What did you get out of the book and/or what did it mean to you? Do you have any favorite passages or quotes?
Why do you think the author wrote this?
What is the most important message?
What major issues and ideas was the author trying to convey and explore? Love, coming of age, disillusionment, fate, family ties, etc.
Is there any moral responsibility shown, abdicated, abused?
Are the characters’ actions the result of freedom of choice or destiny/fate?
Are there any symbols or imagery in the book that may have cultural, political, or religious significance?
What type of vision does the author use with his choice of words? Optimistic, pessimistic, prophetic, cautionary, humorous, satirical, venomous, reminiscent….
How did you relate to the characters? Choose one to elaborate upon.
What memories were invoked by the story?
Think about the way the story was told. How did the narrator’s voice affect your reading of it? Did the voice draw you in or distance you from it?
Was the plot effective?
Were the major conflicts resolved in a satisfactory manner?
How would you describe the author’s style? Spare, lyrical, descriptive, objective, etc.
Does the author’s writing style and devices add power to the overall effect of the book or are they distracting or forced? (Give an example of text)
Does the book appeal more to your emotions or intellect? How and why?
What in this novel makes you laugh, cry, feel uncomfortable, feel anger?