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)
Also consider these LitLovers talking points to help get a discussion started for Love of the Game:
1. What kind of man is Chapel? How would you describe him? A number of reviews, and even the publisher, refer to this book as a coming-of-age story? In other words, during the course of the novel, Billy matures...implying that he was immature at the the start. Do you see him as immature? If so, in what way...and how does he mature by the end? Perhaps it's not a coming-of-age tale but rather the story of a good but flawed individual? What do you think?
2. Why have the owners of the Hawks decided to trade Billy Chapel? Is this a betrayal...or simply a smart business decision...or both?
3. If you're a baseball fan, is this a good baseball story? Does it reveal the "ins & outs" of the game or provide insights into the psychology of the game and the physical demands on the players? Does the book capture the thrills and suspense of the sport?
4. If you're not a baseball fan, does the book still engage you? Do you have to be a fan to enjoy the novel?
5. Why might Shaara have structured the book as he does—through a series of flashbacks rather than a straightforward timeline? As you read, did you find the back-and-forth engaging and suspenseful, or distracting and tiresome? What about other stylistic traits—the staccato-like, unfinished sentences? Do they add to the story in any way?
6. Talk about Carol Grey, Billy's on-again-off-again girl friend. What does she mean when she says, "You don't need me, Billy." A fair comment...or not?
7. What accounts for Billy's final, perfect game? Is it a result of his physical skill and innate talent...or his state of mind?
8. A broader question: why has baseball captured American hearts and minds? Why are fans so devoted—what's the appeal?
9. If you have seen the 1991 film, how does it compare with the book? Does it capture the essence of the novel? What changes have been made?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)
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