Book Club Discussion Questions
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
- Signal & Noise is an historical novel that concerns itself with
the early days of the technological revolution. Inventions like the
telegraph cable, the modern sewer system, weapons of mass destruction, even
an elevator on the bluffs of Maine, abound. How is the novel's depiction
of advancements in communication, promotion, and advertising similar to our
modern age?
- Nearly every character in the novel has lost someone dear to them:
Chester and Franny have lost their daughter; both Jack Trace and Maddy are
orphans; J. Beumol Spude has lost a wife; Joachim Lindt has lost a father
and eventually his own wife; Katerina, by the novel's end, has lost
everyone. What are the ways that these absences make themselves felt in the
story? And furthermore, how do these individual tragedies encourage or
inspire the characters into action?
- The author John Griesemer, in addition to writing fiction, is a
professional stage, film, and television actor (see biography). How do you
think this experience is communicated in the book? What elements of the
novel feel particularly theatrical or dramatically staged? And how, too, are
the characters actors in their own plays?
📖
Get the full reading guide
Join BookBrowse free to unlock all 10 discussion questions, author background, themes, and more for Signal and Noise.
Join free — it takes 30 seconds
Already a member? Log in →
- 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 Picador.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.