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Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre is set in Edinburgh.
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The Crimson Petal and the White: anyone up for a readalong?
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Book Talk
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The Crimson Petal and the White: anyone up for a readalong?
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All the discussion questions have been posted
Here is the link:
http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/6/436452
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The Crimson Petal and the White - readalong questions
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Michel Faber's foreword to The Apple
Michel Faber wrote a foreword to The Apple that was published only in the hardback edition. He shared some of the letters he received in response to The Crimson Petal and the White:
http://www.meetatthegate.com/compon…
For all its Victorian trappings, The Crimson Petal and the White also showcases some expert postmodern features, such as a narrator who frequently reminds us that we are reading a novel – his novel – and that he will dec…
The novel ends by posing a terrific ‘what if ’. Speculate about the futures of Sophie and Sugar. Why do you suppose the author chose to give the closing line to Caroline? What might this suggest about William’s fate?
Discuss Sugar’s transformation from no-nonsense prostitute to maternal romantic. What role did the ironically named Priory Close location play in this transformation? What choices would you have made had you been born in…
William’s pious brother is the extreme opposite of Ashwell and Bodley. Do these minor male characters in any way reflect aspects of William’s persona? Do you believe that Ashwell and Bodley were merely included for comic…
The characters in The Crimson Petal and the White live under the shroud of considerable misinformation, including Doctor Curlew’s inability to diagnose Agnes’s brain tumor and Sugar’s rudimentary birth-control methods. W…
How does Michel Faber keep the reader hooked and entertained throughout a lengthy epic? Did the devices work for you?
Does any authentic love occur in the novel? Are Sugar and William in love?
Critics have compared Michel Faber to many literary lions, ranging from Charles Dickens to Tom Wolfe and Jonathan Franzen. In what ways does literature appear to have evolved over the past two centuries?
The theme of cleanliness versus filth pervades the novel, with William’s products nearly comprising an additional character. Considering the fact that even the upper-crust residents of Notting Hill had to do without indo…
William receives nearly constant assistance from various hired women. In what way is Sugar’s subservience different from that of the other servants, both before and after she becomes Sophie’s governess?
The Crimson Petal and the White contains dozens of religious references, including Sugar’s being mistaken for an angel, Agnes’s superstitious hunger for Catholicism, The Rescue Society’s moral mission, the radical propos…
Temptation and cravings fuel much of the novel’s plot. By your own standards, are the characters shockingly lacking in self-control? Or do you feel they cope well in the circumstances?
Do you detect any common denominator among the novel’s female characters (especially Sugar, Agnes, Mrs. Fox, and Mrs. Castaway) in spite of their seemingly disparate motivations?
What makes the late nineteenth century such an appropriate time period for this narrative? How might the storyline have played out in the twenty-first century?
The novel’s title implies the distinction between virtue and immorality. In your opinion, who are the sinister characters in the book? Who are the heroes and heroines?
Since its original publication in 2002, The Crimson Petal and the White has become established as a reading group favourite. You may find some of the following suggested questions helpful in stimulating debate.
Some o…
I just haven't had the time to send the copies out yet - this is the first time I've been back in the office since last week! Sorry!!
Edited to add: the books have been put in the post.
Book Talk
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The Crimson Petal and the White: anyone up for a readalong?
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Those who already have a copy...
Never fear, I'll post the discussion questions in a readalong thread, so everyone who wants to can join in.
Hi all! There's a new edition of The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber being published next month - would any BCers be up for a readalong?
This new edition has a reading guide in the back, so it'd be great i…
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Canongate Books giveaway - Scarlett Thomas's Our Tragic Universe
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Our ten lucky BCers are...
abigailann
Londonlife
ETMadrid
KiwiinEngland
inkognitoh
house-elfdobby
katrinat
da-wildchildz
dark-draco
swan-scot
Sorry, Vekiki and Korky!
I'll send these copies out as soon as I can.
Hello! Long time no post. Sorry...
I wanted to offer BCers in UK/Europe the chance to read Scarlett Thomas's latest novel, Our Tragic Universe, before it's published in May.
'I was reading about the end of the univ…
