There Are Rivers in the Sky Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Cuneiform and Ashurbanipal's Library and our BookBrowse Review of There Are Rivers in the Sky.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. At the beginning of each chapter, the character in whose point of view it is told is represented by a chemical symbol: H or O. How do you interpret the assignment of Arthur as O and Narin and Zaleekhah as Hs (creating a complete H2O molecule)?
2. Arthur is responsible for uncovering a great epic story, and the tone of his own narrative is laced with an epic story of his own. What other legends does his story bring to mind, including via his grandiose name, King Arthur Smyth of the Sewers and Slums?
3. How is Arthur shaped by his early days working at the printing shop? How does this exposure to stories—and responsible, loving adults—motivate him to expand his worldview and ambitions? Consider not only his discovery of the book Nineveh and Its Remains but also his relationship with Mr. Bradbury, and how his employment affected his family life.

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.