Have you been reading an R. David book with your book club? Click the title below to reveal topics for discussion.
WARNING - PLOT SPOILERS WITHIN!
- Discuss the author’s portrayal of childhood and innocence. Is it convincing?
- How compelling is Huw as a character?
- Discuss Huw’s relationship with Gwen, his mother.
- What other facets are there to Gwen other than a grieving mother?
- Why do you think Sergeant Phillips behaves like he does? Is he a copper’s copper or a bully or something more?
- Was Jean’s breakdown convincing?
- How do you feel about what happened to Alan? Do you think he is guilty?
- Discuss Mr Tanner’s role.
- Discuss Reverend Elwiss’ role. Is he really a man of faith or a self-righteous poseur?
- Discuss the spiritual themes in the book. Are these integral to the unspoken bonds that bind the community together?
- Is there a distinction between the spiritual and the supernatural or are they the same?
- Why was Bryn attacked?
- Discuss the relationship between Bryn and Laura.
- Why do you think Roy was a suspect?
- What role does Eve play? Is she well-meaning or selfish? Why do you think Eve ran away with Aled? Was she right to take him?
- Are Herald Andrew and Protheroe caricatures? What part do they play in revealing the other characters’ possible motives?
- How important are Dewi and Brenda as counterpoints to Sergeant Phillips?
- How do you feel about Alan and Gwen’s affair? Can it be justified or excused?
- Discuss the relationship between Ellis Maynard and Detective Jeffries and, specifically, the individual parts they play: is Maynard just a drunken thug and is Jeffries only a weak facsimile of Sergeant Phillips?
- What does the character of Gwyn the Milk represent?
- What minor characters stand out (such as Lloyd, Laura’s father or the neurosurgeon at the hospital who treats Bryn) and, if they do, why?
- Discuss the impact of the landscape, natural and industrial, on the novel as a whole. How distinctive is its ‘Welshness’ and time it is set in?
- What motivates Sergeant Phillips?
- What do you think Mr Tanner knew – or suspected – and why?
- Discuss the moral and religious themes in the novel.
- Does Reverend Elwiss really talk to God? Does he deserve to? Is he a saintly man?
- How convincing is Reverend Elwiss’ journey to self-knowledge?
- How well does the author develop Reverend Elwiss as a character?
- Is Deborah an effective foil to Reverend Elwiss or does she misunderstand him? What is her role in the overall plot?
- Discuss Mr Tanner’s relationship with Reverend Elwiss.
- Discuss Mr Tanner’s relationship with Bryn.
- Discuss the relationship between Bryn and Laura.
- Is Rose a convincing character? Is she to be pitied and desperately lonely or is she mercenary?
- Is Protheroe’s waning cynicism credible and believable? Does he deserve Rose? Do they deserve each other?
- Must Protheroe take the blame for what Herald Andrew becomes?
- Is Eve a tragic figure?
- Is the portrayal of Aled and Huw as children convincing?
- Does Howell really talk to Gerard or is he reliving terrible memories?
- Discuss the author’s treatment of the supernatural. Are they ghosts or Souls?
- Is Geraint truly noble? What is his purpose in the novel?
- If Geraint had not been killed, do you think Gwen would have remained faithful to him?
- Why did Alan have an affair with Gwen? Does this reflect on Jean too? What is Alan’s relationship with Jean, past and present?
- Is Dewi and Brenda’s relationship a reaction to circumstances or the result of genuine feelings for each other?
- Is Nesta weak or strong?
- Is Maynard a plot device – a means to enact events – or something more? Is it only drink that sustains him or another power? If so, what or who?
