Book Club Discussion Questions
For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, and our BookBrowse Review of Leonardo's Swans.
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
- While Leonardo's Swans is written from the points of view of the Este
sisters, each chapter begins with an excerpt from the actual notebooks
of Leonardo da Vinci, who is a pivotal character. How did the portrayal
of Leonardo change your opinion of this iconic artist? Were you aware of
the breadth of his work, which included weaponry design, anatomy,
sculpture, and machinery?
- Leonardo's challenges as a genius with a
great vision and also a human being who needs to pay his bills and feed
his dependents is explored throughout the novel. Did the fact that this
great man was plagued by so many ordinary woes surprise you? Is his
situation different from the artist's plight today? Did his problems
change your opinion about, or shed light upon, the struggles facing any
contemporary artists that you might know?
- The novel explores the eternal relationship between art and power.
What is created and what survives is a direct result of who is in power
and who is controlling the purse strings. Leonardo's most famous
paintings were commissioned by his patrons. Other works were not
executed because of both war and whim. How does this theme continue to
play out in our own culture? Did you make the connection between, say,
the destruction of the colossal Buddhas in Afghanistan by the Taliban
and Leonardo's bronze for his colossal horse sculpture being shipped
away to make cannons? Or the French soldiers destroying the clay
sculpture after the fall of Milan? What works of art have been
commissioned with public money in your community? Do you think they
reflect the vision of the artist or the vision of those who commissioned
them?
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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 Broadway Books.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.