Discuss Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra

Why do you think quality food was so important to Annunziata and her sisters, while it was less so to Maria? Do you feel the importance of a home-cooked meal has changed over the decades, and if so, why?

Nov. 12, 2023
by caroln

Did you learn anything new about the time period covered in the novel? Did anything surprise you?

Nov. 12, 2023
by caroln

Marra's use of vocabulary and sentence structure

Nov. 12, 2023
by caroln

What parts of the book caused you to laugh out loud?

Nov. 12, 2023
by caroln

What elements of the book remind you of things happening in our world today?

Nov. 12, 2023
by caroln

Why do you suppose Anna Weber, the miniaturist, regrets not taking the job designing for the Berlin Olympics, even though she knows the Nazis are wrong?

Nov. 12, 2023
by caroln

Which characters make Faustian bargains? Do you think entering into a deal with the devil ever justified?

Nov. 02, 2023
by Molly Mae

How do you think imprisonment affects Giuseppe?

Oct. 25, 2023
by JHSiess

Ned thinks children hold it against their broken parents who "raise them to be whole," while Artie thinks they aren't whole, just "broken in more delicate ways by finer instruments." What is your view?

Oct. 25, 2023
by JHSiess

What is at the heart of Artie and Maria's relationship? How do they balance each other out?

Oct. 25, 2023
by JHSiess

What does Annunziata's suitcase represent to her when she ﬁlls it with Italian soil and brings it to America? How does this change when she passes it on to Maria, and Maria passes to Eddie?

Oct. 24, 2023
by juliaa

Why do you think Inspector Ferrando lets Nino live? How are Ferrando's fictionalized police reports similar to Mercury's films?

Oct. 24, 2023
by juliaa

How is the theme of appearance and reality important to the development of many of the novel’s storyline threads

Oct. 24, 2023
by JHSiess

Why do you think all of the immigrants and exiles in the novel are drawn to Hollywood and the film industry?

Oct. 24, 2023
by JHSiess

Which character did you identify with the most? Why?

Oct. 24, 2023
by JHSiess

How does the novel treat its bit players? What do you think Marra was trying to say about whose stories matter? Is there a minor character that really appealed to you?

Oct. 24, 2023
by JHSiess

Why don't Artie and Ned get along? What do you think motivates Ned to betray Artie?

Oct. 24, 2023
by JHSiess

What does the book have to say about propaganda? Do you think there's such a thing as helpful propaganda?

Oct. 24, 2023
by JHSiess

How do you feel different characters experience exile, both at home and abroad? How do invisible prisons differ from real ones?

Oct. 24, 2023
by JHSiess

Both Maria and her mother keep their emotions inside. How does this help them survive? How does it hurt them?

Oct. 24, 2023
by JHSiess

Overall, what did you think of Mercury Pictures Presents? (no spoilers)

Oct. 24, 2023
by JHSiess

The portrayal of characters with varying ethnicities and backgrounds

Oct. 17, 2023
by beckys

Mercury Pictures Presents

Discuss Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra

Which of Mercury Pictures' ﬁctional ﬁlms would you most like to see?

Why do you think quality food was so important to Annunziata and her sisters, while it was less so to Maria? Do you feel the importance of a home-cooked meal has changed over the decades, and if so, why?

Did you learn anything new about the time period covered in the novel? Did anything surprise you?

Marra's use of vocabulary and sentence structure

What parts of the book caused you to laugh out loud?

What elements of the book remind you of things happening in our world today?

Why do you suppose Anna Weber, the miniaturist, regrets not taking the job designing for the Berlin Olympics, even though she knows the Nazis are wrong?

Which characters make Faustian bargains? Do you think entering into a deal with the devil ever justified?

How do you think imprisonment affects Giuseppe?

Ned thinks children hold it against their broken parents who "raise them to be whole," while Artie thinks they aren't whole, just "broken in more delicate ways by finer instruments." What is your view?

What is at the heart of Artie and Maria's relationship? How do they balance each other out?

What does Annunziata's suitcase represent to her when she ﬁlls it with Italian soil and brings it to America? How does this change when she passes it on to Maria, and Maria passes to Eddie?

Why do you think Inspector Ferrando lets Nino live? How are Ferrando's fictionalized police reports similar to Mercury's films?

How is the theme of appearance and reality important to the development of many of the novel’s storyline threads

Why do you think all of the immigrants and exiles in the novel are drawn to Hollywood and the film industry?

Which character did you identify with the most? Why?

How does the novel treat its bit players? What do you think Marra was trying to say about whose stories matter? Is there a minor character that really appealed to you?

Why don't Artie and Ned get along? What do you think motivates Ned to betray Artie?

What does the book have to say about propaganda? Do you think there's such a thing as helpful propaganda?

How do you feel different characters experience exile, both at home and abroad? How do invisible prisons differ from real ones?

Both Maria and her mother keep their emotions inside. How does this help them survive? How does it hurt them?

Overall, what did you think of Mercury Pictures Presents? (no spoilers)

The portrayal of characters with varying ethnicities and backgrounds

Sorry, Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra is closed for new posts.
Please go to bookbrowse.com/booktalk for a full list of conversations.

Discuss Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra

Sorry, Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra is closed for new posts.Please go to bookbrowse.com/booktalk for a full list of conversations.

Sorry, Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra is closed for new posts.
Please go to bookbrowse.com/booktalk for a full list of conversations.