Discussion Questions
1. What did you think about the title, All the Old Knives, inspired by this famous Phaedrus quote: “All the old knives that have rusted in my back, I drive into yours”?
2. Famous novels such as Catcher in the Rye and Gone Girl have the theme of the lying narrator. How did the main characters’ narrations affect your understanding of what was reality and what was fiction?
3. Both Henry and Celia seem to make a good claim for themselves. Did you feel more sympathetic towards one over the other? If so, why?
4. Perspective plays an interesting role in the novel. Why did Henry and Celia feel so differently about their relationship?
5. What do you think the next 2 pages would reveal if added on to the ending of the book?
6. The entirety of the novel takes place over the course of one meal. What do you think was gained by this restriction? Do you think anything was lost?