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Man and Boy Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

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Man and Boy by Tony Parsons

Man and Boy

by Tony Parsons
  • Critics' Consensus (5):
  • Readers' Rating (33):
  • First Published:
  • Apr 1, 2001, 340 pages
  • Paperback:
  • May 2002, 340 pages
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Book Club Discussion Questions

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Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

Plot synopsis:

A witty, often eye-dabbing, always heartwarming love story between a father and his four-year-old son. Set in London, this is the not-to-be-forgotten saga of Harry Silver, who has it all: a beautiful wife, a wonderful son and a great job in the media. But in one night of infidelity, he throws it all away. His wife leaves to take a chance on a new life, leaving Harry at home with the daunting and exhilarating task of raising his son by himself. How Harry Silver learns to love his own father, find a new love and make the hardest decision of his thirty-plus years provides the magic and tension of this novel.


For Discussion:
  1. Did Man and Boy change any of your feelings about the kind of love a father feels for his child? How is the love a father has for his son or daughter different from the love a mother feels?

  2. The author describes Man and Boy as "a generational love story–the story of how love is passed down from generation to generation." Did Man and Boy succeed in showing how the love of a family passes down from generation to generation?

  3. Harry Silver, the protagonist in Man and Boy, comes from an old-fashioned nuclear family, yet finds himself bringing up his son alone. Is the author nostalgic for the days when marriages lasted forever? Does he feel that a single-parent family is just as valid as a family with both mother and father still present?

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  1. How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
  2. What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
  3. 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 Touchstone. 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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