Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:
• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)
Consider these LitLovers talking points to help start a discussion for Eligible...then take off on your own:
1. The most obvious place to start is with comparisons between Curtis Sittenfeld's homage and Jane Austen's original Pride and Prejudice. Consider the following—characters—plot points—dialogue—humor—setting. How closely does Sittenfeld adhere to Austen and where does she depart? Do the departures work?
2. Does this book hold up on its own as an independent novel, disregarding any comparisons with the original?
3. Consider reading (and viewing) other recent takes on Pride and Prejudice:
♦ Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith. Read both book and film.
(Also listen to Screen Thoughts podcast movie review.)
♦ Austenland by Shannon Hale. Read both book and film.
4. Take up the question of why P&P has remained a perennial favorite for 200 years. What makes the book so timeless? The original takes place in an era with values, many of which we find repugnant today: tight restrictions on female freedom and a pernicious class system. So why do we love and admire Austen's most famous work?
(We'll add specific questions if and when they're made available by the publisher. In the meantime, feel free to use these, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)