November 2013: The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

                                                   

The appeal of this book

Much of the appeal The Screwtape Letters derives from Lewis's startlingly original reversal: telling a story about Christian faith not from a Christian point-of-view but from the perspective of a devil trying to secure the damnation of one man's soul. Why is this strategy so effective? What does it allow Lewis to accomplish that would have been impossible in a more straighforward approach?

The way to tempt

In the first of Screwtape's letters, he instructs Wormwood not to attempt to win the patient's soul through argument, but rather by fixing his attention on "the stream of immediate sense experiences".
Why is immersion in particulars of "real life" ground for temptation?

Difference in view

In describing the differences in how God and the Devil view men, Screwtape says: "We want cattle who can finally become food; He wants servants who can finally become sons".
What is it about God's relationship to man that Screwtape finds so unfathomable?

Friends

Why is Screwtape so pleased when the patient becomes friends with a group of people who are "rich, smart, superficially intellectual, and brightly skeptical about everything in the world"?
What influence does Screwtape hope they will have on him?

Human Nature

Lewis exhibits throughout his writings a sense of human nature. Do you think this book accurately reflects not just Christians beliefs but the workings of human psychology more generally?

Screwtape and Wormwood

The sub-plot of The Screwtape Letters turns on Screwtape's relationship with his nephew Wormwood, the apprentice tempter and demonic understudy in charge of carrying out Screwtape's instructions. 

How do Screwtape and Wormwood regard each other? 

What is Lewis suggesting by having the story end with Screwtape preparing to devour a member of his own family?

Love

Love is an important theme. Screwtape is confouned by the human idea of love and God's love for man. What do you think Lewis was saying in the book as a whole, about human and divine love?

Temptations

Over the course of The Screwtape Letters, the state of the patient's soul changes as he experiences conversion, doubt, dangerous friendships, war, love, and finally death.
What major strategies does Screwtape use to tempt him into the Devil's camp?
Why do the temptations fail?
In what way can we relate to the Patient?

Ending

In the end Screwtape does not lose faith in his cause even though the patient triumps over temptation.  Why do you think Lewis chose to end the book that way?
Why is Screwtape sustained by "the conviction that our Realism, our rejection (in the face of all temptations) of all silly nonsense and claptrap, must win in the end"?
What warning is implied in the book's ending?

October 2013: Watership Down by Richard Adams

                                                    

Your feelings

How did you feel about this book? Would you recommend it to others?

Characters

Did you find the characters likeable? Even though they were rabbits, were there any themes or feelings you could relate to?

Purpose

What do you think the central purpose of this book is?

Conflicts

What are the conflicts in Watership Down? What kind of trials do these characters go through?

August and September 2013: Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Favorites

Who were your favorite and least favorite characters?
What did you like or not like about them?
What were your favorite or least favorite parts of the book?

Open for you

Is there anything else you would like to discuss from the book that is not mentioned here?

The O'Haras

What are your thoughts on Scarlett's father Gerald? And the rest of her family?

Scarlett and Ashley

What did you think of the relationship between Ashley and Scarlett?

Rhett and Ashley

What do you think are the differences between Rhett and Ashley?

Justification

In many ways Scarlett seems to believe that the end justifies her means. Do you agree with her in that? Is there anything she did that you believe didn't need to be done in order to suceed?
While answering think about when she made everyone do things on the plantation that they didn't want to do, her marriage to Charles, her marriage to Frank, her marriage to Rhett, etc.

Scarlett and the other girls

It is clear early on that Scarlett has never had many girl friends, if any. Why do you think she doesn't get along with other women?

Ellen

Why do you think Scarlett revered her mother so much when she was nothing like her? Do you think she really wanted to be like her mother or just have her approval?

Silly

Scarlett asks Mammy why a woman has to act silly to get a husband. Are there any women in the book that don't act silly around the men?

Race

What are your thought on race in the book? There are the characters like Mammy and Pork who think they are better than the field slaves and the "white trash". What do you think of the relationships between the slaves and Scarlett?

Rhett

Rhett says he always gets paid. Do you ever see him doing anything out of pure generosity?

Ashley's request

Knowing how Scarlett feels about him why does Ashley ask her to take care of Melanie? And is it fair?

Rhett and Scarlett

Why do you think Rhett and Scarlett have such a hard time being honest with each other? They always seem to be trying to trick each other. Do you think they ever show real vulnerability with one another?

Rhett joining the army

Why does Rhett leave Scarlett and the others after getting them out of Atlanta to fight in a cause that he always said he doesn't believe in?

Scarlett's strength

When Scarlett pulls Tara together and declares she will never go hungry again- where does she get the strength? 

What do you think makes her different and able to survive and flourish?

Melanie

Scarlett was surprised by at least two things about Melanie: 1) When she helped her with the Yankee soldier that she had killed and 2) when she realized at the end that she did care for her.

She has looked at Melanie as weak. Do you think Melanie was weak or strong? Do you think that she really didn't know about Scarlett and Ashley? Why do you think she cared so much for Scarlett?

Atlanta

Were you surprised by the way Atlanta was described when the war was over? Why do you think so many of the former slaves stayed with their families?

Coward

Ashley told Scarlett, even after he fought in the war and was imprisoned, that he believes he is a coward. Why do you think he felt this way and do you agree?

Scarlett working

Why did Scarlett want to work so much even when she had enough money?
Why do you think she was so successful in business?

The Klan

Why do you think so many of the Southern men joined the Klan? And why did the women support it?
Why do you think Scarlett was the only one to speak against it?
And why did Rhett bother to help save the men?

Rhett as a husband

Why do you think that Rhett proposes to Scarlett even though he has repeatedly told her he is not the marrying kind?
Do you think he is a good husband?

Bonnie's death

How do you think Rhett and Scarlett reacted differently to Bonnie's death? Do you understand why they reacted the way they did?

children

With each of Scarlett's children coming from a different marriage, do you think she treated them differently?
How did having a daughter change Rhett?
Do you think he would have acted the same with a son?

The end

At the end of the book Scarlett finally realizes that she loves Rhett. He rejects her.
She seems to think that she will be able to win him back.
Do you think she will?

The Land

Scarlett's father told her that the only thing that lasts is land. Is that true with Scarlett?

July 2013: Princess Academy- Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale

Thoughts?

Any thing else you wanted to mention or discuss?

Revolution

Would you have taken part in the Revolution? Did you think Miri handed it well? What are your thoughts on it?

Boys

Did you like Timon? Did you want her to end up with Timon or Peder?

As good?

Did you think that Palace of Stone was as good as Princess Academy?

June 2013: Lemon Tart by Josi S. Kilpack

Thoughts...

Was this the first culinary mystery you have read?
Thoughts..

Clues

Did you figure out who the murderer was? Were there any clues you picked up on early?

Recipes

Did you like the recipes being incorporated into the book?