Readers' Guide
1. With the action moving from the Waldorf-Astoria to Chinatown, from Gramercy Park to the Manhattan Bridge, the New York backdrop plays an integral role in this novel. Do you think the author has captured the city during this period well?
2. Over the course of the book, the author uses several red herrings to throw readers off the scent. Can you identify them? Did you feel they enhanced your reading experience?
3. We're presented with a lot of information about psychoanalysis and Freudian theory. How does the author weave it into the plot and make it engaging?
4. The story contains a fairly radical interpretation of Hamlet. What does this add to the story?
5. How does the relationship between Freud and Younger develop over the course of the book? What does this add to our understanding of the characters?
6. We frequently see Freud and his group debating matters of psychoanalysis, with Jung often disagreeing with the others. What impact does this divergence in opinion have on the group, and how does it contribute to the tension in the novel?
7. Littlemore's cheerful, down-to-earth nature sets him apart from most of the other characters. What does his character bring to the novel?
8. How does the author knit the various strands of the story together at the end of the novel to create impact?
9. Were you surprised by the ending?
10. What other books would you recommend to other readers who have enjoyed this one?
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