The Usual Desire to Kill Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The Silent Generation in The Usual Desire to Kill and our BookBrowse Review of The Usual Desire to Kill.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Camilla Barnes unites comedy with pathos in this hilarious, heartfelt tragicomic novel. The provocative title, The Usual Desire to Kill, sets the stage for the marriage of humor and high emotion. How does the title reflect the book's themes or characters' inner and outer conflicts?
2. How does the author use humor to balance the novel's heavier themes, such as familial strife, aging, and regret? Can you identify specific moments where comedy provides relief?
3. How does the theme of familial obligations and expectations manifest throughout the novel? Which character feels this weight the most?

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.