Venus in Furs book club questions
by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch · a kit for three meetings · 15 questions · printable
Fifteen discussion questions for Venus in Furs, grouped by three stretches of the book of about the same length, with a reading plan, themes to talk about and a sheet you can print. Two good openers: how does opening with a dream shape your trust in Severin's story? And what expectations does a disturbing painting create for a story about submission?
The reading plan
Meeting 1
Parts 1 to 2
About 15 min to read
Meeting 2
To Amor
About 1 h 22 min to read
Meeting 3
Part 4
About 1 h 7 min to read
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Meeting 1: Parts 1 to 2
- How does opening with a dream shape your trust in Severin's story?
- What expectations does a disturbing painting create for a story about submission?
- What might Severin's worship of a stone Venus suggest about what he wants from devotion?
- How might loneliness shape the way the guest describes his unfinished pursuits?
- What different motives could explain the guest running from an encounter?
Meeting 2: To Amor
- Can offering someone your submission be a way of seeking power? How would you read Severin's offer?
- What could a trial relationship reveal that fantasies alone cannot?
- How would you judge Wanda's choice to make Severin her slave after proposing a trial relationship?
- What might Severin hope to gain by offering Wanda his submission?
- What would make the proposed trial relationship fair to both people?
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Meeting 3: Part 4
- Does Severin's agreement make Wanda's harsh treatment fair? Why or why not?
- How might alternating affection with violence affect Severin's ability to judge his situation?
- What different motives could explain Severin's continued devotion?
- How does harsh service change your reading of Severin's earlier offer of submission?
- What freedom, if any, should Severin still have after signing away his freedom?
Themes to talk about
Tips for the host
- Open each meeting with one question everyone can answer, then go deeper.
- Anyone who fell behind can catch up with the 15-minute summary.
Free for 3 months
Get the full summary of Venus in Furs, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
15-minute summaries today, eBooks and audiobooks as each book opens, and printed books, large print included, at cost.
Try 3 months freeMore book club kits: Beauty and the Beast · The Raven · The Fall of the House of Usher · All kits
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