Trust

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• Which of the novel’s four books did you enjoy most and why?
• Did you approach this text as a postmodern novel or a historical fiction novel? How did this expectation prime your reading of the text? Did you find yourself surprised by the text?
• Do you have a favorite character? Because of the shifting nature of reality in this novel, did your favorite change as the novel went on?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Because this novel presents the same characters, shown throughout different authors in different genres, the representations of single characters varies greatly across the parts. Which representations did you identify with most or find most interesting?
• While the reader does not ultimately know the truth, who do you “trust” most characters across all four parts? Why?
• Because the four parts contradict one another and sometimes present mutually exclusive information, the reader sees that perception is subjective. What is an example of this in the text? Have you ever felt like you have perceived something (an event or person) drastically different than someone else?
• The novel features characters whose sense of the world is distorted by the pursuit, promise, and acquisition of wealth.