The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

Print PDF

For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The Djinn in Islamic Folk Culture and our BookBrowse Review of The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. A bildungsroman, which roughly translates to a "novel of formation," is defined as a coming-of-age novel that explores how a protagonist develops morally and psychologically, from childhood to adulthood. Would you say The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years is a bildungsroman?
2. The novel features a wide range of eccentric characters, each with their own story of love and loss. How does each character play a key role in Sana's character arc and that of the mystery at the heart of the novel?
3. Many of those eccentric characters are funny! What role does humor play in the novel?

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