Questions to Start a Discussion for Any Book

Questions for a book discussion

1.     How did you experience the book? Were you drawn into the story early or later? How did you feel while reading it—amused, sad, confused, disturbed…?

2.     Do you find the characters convincing? Are they believable?

3.     Which characters do you particularly admire or dislike? What are their primary characteristics? 

4.     What motivates a given character’s actions? Do you think those actions are justified or ethical? 

5.     Do any characters grow or change during the novel? If so, in what way? 

6.     Who in the book would you like to meet? What would you ask, or say? 

7.     If you could insert yourself as a character in the book, what role would you play? You might be a new character or take the place of an existing one.

8.     Is the plot well developed? Is it believable? Do you feel manipulated along the way? 

9.     Consider the ending. Did you expect it or were you surprised? Was it manipulative or forced? Was it neatly wrapped up—maybe too neatly?

10.  If you could rewrite the ending, would you? In other words, did you find the ending satisfying? Why or why not?

11.  Can you pick out a passage that strikes you as particularly profound or interesting? 

12.  Does the book remind you of your own life? An event? A person—like a friend, family member, boss, co-worker? 

13.  If you were to talk with the author, what would you want to know?

[I always strive to acknowledge the sources for my quotes and for material that isn't my own. The source for this list of questions came from an internet search. I couldn't find a definitive author. It appears that they, the questions, are often used as a springboard to personalize discussions for many books. In that spirit I altered them for my use and to fit onto one page.]