THE SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB’S GUIDE TO SLAYING
VAMPIRES
by Grady Hendrix
1.
Those of you might recall the author’s note
discussing his inspiration for writing this novel. He explains further
that he was compelled to tell the story from a parent’s view; a parent feeling
helpless when their child is in danger. Discuss this theme within the
story. Other than it being about vampires, do you feel the author is
accurate when describing what this book is about?
2.
(p.14) Discuss Patricia Campbell. Was she
an ideal protagonist for the story? What was your first impression?
Was she likeable? What could the author improve upon, if any, in having
to do with her character? (p. 15) Discuss the significance of the
name of the first book club, Literary Guild of Mt. Pleasant.
Compare it to the various changes it later took. (topics include members (p.
18), genre (p. 29), book selection process)
3.
Discuss the various characters within the
story. Favorites? Dislikes? Discuss the contrasts within the
members. Explain why you think this might add or take away from the
story. (Original members include Patricia, Marjorie, Slick, Louise,
Cuffy, Kitty, Grace, Sadie, MaryEllen) (p. 40-41) How do you think being
different might benefit each other? What do you suppose drew (or
motivated) each individual character to join Kitty’s new book club or a book
club in general?
4.
(p. 28) Kitty assembled a new book club to meet
at her house. Grace commented; “This isn’t a book club.” She later
defends her statement; “We’re just getting together to talk about a
paperback book we all happened to read. It’s not like it’s a real book.”
You might recall Kitty’s response. However, what is your definition
of a book club?
5.
(p.30) Patricia and Carter were portrayed as a
typical American suburbia family in the late 80’s. How might you disagree
with the “typical” portrayal of them in the early part of the book? Could
you relate to your own experiences during the 80s? Talk about this time,
the setting, and the characters themselves and how realistic they come across
as being during the 80s and 90s.
6.
(p.35) When did Patricia’s friendship with the
other members of the book club become apparent? Do you recall any examples
of genuine friendship prior to the final coming together at the end?
Discuss the definition of camaraderie and what reinforces friendships?
Why do we seek camaraderie, and do we typically find what we are looking for?
7.
(p. 51) Talk about Patricia's encounter with her
neighbor Mrs. Savage while taking out the garbage. Describe your thoughts
and impressions. Discuss your theories
on why Patricia didn’t change, after being bitten, and why she didn’t suffer a
similar fate as Mrs. Savage.
8.
(p. 61) Grace informed Patricia that Mrs. Savage
suffered from “blood poisoning” and she was malnourished, dehydrated, and
covered with cuts and sores. What were you speculating at this
point? Did the author reveal too much too soon?
9.
(p.63) Patricia states; “A woman had
died. She needed to take something by the house. Grace was right: it
made no sense, but sometimes you did a thing because that was just what you
did, not because it was sensible.” Tell how later this same concept
could be applied within the story. Discuss how this same philosophy may
have played a part in your own story (life).
10.
(p.71) Discuss Patricia’ s and the other book
club member’s relationship with their children.
11.
(p.80) Theorize why James Harris took such an
interest in Patricia’s family.
12.
(p. 80, 84) Why was Patricia so caught up with
James? Did Patricia respond to certain “James Harris” events (giving
cash, performing CPR, giving a ride) in a believable manner?
13.
(p. 82) James pleads to Patricia to help him
with his house. He portrays himself as
weak (though this was supposedly after he killed Francine – wouldn’t he be
stronger?) and needing her help because of his sickness. Attempt to identify with Patricia. What would you have done? Are her choices even more questionable
because of her book club’s genre choice?
(ex. Featuring Ted Bundy, Manson…?)
14.
(p. 100) James Harris was invited by Patricia to
attend the book club. The book of the night during his attendance was The
Bridges of Madison County. Think back to the club’s discussion while
James was there. Why do you suppose the author chose this book for this meeting?
15.
(p. 78-9, 101, 103, 128, 136) How did Miss Mary
contribute to the story? Why do you think her outbursts were
important? (p. 74) At what moment did you consider Mis Mary held truth
within her comments? What was her most
important role, or roles, to play in the story?
16.
(p. 136) At Miss Mary’s funeral, the song Come
Thou Disconsolate was played.
17. CH-1) Come, ye disconsolate, where’er
ye languish,
Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel.
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish;
Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot heal.
18. CH-2) Joy of the desolate, light of
the straying,
Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure!
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying,
“Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot cure.”
19.
What, if any, was the significance of mentioning
this song?
20.
(p. 124, 181-2) Blue possessed an interest in
the Third Reich. Do you think the author
used this interest to connect with the storyline? How did his parents deal with this unique
interest? Would you have been more
concerned? How might you have handled
Blue differently?
21.
(p. 147) Mrs. Greene lived in a different
neighborhood called Six Mile. This vicinity was quite different than Mt.
Pleasant. Was the stark contrast between
the two areas in town convincing to you especially it taking place in the 1990s
in South Carolina? Discuss the believability, the significance in the story,
and why this difference in backdrop provided something to the reader.
22.
(p. 153) Initially Patricia swooned over James
Harris and then at some point she was quick to consider him being the culprit
of a murder. Why was she so quick to
question? Why was she so inclined to
connect the dots?
23.
(p. 100) Discuss MaryEllen, the feminist, and
what she provided to the story. Talk
about the roles of the men characters within the story. (p. 80, 204) Do you believe the author held
favor to either of the sexes?
24.
(p. 227) Grace later discusses in frustration to
Patricia; “Why do you pretend what we do is nothing? Every day, all the chaos
and messiness of life happens and every day we clean I all up. Without us, they would just wallow in filth
and disorder and nothing of any consequence would ever get done. Who taught you to sneer at that? I’ll tell
you who. Someone who took their mother
for granted.” What might Grace be reacting to?
25.
(p. 90, 160, 169,) Share your recollections of
“dumb” moments within the story. Perhaps
your examples include “what mothers wouldn’t normally do” or “typical horror
movie scenes”.
26.
In Chapter 19, on book club night, the club
discusses the book The Stranger Beside Me about Ann Rule and her relationship
with Ted Bundy. Though Slick defends Ann
and how hard it must’ve been for her, MaryEllen is critical about how Ann was
ignorant and failed to recognize Ted for who he was. She later states; “That’s not the point at
all. The point is, if the evidence says
your best friend Ted talks like a duck, and walks like a duck, and drives the
same car as a duck, then he’s probably a duck.” Describe the significance
of this part in the story and how it later applies to James Harris and to each
of the book club members.
27.
(p. 215-217, 233) Analyze Patricia and Carter’s
relationship and how it developed and then finally ending in divorce. What was your initial impression of
Carter? Was his reaction and his lack of
supportive nature to Patricia realistic?
Do you believe that he was indeed having affairs with other women?
28.
(p. 228-9, 252) Patricia was humiliated and left
on her own after accusing James Harris of her suspicions. She was left entirely on her own, feeling as
though no one believed nor supported her.
She realized Carter had set her up and built a trap for her. Her daughter says, “Dad said I didn’t have
to listen to you.” Why was Carter so malicious towards his wife? Was he that manipulative? She frantically took Prozac pills in her
despair. Do you think she was trying to kill herself or was trying desperately
to get someone’s attention? (p. 235) Did
Carter honestly think punishment was going to “teach” Patricia?
29.
(p. 103) Did you anticipate Miss Mary’s alliance
with Patricia as we found in Patricia’s realization of what Miss Mary’s mission
was?
30.
(p. 240) The story fast-forwards to three years
later. Rush Limbaugh, favored by Carter,
was mentioned. Patricia is conscious of
her weight and is mentioned multiple times.
James Harris is playing a more dominant role within everyone’s lives,
clearly involved with each character. Do
you believe the three years was necessary (and believable) for the story to
proceed?
31.
(p. 261) Patricia has a conversation with James
Harris on the phone regarding Blue. The
topic of her husband, Carter and him working too much comes up. Patricia makes note that “she felt disloyal
talking about Carter behind his back”.
What!?
32.
Discuss previous familiarities you had of
vampires. Discuss how you might have
been enlightened with how the story portrayed James Harris. (p.59 owl bit Miss
Mary) (p. 128 rats) (p. 171 – appendage-?) (p. 177 rats, flying?) (p. 232 the
owl, rats)
33.
(p. 274, 341) “Three things are never
satisfied…” Mrs. Greene had stated, and later Patricia recalled that Miss
Mary (p. 119) had also quoted a similar statement some time before; “Nightwalking
men always have a hunger on them. They
never stop taking and they don’t know about enough. They mortgaged their souls away and now they
eat and eat and never know how to stop.” Discuss the similarities between
the book’s description of vampires and what your preconceived definition of
vampires was prior to reading the book.
34.
(p. 263, 271) Miss Mary made an appearance to
both Patricia and Mrs. Greene. Share why
might she chose to do this and why was this important to the climax of the
story.
35.
(p. 294) Discuss the invasion of James Harris’s
house. Why was this significant? Explain why Patricia and Mrs. Greene braved
the risks. Was it worth it in the end?
36.
(p. 282, 308,) Refer to Slick’s character and
how she provided a counterbalance opposite of other book members, their
opinions, and choice making. How did you
prioritize her within the story? Speculate on why Slick’s character was chosen
to be violated and not Patricia’s. (p.
281) Did you trust Slick with the information Patricia provided?
37.
(p. 338-9) Patricia discovered James Harris
mutilating Korey. She then went into a
state of guilt, claiming it was all her fault.
What do you think about her self-criticism? Why would she feel like the events that had
happened up to that point was her fault?
Guilt, and betrayal, and nausea churned in her gut and she barely
made it to the bathroom before she threw up.
What “betrayal” could she be experiencing?
38.
(p. 354) Do you believe Patricia had to give
herself to James to conquer him?
39.
(p. 350) In her last days, Slick quotes Proverbs
25:26. Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain
is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked. She explains
afterwards that they “wanted to believe that Patricia was wrong because it
meant we didn’t have to do anything hard.” How easy is this to identify
with?
40.
(p. 393) Slick and Patricia discuss Patricia’s encounter
with James. They discuss “sin”. How did “sin” play a part of this story?
41.
(p. 395) Slick passes away while Kitty read to
her In Cold Blood. Why was this
story significant? Why would this book
bring Slick comfort?
42.
(Prologue and p. 361) The author forewarns the
reader in the Prologue of what the story entails, a story about a group of
stereotypical southern housewives. Discuss the stereotypes attached to
housewives and why you might think the author featured this in the story.
Later, James Harris belittles Patricia and her role as a Southern housewife and
how dumb she was. (p. 403) Patricia later concluded; “Think of us what you
will, she thought, we made mistakes, and probably scarred our children
for life, and we froze sandwiches, and forgot carpool, and got divorced. But when the time came, we went the
distance.” Share your thoughts.
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