Creation Lake Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, French Philosopher Guy-Ernest Debord and our BookBrowse Review of Creation Lake.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Consider the narrative point of view. How does this POV, which at times makes the book read like Sadie's personal journal or even a court testimony, impact the emotional tenor of the book?
2. Think about the life advice Bruno imparts through his aphorisms and maxims, like "when we face our need to control [the future], we are better able to resist that need, and to live in the present" (398), and "Difference dissolves. But you stay you" (401). Discuss your favorite Bruno-isms and theories and analyze their meanings. Do you agree with him that capitalism and the modern organization of life are here to stay? What do you think he means when he says the only solution is to "leave this world"?
3. Sadie indulges in the "bad" behavior of classic male rogue agents. She drinks too much, sleeps with the wrong people, and is highly manipulative. How does that make you judge her?

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