For those of you that haven't or couldn't attend book club lately, we'll be publishing the previous months' discussion questions here. I hope eventually to post discussion questions for all of the books we've covered since I took over a couple of years ago, maybe even beyond. It will take a while. Until then, we will be posting discussion questions a couple of times a month. Here are the questions from one of the lost 2020 Spring sessions, The Accident. We hope these questions spark discussions of your own.
The Accident
by Chris Pavone
Summary:
As dawn approaches in New York, literary agent Isabel Reed is turning the final pages of a mysterious, anonymous manuscript, racing through the explosive revelations about powerful people, as well as long-hidden secrets about her own past. In Copenhagen, veteran CIA operative Hayden Gray, determined that this sweeping story be buried, is suddenly staring down the barrel of an unexpected gun. And in Zurich, the author himself is hiding in a shadowy expat life, trying to atone for a lifetime’s worth of lies and betrayals with publication of The Accident, while always looking over his shoulder.
Over the course of one long, desperate, increasingly perilous day, these lives collide as the book begins its dangerous march toward publication, toward saving or ruining careers and companies, placing everything at risk—and everyone in mortal peril. The rich cast of characters—in publishing and film, politics and espionage—are all forced to confront the consequences of their ambitions, the schisms between their ideal selves and the people they actually became.
The action rockets around Europe and across America, with an intricate web of duplicities stretching back a quarter-century to a dark winding road in upstate New York, where the shocking truth about the accident itself is buried.
Gripping, sophisticated, layered, and impossible to put down, The Accident proves once again that Chris Pavone is a true master of suspense. -- Publisher's description
Discussion Questions
How engaged were you in the story? Did you find yourself immediately pulled in or did it take a while?
This book takes place within a single day. How did this affect your read? Were you aware of this as you read? If not, does this change your understanding of the story?
The discussion of love, loss and loneliness is a persistent theme throughout the book. Almost all of the characters have lost someone dear to them to death or divorce or both. Discuss.
A continuing theme throughout the book is the idea that the written word is dangerous, addictive, and spreads like wildfire. Is this a good or bad thing?
Do you think Wolfe or Holden were justified in their actions? Why do you think they came to those conclusions and actions? Do you think their behavior was inevitable?
When it becomes clear that Isabel Reed is in danger, she develops a crafty plan to escape with misdirection and security measures. Would you be able to come up with a plan? What would yours be?
Between memoirs, biographies, photography and film, we see the characters each have their own way of recording their lives. How do you record your life?
Would you be able to do what the "author" did? Speak up for what happened? Fake your own death?
How dynamic did you find the main characters?
The author structured the book so that we get to hear the perspective of each of the characters. Did this add or subtract from your experience?
What did you think of the excerpts from the fictitious biography, The Accident, that were interspersed throughout the book?
It has been said that the publishing industry directly influenced this story. How accurate a portrayal do you think this might be?
Do you have any experience trying to get something published?
What are your thoughts on the publishing industry?
Note:
Early in the pandemic shutdowns, there were a few months that either found themselves lost or cancelled due to confusion, changing schedules, and difficulties getting the word out. These books we will consider returning to so that individuals who want to discuss them can. Once we are back again at our usual numbers, we will put it to a vote to see if anyone is interested in any of them for a future season.
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