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Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterson


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It is assumed that you have read the book before reading posts in this thread, as the discussion might give away crucial points, and the continuous use of spoiler tags might hinder fluent reading of posts :)
 
 
 
Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterston

Motherless and anchorless, Silver is taken in by the timeless Mr. Pew, keeper of the Cape Wrath lighthouse. Pew tells Silver ancient tales of longing and rootlessness, of the slippages that occur throughout every life. One life, Babel Dark’s, a nineteenth-century clergyman, opens like a map that Silver must follow, and the intertwining of myth and reality, of storytelling and experience, lead her through her own particular darkness.
 
 
Here are first the basic questions, courtesy of BCF:
1- Who was your favourite character? Were there any characters whom you disliked?
2- Was there a particular part you enjoyed more than the rest?
3- Did you like the writing? What did you think of the way the story was told?
4- Was this the first book you've read by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?
5- Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?
6- Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?
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Questions provided by the the RNIB Reading Challenge group:

 

- Discuss the idea that ‘Lighthousekeeping’ is a story about telling stories? Do you see a difference in the tone of each story? What does the referencing of other writers and their stories add to this one?

 

- Silver states that 'A beginning, a middle and an end is the proper way to tell a story.' Do you agree?

 

- Consider the novel's opposing epigraphs and discuss in what way these two quotations align themselves with the themes of the book?

 

- Discuss what can be found in the names of the characters and places throughout Lighthousekeeping?

 

- Light and dark are themes that run throughout the book. How does Silver deal with Pew's world where light is not required apart from in his role as a Pew at Cape Wrath in tending to the beacon?

 

- Who or what does Silver see as beacons in her life?

 

- Would you agree with the following description of Silver: 'part precious metal, part pirate'?

 

 - How does Babel Dark's interpretation of religion affect his life and the choices he makes?

 

- Does Silver's homecoming to the llighthouse and her reunion with Pew and Dog Jim show a change in her understanding of life? How does it compare to when she was first taken into the lighthouse?


- Do you agree with Pew that the story of life is of one that begins again and again and has no end?

 

- What story have you told throughout your life?

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