Victor & Me in Paris
$23.95
SKU:
9780888017925
Everything Paris can offer! Fine dining, good reading and a mystery to solve!
Book one of the Imogene Durant Mysteries!
When retired academic Imogene Durant finds herself in Paris with Victor Hugo as her guide, a series of disturbing discoveries are made in local hotels. While Imogene hopes to settle in, read, and write a follow up to her acclaimed book, Fyodor & Me in Russia, she’s drawn into the mystery by her new friend and neighbour, the police detective assigned to the case.
Book Club Questions:
- Imogene Durant is a retired Comparative Literature prof, whose present work entails reading a book while living where the story is situated. Her thesis is that it enhances an appreciation of the work. Have you ever read a book set where you live, or a place you know intimately? How has that influenced your appreciation of the book? How did the book influence your appreciation of your hometown?
- The crime committed in Les Miserables that labels Jean Valjean a criminal is stealing a loaf of bread to feed his hungry family. Street art is featured in Victor & Me in Paris, which is also considered illegal. Victor Hugo’s Inspector Javert doesn’t distinguish when it comes to severity of crimes, whereas modern-day Toni seems to be more lenient. Who is right?
- Anti-tourism sentiment is on the rise in Europe and various sunspot destinations. Imogene tries to distance herself from the average tourist in various ways. What are they, and do you think she succeeds?
- What do you think is the perfect way to travel?
- In the past, young people were encouraged to make a grand tour of Europe, which then evolved into a gap year backpacking tour, as a means of encouraging a greater perspective on the world. Is travel important to our education and behaviour as citizens?
- In Comparative Literature classes, world literature is read in translation. Can translations accurately capture the essence of what the author is trying to evoke?
- Imogene is a “woman of a certain age,” retired and divorced. She is finding herself free for the first time in many years. What are some of the social norms that hold women back from this sort of adventure?
- Paris is more than the backdrop to this narrative. In what ways does the City of Lights feature as almost another character in the plot? What elements of the plot could only happen in Paris?
- Imogene makes several comparisons to her hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada while visiting Paris. What are some possibly surprising ways in which the cities compare in her mind?
- In Victor & Me in Paris, the author has titled the chapters. Does this enhance your reading or annoy you?
- How much of the events we are privy to do you think Imogene will include in her version of Victor & Me in Paris?
- Do you think Marcel targeted Imogene, or was it sheer happenstance that brought them together?
- Solo travel is considered unusual, and yet Imogene travelling alone doesn’t appear to be a surprise to anyone she meets. Is this believable to you? What are some of the benefits of travelling alone, and what does she miss out on? Would you travel alone, or have you?
- If you were going somewhere for a month, what would you pack?
- If you were going to read a great work set in Paris, what would you choose? Why?
Turnstone Press Ltd.
