The Strangler Vine Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The Goddess Kali and our BookBrowse Review of The Strangler Vine.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Consider the characters of Jeremiah Blake and William Avery. How do they respond differently to the world around them? What defines their values?
   


2. The modern term "thug" is derived from the historical usage depicted in the book, of the roving Indian band called the Thuggee. How our use of this word today similar to or different from its original meaning?
   


3. Consider the structure of the novel, which contains elements of both a mystery and a journey or quest. How would you categorize this story? What nineteenth-century fiction might it be compared to?
   

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of G.P. Putnam's Sons. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.