The Laments Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, and our BookBrowse Review of The Laments.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. "No one could doubt that this baby, in spite of his lack of a name, was destined for a happy life." How does the Lament family's vision of happiness change as they wander from country to country?
   


2. Will has an intense investment in the unity of his parents as a baby, linking his mother's dress and his father's belt loop with his finger. How does this investment play itself out to the novel's end? What is the significance of his comment to Rose at the Statue of Liberty when he says, "I can't do it forever?"
   


3. What is the significance of roses in the novel? When the Midnight Chinaman first appears, he has roses embroidered on his silk pajamas. What does his presence portend?
   

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.