The Boat Rocker Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Name: The Boat Rocker
Rating: 4.6 (5 reviews)
Author: Ha Jin
ISBN: 9780307911629

The Boat Rocker

by Ha Jin

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Critics' Consensus (5):

Readers' Rating (2):

First Published:
Oct 25, 2016, 240 pages

Paperback:
Oct 2017, 240 pages

Book Reviewed by:
Donna Chavez
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- Literary Fiction
- Mid-Atlantic, USA
- New York State
- Contemporary
- Immigrants & Expats
- Asian Authors
Genres & Themes
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Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Building a Wall Between Impartiality and Personal Opinion and our BookBrowse Review of The Boat Rocker.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

Describe Danlin, his ex-wife Yan Haili, and his boss Kaiming. How do the three of them change, or do they, over the course of the novel? Do your feelings about each of them evolve as you learn more about them?
What do you think of the small news agency where Danlin works? Do they bite off more than they can chew by going after the Chinese government?
Why do you think the Chinese government has chosen Yan Haili's debut novel to endorse and promote?

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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 Vintage. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.

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Beyond the Book:
Building a Wall Between Impartiality and Personal Opinion

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