Book Club Discussion Questions
For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, A Short History of Colombia and our BookBrowse Review of Delirium.
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
About This Book
Aguilar, a literature professor reduced to selling dog food after losing his
job at the university, returns from a short trip to find his wife, Agustina,
transformed into “someone terrified and terrifying, a being I barely recognized”
[p. 1]. The daughter of a well-to-do family who delights in breaking the rules
and flaunting her eccentricities, Agustina Londoño was found cowering in a hotel
room; the manager reported that an unidentified man left her there the previous
evening. Searching for an explanation for Agustina's breakdown, Aguilar pieces
together his own recollections, speculations based on Agustina's vague stories
about her past and bits of family history revealed by Agustina's aunt, Sofi, who
has arrived to help care for her.
As the novel unfolds, other stories intersect with Aguilar's narrative. We hear
from Agustina herself, in tangled tales that conflate past and present, memory
and fantasy. Midas McAlister, Agustina's former lover and a money launderer for
Escobar, paints a wry and telling portrait of Colombia's corrupt society—and of
the corruption in the heart of the Londoño family. Glimpses into the life of
Agustina's grandfather, Nicholas Portulinus, a talented and eccentric musician
and composer, hint at a family history of madness.
Reader's Guide
- The multiple narratives in Delirium are presented without
transition. Discuss the elements—for example, the use of recurring images
both actual and metaphorical—that connect one section to the next.
- How would you describe the tone and style of the various threads of the
novel? What does Aguilar's account demonstrate about the way he thinks and
looks at the world? Are Agustina's monologues simply the ramblings of an
unbalanced woman or do they reveal something about her character,
intelligence, and perceptiveness? What stylistic oddities bring out her
state of mind and self-awareness? What effect does Midas's slangy language
and casual, conversational style have on his credibility as a narrator? How
would you compare Aguilar and Midas in terms of their reliability and the
sympathy they evoke in readers? What literary qualities distinguish the
vignettes about Nicholas and Blanca from the other narratives? Are they as
powerful and engaging as the other stories?
- In what ways do Aguilar's and Sofi's reactions to Agustina's behavior
differ? What principles (or beliefs) shape their responses? What roles do
their personal histories with Agustina play in the way they interpret her
rages and compulsive rituals?
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- How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
- What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
- Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Vintage.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.
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