Pulse Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Selected Books by Julian Barnes and our BookBrowse Review of Pulse.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. "East Wind"
   Vernon's wife had told him, "I just can't live with you because you always fuck things up" (p. 12). What does he do to prove that his wife was right? Why does Vernon betray Andrea's tentative alliance with him by invading her privacy? What would this story be like if told from Andrea's point of view?



2. "At Phil & Joanna's 1: 60/40"
   The four "At Phil and Joanna's" stories are constructed entirely of dialogue and produce the effect of a continuous conversation. Is it difficult to make out who is speaking, and does it matter? What social class do these characters belong to? What pleasures do they take in being together?



3. "Sleeping with John Updike"
   What undercurrents are notable in the friendship between Alice and Jane? Who is envious of whom? Which friend is more dependent upon the other? Which aspects of the story strike you as most true, considering friendships between women?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Knopf. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.