I’ve had a few notes asking for questions that book clubs could use to organize discussions around Magnified World. I love book clubs and I’ve put together a list below. There are quite a few points here, so I would recommend just choosing a few of these questions that might interest you and your group.
- Was Carol a good mother? How could you argue that she was, and how could you argue that she wasn’t?
- Why do you think Gil appears when he does?
- What roles do sex, violence and the body play in Magnified World?
- What sort of man is Chris, Maggie’s father? Do you feel he is a sympathetic character? How are he and Maggie similar or dissimilar?
- Is the ending of Magnified World hopeful or not? Why do you think the story ends in George’s?
- What role does the city play in the book? How can the city be viewed as an additional character?
- What do you think happen to Tracey after Wooster House? Do you believe she and Chad ran away together or do you believe Dr. Rosenberg’s story?
- Why is the store an important space for Maggie? What does her relationship with the tarot cards and crystals tell you about Maggie as a person?
- Why does Maggie write in her notebooks so much? What benefit does it provide for her?
- Is Gil a negative or positive influence on Maggie?
- What is Gil’s nature? Is it clear by the end of the book who or what he is?
- Gil’s body is mentioned frequently, whether he is attractive, menacing, injured or otherwise. Why is his physicality important? What does his body mean to Maggie?
- How well did Maggie know her mother?
- In what ways were Maggie and her mother the same? How were they different?
- Both Dr. Rosenberg and Carol are displaced Americans. In what other ways are people in this book outsiders or displaced?
- Why is the story of Elaine an important anecdote? What sort of marriage do you think Carol and Chris, Maggie’s parents, had? Were they in love?
- Maggie goes to Georgia looking for answers. Does she get any?
- How do the epigraphs included before the novel’s text relate to the story and to Maggie?
- Is the grieving process different when a loved one is lost to suicide rather than illness or accident? How does Maggie’s story address this?
- What does the title Magnified World mean to you?
Image credit: Steve Clayton, via sxc.hu
graceoconnell.wordpress.com 
Thanks for posting this, Grace! I was actually going to email you to see if had any ideas for discussion questions. My book club is meeting in early December to discuss Magnified World.
That’s fantastic, Joni! Thanks so much for picking MW. Hope it’s a fun discussion 🙂
Had a fabulous discussion around Magnified World at book club tonight. Thanks for these questions which provided some great jumping off points!
Thanks Andrea! I hope it was a great night and that MW provided a good jumping off point for discussion.