Comments on: From the Back of the Book http://bookgroupbuzz.booklistonline.com/2008/02/08/from-the-back-of-the-book/ Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:06:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: misha http://bookgroupbuzz.booklistonline.com/2008/02/08/from-the-back-of-the-book/#comment-490 misha Tue, 12 Feb 2008 02:17:56 +0000 http://bookgroupbuzz.booklistonline.com/2008/02/08/from-the-back-of-the-book/#comment-490 Kaite, You are so right that these back of the book guides can vary. Some are quite good and others plan lousy. Sometimes the questions are quite helpful and other times too leading. And the spoilers! Here's how I typically use them--I always feel like the first question I ask the group can be the most important. What should the ice-breaker be? I look to the reading guides for ideas on how best to get the conversation started or going again. Otherwise I can take 'em or leave 'em. Kaite, You are so right that these back of the book guides can vary. Some are quite good and others plan lousy. Sometimes the questions are quite helpful and other times too leading. And the spoilers! Here’s how I typically use them–I always feel like the first question I ask the group can be the most important. What should the ice-breaker be? I look to the reading guides for ideas on how best to get the conversation started or going again. Otherwise I can take ‘em or leave ‘em.

]]> By: Robin B. http://bookgroupbuzz.booklistonline.com/2008/02/08/from-the-back-of-the-book/#comment-480 Robin B. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:04:34 +0000 http://bookgroupbuzz.booklistonline.com/2008/02/08/from-the-back-of-the-book/#comment-480 Speaking of questions written by the publishers: When our library group read FLIGHT by Sherman Alexie, we were astounded by the number and depth of questions in the back of the book (the number of pages dedicated to questions seemed to take up about half the number of pages needed for the novel itself!). We didn't use any of them for group but one question we came up with was did Sherman Alexie have anything to do with the questions. He appeared at our library that evening so our library liaison asked what he thought of the discussion guide and he replied that hadn't even *seen* it! Sometimes the "back of the book" (and even NoveList)questions delve so deeply into metaphors, character motivations, etc. that we often wonder if the author even realized s/he was writing such an intellectual book. :-) Speaking of questions written by the publishers:

When our library group read FLIGHT by Sherman Alexie, we were astounded by the number and depth of questions in the back of the book (the number of pages dedicated to questions seemed to take up about half the number of pages needed for the novel itself!). We didn’t use any of them for group but one question we came up with was did Sherman Alexie have anything to do with the questions. He appeared at our library that evening so our library liaison asked what he thought of the discussion guide and he replied that hadn’t even *seen* it!

Sometimes the “back of the book” (and even NoveList)questions delve so deeply into metaphors, character motivations, etc. that we often wonder if the author even realized s/he was writing such an intellectual book. :-)

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