Wednesday, October 29, 2008

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.

Discussion questions

1. Hands up, who found the book
a. A little bit fascinating
b. A whole lot fascinating
c. Not at all fascinating……..ditto for boring / scary

2. Which bits of the story did not make sense? Discuss & clarify.
3. Who was your favourite character, and why?
4. This story was told largely through letters. Was this an effective way to communicate the story?
5. This novel entwined a number of different symbols and superstitions, many of which are almost caricatured today. Can you think of any symbols, ancient or otherwise, that remain potent today?
6. In an interview, the author has said that she did not want to spill more than a cup of blood in this story (or words to that effect??). Would you classify this book as a thriller? Was it suspenseful? Would a little more blood lost have improved the storyline?
7. The love stories seem to dilute with each generation. Does this reflect reality? Is it too easy to fall in love these days, with many religious and cultural barriers to relationships removed?
8. I read a review of this book where the reviewer said that she would not want this pair put on the case to find her if she went missing…they hardly seemed in a hurry and they didn’t miss a single meal for the duration of the story! Did you notice this? Did you enjoy the descriptions of food?
9. What did you think of the ending?

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