Use generic
questions and you'll do just fine. In fact, you-and your book club-will do
brilliantly!
Molly Lundquist is owner of
LitLovers, an online
resource for book clubs and solo readers. LitLovers brings together Molly's
life-long love of reading, writing, and teaching. The website includes a
large list of in-depth reading guides, book recommendations and reviews,
free online literature courses, international book club recipes, and plenty
of how-to tips for
book clubs,
including tips for kids book clubs.
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