Summary and Reviews of The Illumination by Kevin Brockmeier

Excerpt
The Illumination

It was Friday evening, half an hour before the light struck, and she was attempting to open a package with a carving knife. The package was from her ex-husband, who had covered it in a thick layer of transparent tape, the kind fretted with hundreds of white threads, the latest step in his long campaign of bringing needless difficulty to her life. She was sawing along the lid when she came to a particularly stubborn cross-piece of tape and turned the box toward herself to improve her grip. Her hand slipped, and just that quickly the knife severed the tip of her thumb. The hospital was not busy, and when she walked in carrying a balled-up mass of wet paper towels, her blood wicking through the pink flowers, the clerk at the reception desk admitted her right away. The doctor who came to examine her said, "Let's take a look at what we've got here," then gingerly, with his narrow fingers, unwound the paper from around her thumb. "Okay, this is totally doable. I don'...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Does your understanding of the Illumination change throughout the novel? Why or why not? What do you think it is, and what causes it?



2. Discuss the structure of The Illumination. What is the effect of dividing the book into sections? With which characters did you most identify? Why?



3. How do the epigraphs that begin each section of The Illumination evolve throughout the book? Does the change in tone of the epigraphs reflect how the characters' reactions to the Illumination change? And, your own? Why or why not?



4. The Carol Ann Page section begins with an epigraph that says, in part, "The light is worth the pain." How does this relate to Carol Ann Page, and to the rest of the characters in The Illumination? Do you ...