Book Club Friends Discussion Guide For:
A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny
A World of Curiosities is Book #18 of the Chief Inspector Gamache series
It’s spring and Three Pines is reemerging after the harsh winter. But not everything buried should come alive again. Not everything lying dormant should reemerge. But something has.
Published: 2022
A World of Curiosities Discussions
Please note that all discussions may contain spoilers.
How do you feel about Fiona? About Sam? How do you feel about their relationships with both Armand and Jean-Guy over the years, and over the course of this novel?
In the first case Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir work together, they meet two children: Fiona and Sam Arsenault, who both grow up to be important characters in A World of Curiosities.16/04/2024Knowing what we do now about the events of that day, why does Ruth incorporate imagery of witches into her tribute to those students? Where else does Louise include references of witchcraft and magic in A World of Curiosities?
Before I was not a witch, wrote Ruth Zardo in a poem memorializing the terrible events of the Montréal Massacre, But now I am one.17/04/2024What is it about John Fleming that invokes this type of reaction in Gamache? How does his loss of control make you feel?
We’re used to Gamache keeping his cool during tense moments, but during his conversation with the warden of the SHU, he reacts “beyond anger, beyond rage, into a territory Beauvoir had never seen in the Chief Inspector. Gamache was losing it.”18/04/2024Where else does Louise incorporate secret codes, or hidden messages, into this novel?
Ça va bien aller – all will be well. We certainly recognize this phrase from The Madness of Crowds, but LP uses it throughout A World of Curiosities as well, including once as a disguised message.19/04/2024Discuss some examples of forgiveness in A World of Curiosities. Are there any characters you wouldn’t be able to forgive? What does forgiveness mean to you?
In her acknowledgements, LP writes about exploring the idea of forgiveness, the major theme in this book.20/04/2024What burning questions, observations, or comments do you want to share?
Alternatively, if you could ask Louise Penny anything about this book, what would it be?21/04/2024The spirit of the Three Pines community
Identify a passage or scene that embraces the spirit of Three Pines in A World of Curiosities. What does the phrase or scene mean to you? How does it inspire you?09/10/2024The humour of Louise Penny
What’s your favourite passage or scene that demonstrates Louise’s humour in A World of Curiosities?10/10/2024An insight into human nature
Identify a passage or scene that demonstrates an insight into human nature in A World of Curiosities. Discuss the quote or scene and what it means to you or how it has impacted you.11/10/2024A historical detail of interest
In A World of Curiosities, did you pick up on any historical or geographical details of interest? Tell us about it and what you appreciated learning about in A World of Curiosities.12/10/2024An enticing food moment
Tell us about your favourite food moment in A World of Curiosities! Has the food in this book inspired you to try a new dish or bake/cook something new?13/10/2024Discussion of The Wisdom of Gamache phrase chosen by Louise Penny
Discuss The Wisdom of Gamache phrase chosen by Louise. What does this phrase mean to you? How does it inspire you?15/10/2024Detecting The Wisdom of Gamache
Sleuth work: The Wisdom of Gamache in A World of Curiosities: Identify phrases in this book that embrace Gamache’s approach to life. ONLY comment with the phrase! Discussion of the selected phrase will take place next week after Louise reveals her phrase.08/10/2024
Characters are listed in alphabetical order. Any new additions will be listed on the bottom row, along with credit to the contributor.
*Note: New entries may take up to five minutes to appear.
Food mentioned in order of appearance. Any new additions will be listed on the bottom row, along with credit to the contributor.
*Note: New entries may take up to five minutes to appear.
Three Pines
Published on Book Club Friends with permission from Louise Penny.
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Want to know more about Ruth Zardo’s Poetry?
“I’m so happy I made, by some miracle, Ruth a poet. Again, contrast. The embittered elderly poet, with such insight into the human heart (sometimes filled with frost), and human condition. Later in the series, as you might know, we find out who hurt her once, ‘so far beyond repair…”
“I wish I could take credit for the poetry, but the fact is, the poetry is mostly from two works…Margaret Atwood’s Morning in the Burned House…and a privately published book by the late Marylyn Plessner.” ― Louise Penny
Louise also credits Leonard Cohen, Stevie Smith, Ralph Hodgson, Mike Freeman, Liz Davidson, Robert Service, and W.H. Auden for poetry quoted in her books.
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Lady Mink: A Sort of Requiem
&
God Be In My Head
by Marylyn Plessner
from Vapour Trails
Three Pines Poetry Sources
Morning in the Burned House
The Essential Leonard Cohen
All the Poems: Stevie Smith
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