It's great to see so many of you enjoyed the book over the summer as much as we did.
The webchat with author Hannah Rothschild and book discussion evening is looming! Please do join us on Monday evening between 8.30 and 9.30pm when you'll have chance to discuss the books with other bookclubbers and also put your questions to Hannah. We thought it would be useful and interesting to post up a few questions for discussion which have been supplied to us from Bloomsbury, Hannah's publisher. Feel free to ask whatever you like but we thought this may be helpful food for thought:
How familiar were you with the art world before reading this novel? Did your perception of the business change as you read it?
The voice of The Improbability of Love shifts between sections. How does the oscillation between the removed third-person narrative and the ‘voice’ of the painting contribute to the story’s progress? What does the painting’s voice reveal to readers? How would you characterise ‘him’?
Art represents different things to different characters in the novel. Discuss the tension between loving art for its own sake and loving art for its monetary value. What does the sudden public interest in ‘The Improbability of Love’ show us about the relationship between desire and value?
How would you describe Annie’s personality at the beginning of The Improbability of Love? How does it shift over the course of the novel?
Deception and secrecy are found throughout the plotlines of The Improbability of Love. Which characters use deception to get ahead? Which people demonstrate the most authentic versions of themselves to the world? Which secrets are most surprising?
Viewing a painting is a highly subjective experience, informed both by emotion and intellect. What initially attracts Annie to ‘The Improbability of Love’? How does her perception of the painting change over the course of the novel?
The dinner party scenes within the novel describe a world of unfettered lavishness. How do these scenes contrast with Annie’s day-to-day life? Discuss the concepts of ‘consumption’ and ‘excess’ as depicted throughout The Improbability of Love.
How would you characterise Annie’s relationship with her mother? What information about their shared history helped shape your understanding of Annie’s views on love?
Although it deals with serious subject matter at its heart, The Improbability of Love is a comic novel. Discuss how Hannah Rothschild achieves her comic effects. Are there other satirical writers you would compare her to?