Barbara the Slut and Other People Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

Print PDF

For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Animals in Literary Fiction and our BookBrowse Review of Barbara the Slut and Other People.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. In "How Am I Supposed to Talk to You?" Lala says, "My mom wasn't one to tell me something was dangerous if it wasn't. And she was sometimes one to tell me something was safe when it wasn't." What do you think she means by this? How is Lala's mother portrayed in the story? What are the mother-daughter dynamics like throughout the collection? Did the relationships feel realistic to you?
2. The word "slut" features prominently in the titular story and reappears throughout the collection. What are your thoughts on the title, and the context in which "slut" is used? Is it possible to reclaim the word or recast it in a more positive or liberating light? What do you think the author's stance on slut-shaming is?
3. Would you consider Barbara the Slut to be a feminist collection? Why or why not?

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