For Book Clubs

Introduction

I love book clubs!  Thank you for choosing Perceval’s Secret to read and discuss.  I hope the questions below will stimulate lively and thoughtful discussion.  If you would like me to attend your book club by speakerphone or Skype to talk about writing Perceval’s Secret, you can find my contact information at my blog, Anatomy of Perceval, at https://ccyager.wordpress.com.  Enjoy!

Questions for Discussion

1. Perceval’s Secret is set in the summer of 2048.  How does the author’s vision of 2048 differ from yours?  The philosophy that motivates how Europeans have approached the future is mentioned several times.  What is it?  How does it fit with the current concern regarding humans losing skills, knowledge and expertise that they have had in the past because computers have taken on the tasks that require them?
2. Who is Perceval in the novel?  Who was Perceval in history?  What do the two share in common?
3. Evan Quinn, the protagonist, is a musician and conductor.  What is your reaction to his occupation?  Were you surprised by anything Evan Quinn did as a conductor?
4. What makes Evan Quinn a sympathetic character?  What makes him unsympathetic?
5. Have you had experience with classical music?  How does your experience compare to the classical music world depicted in the novel?  If you haven’t had experience with classical music, has the novel piqued your interest in it or no?  Why or why not?
6. Who was your favorite character and why?
7. At least two characters have experienced psychological trauma in the past.  Who are they?  What trauma(s) did each experience?  How did each deal with the trauma and its aftereffects?
8. What does classical music mean to Evan Quinn?  Why?
9. Have you ever lived in another culture where you were unfamiliar with the language and customs?  How did your experience compare with Evan Quinn’s?  If you’ve never lived in a foreign culture, what did you learn about this experience from the novel?
10. Was Randall Quinn and his best friend Joseph Caine insurgents or terrorists?
11. What did you think of the ending?  Is Evan Quinn redeemable or not redeemable?