Book Club Discussion Questions for The Book of George by Kate Greathead

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The Picaresque and our BookBrowse Review of The Book of George.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. In his college essay, George proclaims that "His goal in life was to be authentic, no matter the consequences." Over the years of his life covered in the novel, do you think he achieves this goal?
2. How would you characterize George's relationship to Denis in the early chapters of the novel? Do you think George's perception of Denis changed in the years after Denis' death?
3. How does George feel after he messes something up, or a conversation doesn't go as planned? How does he cope with these feelings?
4. George is always seeking out external validation—from his friends, from Jenny, even from strangers. How does this validation (or lack thereof) contribute to George's perception of himself?
5. "George wondered if she was thinking about how little sex they had. They rarely spoke about it, but he knew it bothered her." George often makes claims about how those around him are feeling. Do you think George accurately assesses the thoughts and feelings of his friends and family?
6. In assessing George and Jenny's relationship, Cressida claims "It was obvious they met when they were too young and got stuck in this holding pattern. I'm sorry, George, but it was painful to watch. More for her sake." Do you agree with this assessment of George and Jenny's relationship? Which aspects of it worked well? Which aspects didn't?
7. How does George and Cressida's relationship evolve over the course of the novel?
8. George is flawed—but then again, so is everyone. Do you think his positive qualities outweigh his flaws? Overall, would you say he is a "good guy?"
9. "Women liked George. He was fun to look at. Boyishly handsome. Jenny had never quite grasped if he was indifferent or oblivious to this fact, but it didn't seem to figure into his sense of himself." How aware of his looks do you think George is? If not his looks, which aspects of his personality do you think figure the most into George's sense of himself?
10. What do you envision George's life looking like at age 45, or age 50? How about Jenny's?
11. Does George feel representative of his generation of young men? How would he and his life be different had he been born twenty years earlier?
12. What questions do you think George would ask about this novel, were he still employed as a book club facilitator?

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

For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The Picaresque and our BookBrowse Review of The Book of George.