Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for America Fantastica by Tim O'Brien

Book Club Discussion Questions

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Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. If you have already read The Things They Carried, you know that a major theme of Tim O'Brien's work is the friction between emotional and factual truth. How does America Fantastica explore the theme of truthfulness?
2. We learn early in the novel that when Boyd robbed the bank for eighty-one thousand dollars, he had seventy-two thousand dollars in his own account. If he evidently wasn't in it for the money, what do you think his true motivation is for the robbery?
3. America Fantastica is a classic "on-the-road" narrative, exploring movement through the American landscape, particularly the West. How does the novel play with this genre, whose forbearers range from Twain to Cather to Kerouac and beyond?
4. The book includes several interstitial passages that capture the national zeitgeist, defining the beliefs and feelings of the time. Discuss the role of these passages. What do they add to the story as a whole?
5. The novel is set in 2019-2020 and uses a moment in our the recent past to explore the present day. What commentary does the story make about the current state of the country?
6. What is Angie's function in the story? Despite her front of innocence, what can we understand about her deeper motivations?
7. Explore the bond between Boyd and Angie. How does their relationship compare to Boyd's relationship with his ex-wife? What is O'Brien saying about authentic feeling and truth?
8. Where do you see Boyd's journey at the end of the novel? Is there room for happiness?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Mariner Books. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.