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The Idiot book club questions

by Fyodor Dostoyevsky · a kit for four meetings · 15 questions · printable

Fifteen discussion questions for The Idiot, grouped by the novel's four parts, with a reading plan, themes to talk about and a sheet you can print. Two good openers: what might asking guests to confess their worst deeds reveal, and what might it encourage them to hide? And what might make a servant warm to a poor visitor who speaks openly about difficult subjects?

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The reading plan

Meeting 1

Part 1, chapters 1 to 16

About 4 h 22 min to read

Meeting 2

Part 2, chapters 1 to 12

About 3 h 40 min to read

Meeting 3

Part 3, chapters 1 to 10

About 3 h 35 min to read

Meeting 4

Part 4, chapters 1 to 12

About 4 h 5 min to read

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Meeting 1: Part 1

  1. What might make a servant warm to a poor visitor who speaks openly about difficult subjects?
  2. What might asking guests to confess their worst deeds reveal, and what might it encourage them to hide?
  3. How does Aglaya Ivanovna's rejection of Gania's bargain shape your view of trust in marriage?
  4. How much weight should Gania's apology carry when judging his violence and ambition?

Meeting 2: Part 2

  1. What can an exchange of crosses achieve when the farewell remains uneasy?
  2. How should Muishkin weigh his wish to trust Rogojin against the danger of their encounter?
  3. What might an offer of money resolve, and what might it leave unresolved, when a public claim is disputed?
  4. How should sympathy affect a group's response when evidence defeats someone's demand?

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Meeting 3: Part 3

  1. How do you interpret Aglaya Ivanovna both defending and mocking the prince during the same outing?
  2. How does beginning Hippolyte's public explanation with a coin toss affect the way you receive it?
  3. What does the contrast between ridicule and Muishkin's recognition of loneliness reveal about responses to suffering?
  4. What might friendship offer Aglaya Ivanovna when her feelings and escape plans remain unsettled?

Meeting 4: Part 4

  1. When someone struggles with shame, what can mercy offer that exposing the truth cannot?
  2. What does the society gathering suggest about how quickly reassurance can give way to doubts about someone's suitability for marriage?
  3. How should compassion guide a choice when Muishkin's feelings remain divided between two loves?

Themes to talk about

Compassion and sufferingMoney and marriageShame and dignityLife and death

Tips for the host

  1. Open each meeting with one question everyone can answer, then go deeper.
  2. Anyone who fell behind can catch up with the 15-minute summary.

Free for 3 months

Get the full summary of The Idiot, 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
Commencez 90 jours gratuitsNothing to pay today. 0,14 USD a day in the first year, then 0,27 USD a day.
200,000+ classics to read, hear and hold

15-minute summaries today, eBooks and audiobooks as each book opens, and printed books, large print included, at cost.

Try 3 months free

More book club kits: Wuthering Heights · The Odyssey · Hamlet · All kits

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