Dead Souls book club questions

The reading plan

Meeting 1: Part 1 to Chapter 5

1. How does asking people of every social rank for criticism shape your expectations of the author?
2. Where would you draw the line between friendliness and manipulation in Chichikov's efforts to win confidence?
3. What does the bargain for deceased serfs suggest about the difference between a person and an official record?
4. How would you interpret the widow's hesitation to sell her dead peasants?
5. How do Nozdrev's disputed claims affect your judgment of his insistent invitation?

Meeting 2: Chapters 6 to 11

6. How does Plushkin's eagerness to avoid taxes shape your view of his willingness to bargain?
7. What does the celebration of Chichikov's purchases suggest about the power of official approval?
8. How much weight would you give the town's admiration when it rests on rumored wealth?
9. Why might an invented abduction plot become convincing to people who know little about the visitor?
10. How should we judge officials who invent explanations when they cannot establish who their visitor is?

Meeting 3: Chapters 1 to 4

11. How would you explain the gap between Tientietnikov's hopes for public service and his idle routine?
12. How much should Tientietnikov's troubled estate management affect your judgment of his hopes for public service?
13. Does Chichikov's use of flattery to repair a neighbor's reputation make his methods seem more acceptable?
14. How does the invented uncle change the way you read Chichikov's request for dead souls?
15. What does Chichikov's delay over lavish meals suggest about his sense of purpose?

Themes to talk about

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.