Book Club Discussion Questions
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
The
questions, discussion topics, and suggestions for further reading that
follow are designed to enhance your group's discussion of Anne Rice's
extraordinary novel about the early years of Jesus. Rice, well known for
her ability to weave compelling plots and characters against a richly
detailed and meticulously researched historical background, journeys to
the first century and brings to life the religious beliefs and
traditions, the political turmoil, and the family secrets that marked
the beginning of Jesus' mission on earth.
Told in the voice of the seven-year-old Jesus,
Christ the Lord: Out
of Egypt is the story of his return to the Holy Land after
years of exile in Egypt and his gradual–at times fearful–acceptance of
the wonders and the mysteries that set him apart from all others. Rice
draws on close examinations of the Gospels, the Apocrypha, and the work
of respected Biblical scholars and historians to re-create Jesus' world,
and in a daring, profoundly moving portrait, imagines how Jesus felt as
he came to understand and embrace his destiny.
Discussion Questions
- Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt is told in Jesus'
voice. What advantages does the first-person narration offer the
author? How does it contribute to the novel's emotional resonance? How
does it influence the way the novel unfolds?
- What other literary devices does Rice use to bring the story to
life for the contemporary reader? Discuss, for example, her use of
imagined conversations and her descriptions of the family's
interactions.
- The Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke recount the story
of Jesus' birth, the flight to Egypt, and the family's return to
Israel. Does Rice take liberties with these biblical versions in her
retelling? To what extent does her account echo the Gospels in both
content and tone?
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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 Ballantine Books.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.
