Pizza and Pages Book Club: Week 6
A Book Discussion Project by Ryann Uden for LIS404LE, Spring 2005
The
Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
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Gen, a thief, is locked up in the King's prison when he is given an offer that he cannot refuse: if he agrees to steal a mythical stone for the King, he will be set free. However, what no one bothers to tell him is that no one has ever returned from attempting the dangerous mission. Gen agrees (what choice does he have?) and starts out on his quest with the King's scholar, a soldier, and two apprentices. The journey is difficult, but Gen gradually regains his strength and along the way he and the scholar tell the others mythical stories of the Gods that are worshiped by the people who reside in the area. Gen does succeed in stealing the stone, but that turns out to be only the beginning of his adventure as they discover a traitor in their midst, are captured by and escape from a rival Queen, and then travel to another country where Gen's companions learn more than they ever imagined about their "thief." This Newbery Honor book is an intriguing mixture of fantasy and mystery and will keep readers thinking long after the final chapter is over.
Discussion Questions:
1. Who were the "good guys" and the "bad guys" in this
book? How did you like reading a book with a main character who
was a criminal...did you like Gen?
2. What did you think of the offer the King gave him to get out of prison? Was it fair or right? Did he have a choice?
3. How would you describe this book to your friends? Is it an easy book to label as one specific genre?
4. At what point do you think each of Gen's companions started thinking of him as a person instead of a tool?
5. What role do the stories about the Gods play in this book?
6. In his dream, the woman in white asked him "Who brings you here?" and he answered "I bring myself". (p. 141) Is this true?
7. Many people think thieves are criminals, but Gen thinks it is better than his other career option. Why? Does this mean that we think being a thief is ok?
8. What does Gen mean when he turns down the offer of possible immortality from the stone and says: "There is something horrible and frightening and, I'd discovered, very, very, painful about being trapped in this life when it is time to move on." (p. 213) How did he discover this?
9. Religion plays a large part in the lives of the people in this book. At one point the magus says "...knowing someone's religion can help you manipulate that person, which is why Sophos's father thinks no country should have more than one set of gods." What does this mean?
9. At the end of the book, several surprising secrets about Gen are revealed. How surprised were you? Did you see any clues while you were reading that made you wonder if something else was happening "underneath" the story you were reading?
10. There is a sequel to this book called The Queen of Attoila. What do you think will happen next to Gen?
Book Discussion Groups for Kids at Multnomah County Library: The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. (2000). Last accessed May 6, 2005, from http://www.multcolib.org/talk/guides-thief.html.
Whalen, Megan Turner. (1996). The Thief. Greenwillow Books: New York, N.Y.