The Emperor of Any Place Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Creatures from Japanese Mythology and our BookBrowse Review of The Emperor of Any Place.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Describe Evan as a character, including his life before his father died. How does he cope with his grief and anger? How does he change in the course of the story? Speculate on what you think his future will be like.
2. Evan's father, Clifford, appears in two flashbacks, but otherwise his character as an adult is revealed through Evan, neighbors, and friends. Discuss Clifford and what he means to those people, especially Evan.
3. Evan describes the boat in a bottle as a "ship that wasn't going anywhere" and adds fondly, "Just like my dad" (page 12). Later he calls it "making a toy out of what had been an instrument of war" (page 282). What do these ships reveal about Clifford? Discuss why Clifford sent one to Griff, why Griff sent it back, and why Evan buries it with his father's ashes.

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