Appreciation post: Someone in my club said my discussion questions were just plot summaries

We were talking about 'The Silent Patient' and I asked if people thought Theo was a reliable narrator, but my friend Mark pointed out my last three questions just rehashed what happened in chapters. I switched to asking about character motives and themes instead. How do you come up with questions that actually start a debate?

2 comments

2 Comments

derekthomas11d ago

Actually, I think that's the best place to start.

william6611d ago

Plot summary questions are a dead end for real talk. The trick is to find the cracks in the story. For 'The Silent Patient', ask why Alicia picks that specific painting to hide her secret. The book gives a reason, but is it a good one? Push on the weak spots in the logic, the choices that feel off. That's where people actually disagree and start arguing.