Book Club Discussion Questions
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
About This Guide
The novel
The Dante Club is a story about what could be called America's first book club. Longfellow, Holmes, Lowell and their friends came together once a week to read and discuss Dante and Dante's relevance to their lives; in the process, their friendships evolved and strengthened in inspiring ways. In the fictional narrative of the novel, the outgrowth of their book club is the ability to uncover and stop a savage "misreading" of literature that threatens to destroy their city.
The Dante Club draws much of its energy from Dante's masterpiece,
Inferno, and its first American translation by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Though readers can fully enjoy the novel without any knowledge of Dante, with the new Modern Library edition of Longfellow's
Inferno book clubs and reading groups have a perfect opportunity to discuss both
The Dante Club and
Inferno.
Discussion Points -
Discuss how the various characters benefit intellectually and professionally from their association with the "Dante Club" reading and translation group. How is the group similar to book clubs now popular throughout the United States? How does it differ?
... (Follow-up) What's the secret of the power of collective reading? Compare the dynamic of the Dante Club to your own book club or reading group.
- The death of Fanny Longfellow leads Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to take "refuge" in his translation of Dante. Discuss why Dante in particular seems to help him through his dark period. How is his sanctuary affected by the outbreak of violence from that same work of literature?
Follow-up) Are there ways in which literature has provided a refuge in your own lives at difficult or confusing times?
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In Dante's Divine Comedy, Dante's poetic idol Virgil leads him through the dangerous passages of the afterlife. In what ways do the characters of The Dante Club guide one other? Who would you say is the real leader?
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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 Random House.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.
