Vanessa and Her Sister Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The Bloomsbury Group and our BookBrowse Review of Vanessa and Her Sister.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. When the novel opens, their father has died and the Stephen siblings have moved from their childhood home in Kensington to bohemian Bloomsbury.  Why do you think Vanessa chose to uproot her siblings and move to such a radically different part of town?  What sort of change is she trying to bring about for her family?
   


2. Vanessa tells us that her family value words and books over painting and visual arts. How do you think growing up in such a family affected Vanessa's view of herself as an artist? Would you rather be a writer or a painter?
   


3. Vanessa has always protected and supported Virginia, and has excused much of her difficult and unsocial behavior.  Do you think Vanessa's tolerance gives Virginia permission to behave in the way that she does?
   

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.