Book Club Discussion Questions
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
This discussion guide is followed by an interview with Jodi Picoult about Second Glance
Questions and Topics for Discussion
- With a title like Second Glance, what can we immediately assume
about the story, even before beginning reading? In what ways does this title
help us to understand that this book is not only about revisiting the past,
but also about exploring what we thought we knew, what we may have been
mistaken about, and how things look different in hindsight?
- In many ways Second Glance is a rumination on the delicate
balance between life and death, suffering and happiness, and desperation and
fulfillment. And while all of the characters must find a way to muddle
through the madness, they do it in very different ways. Ross is desperate to
die, while Ethan struggles with the painful knowledge that he will probably
die young. But despite this fact, Ethan seems to be very well adjusted -- he
has a sense of wisdom that certainly transcends his age. What might Ross
stand to learn from his nephew about the value of life? Do you think Ross
does learn anything about the nature of life and death?
- What kinds of preconceptions and assumptions are challenged throughout
this story? Meredith, for example, comes to question everything, thinking to
herself, "Maybe the sky was not really blue, maybe science did not hold all
the answers, maybe she was not happy with her life." Why is it that most
characters in this novel must have their world completely turned upside down
before they can begin to see things differently? Why do people become so
anchored in their own version of "reality" that they cannot accept or even
see things that lie outside of it?
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- How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
- What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
- Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Washington Square Press.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.