Book Club Discussion Questions
For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, and our BookBrowse Review of The Book of Air and Shadows.
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
About This Book
Jake Mishkin is an intellectual property lawyer with a fabulously wealthy
ex-wife, a brother who's a convict turned Jesuit priest, and a weakness for
beautiful women. Albert Crosetti is an aspiring film-maker with a weakness for
one woman in particular. Together, as they both search for a lost treasure, they
form one of the more unlikely teams in recent memory. But
The Book of Air and
Shadows is so much more than a riveting novel of suspense. Michael Gruber
has been called "masterful" (
Cleveland Plain Dealer), "Superior" (
Seattle
Times) and
The Washington Post says that Michael's books are
"miracles of intelligent fiction . . . among the essential novels of recent
years." In this book, Gruber creates an utterly believable, historically
accurate portrait of William Shakespeare, as fully realized a character as the
contemporary Jake Mishkin and Albert Crosetti.
Questions for Discussion
- What is your view of Jake Mishkin's character? Do his personality and
profession aid in the search or are they more of a hindrance? Do his flaws
make him more likeable?
- Albert Crosetti's life is currently on hold when he becomes involved in
the mystery. He's saving up to go to film school and living with his mother.
Does his stasis make him more susceptible to Carolyn's deception?
- The Bracegirdle letters create an incredible sense of time and place
with richly textured language and thoughtful details. Discuss some of the
most vivid images and their importance to the story and to your own
experience reading 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 HarperPaperbacks.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.