Reading Guide Questions

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. If Lucinda was allowed to report without the dictates of the Up Early staff, what are some of the Quality of Life segments you think she might have produced?
   


2. Space is a character in itself in the novel. Discuss the ways in which Daum uses space to illustrate Trout's journey.
   


3. Hayley Bopp, the self-exploitative Web diarist-turned-novelist, figures throughout the book. On some level she acts as its villain. Why is she such an important counterpoint to Lucinda?
   


4. What did you make of Christine? Did you find her lack of personality frustrating? Or were you more troubled by the fact that others imposed such expectations on her based on her physical, racial, and educational credentials?
   


5. Did Mason's addiction come to you as a surprise? Or could you see the warning signs ahead of Lucinda?
   


6. Why was Lucinda so surprised that Faye and the New York Magazine reporter appreciated Mason's paintings? What does this reveal about her character?
   


7. What are some examples of ways in which Lucinda tries to mold others to her own ideals?
   


8. Lucinda says: "The horror of being judged was nothing compared to the fear of being dull, of being less than endearing, of being written off as a loser." How do you feel about this statement?
   


9. Why does Lucinda ultimately decide to make Prairie City her home? What is she sacrificing with this decision? What is she gaining?
   


10. The humor in the novel invites the reader to relate to Lucinda's journey as she experiences it. Could the same story be told with an omniscient narrative? What would be different?

Penguin Books
Marketing Department CC
Readers' Guides
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014-3657


Reproduced with the permission of the publisher. They may not be reproduced, duplicated or distributed without written permission from Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Copying these materials for anything other than your personal use is a violation of United States copyright laws.

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