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What were you doing during the time period depicted in the novel? Were you impacted by the economic downturn, and if so, in what ways?
|
|
11
|
75
|
July 13, 2026
|
|
Why do you think Emilie didn't run for help when her mother drowned?
|
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20
|
119
|
July 12, 2026
|
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Horace decides that while people write books for many reasons, he writes for control. “The characters did whatever he told them to.” What did you think of this statement? How does it illuminate Horace’s character and set up the rest of the book?
|
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12
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47
|
July 11, 2026
|
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Olivia enjoys the resort but thinks that if she had the money, she likely wouldn’t spend it at a place like that. (pp 139-140). What about you? Would you spend time at the resort? What would be your ideal vacation if you had the funds available?
|
|
18
|
102
|
July 21, 2026
|
|
When Vicki’s murderer is revealed, Olivia asks Merritt if she doesn’t feel bad for that person, if only a little. (p. 375) What about you? Did you feel bad for the killer at all?
|
|
17
|
106
|
July 21, 2026
|
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Have you read any books that have had a similar theme or style? If so, how did they compare to this one?
|
|
9
|
63
|
July 10, 2026
|
|
Ryan Forrester thinks that clean-air regulations were “most likely the death blow to the country’s ailing manufacturing industry.” Did the US went overboard, or not far enough when it instituted such regulations? What influences your opinion?
|
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7
|
40
|
July 10, 2026
|
|
To what do you think the title, The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down, refers to, now that you’ve read the book?
|
|
8
|
55
|
July 10, 2026
|
|
Mary often tells Chrissie that she’s her best friend. Do you think this was true? What was your opinion about their relationship?
|
|
13
|
83
|
July 10, 2026
|
|
Overall, what did you think of Chelsea Girls? (No spoilers in this topic, please.)
|
|
24
|
175
|
July 10, 2026
|
|
To what audience would you recommend Chelsea Girls? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
|
|
10
|
73
|
July 9, 2026
|
|
Catherine Lloyd is the author of several other novels, including the Kurland St. Mary Mystery series and the Miss Morton Mysteries. Have you read any of her other books? If so, how did it compare to Chelsea Girls?
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|
13
|
72
|
July 8, 2026
|
|
Were the 1960s truly a time of great change? Did fashion and music play a part in this generational change, and how did those changes differ in the UK and the US?
|
|
5
|
45
|
July 8, 2026
|
|
What surprised you the most about the novel? Did you learn anything new from it, and if so, what?
|
|
11
|
76
|
July 8, 2026
|
|
Why do you suppose none of the women’s parents want them to have careers outside the home?
|
|
17
|
96
|
July 8, 2026
|
|
What did you think of the author’s epilogue and the future she envisions for each of her characters?
|
|
12
|
75
|
July 6, 2026
|
|
What did you know about Mary Quant and her various business lines before reading the book?
|
|
21
|
121
|
July 6, 2026
|
|
How much did Quant’s husband, Alexander Plunket Green, and her business partner Archie McNair contribute to her success, in your opinion?
|
|
18
|
89
|
July 6, 2026
|
|
Daphne and Fern’s parents are horrified that they’d become models. Has the career evolved over the years? In what ways do you think attitudes about modeling have changed, if at all? If you had a daughter who wanted to model, what would you tell her?
|
|
13
|
67
|
July 6, 2026
|
|
Which of the women do you sympathize or identify with the most? Who do you think had the best life overall? Is there one you’d like to swap places with?
|
|
1
|
23
|
July 5, 2026
|
|
Why do you think Quant’s fashions were such a hit among the youth of the era?
|
|
17
|
106
|
July 5, 2026
|
|
Which of the minor characters was a favorite, and why?
|
|
9
|
61
|
July 5, 2026
|
|
What did you think of Olivia’s relationship with Trevor? Why do you feel she forgot about his opening, and kept putting off calling his mother?
|
|
20
|
118
|
July 21, 2026
|
|
What parallels do you see between the financial situation in the book and today’s global economy? What differences do you see between then and now?
|
|
10
|
47
|
July 4, 2026
|
|
Olivia is more empathetic than Merritt, and asks herself, “Must I always suspect the absolute worst of a person?” (p. 240). Do you think this trait is required to be an effective investigator, or is it something that develops with experience?
|
|
16
|
84
|
July 21, 2026
|
|
What did you think of the way Mary Quant's character and personality were portrayed?
|
|
8
|
65
|
July 3, 2026
|
|
Did you blame Aphrodite for cheating on her husband, Hephaestus, or do you think her actions were justified? He later traps her in bed with Ares and exposes the couple’s affair (pp 142-148). Do you think their punishment was fitting?
|
|
26
|
116
|
July 2, 2026
|
|
Aglaia, one of the Graces, tells Aphrodite that “War is desire made bloody.” (p. 20) What do you feel she means? Do you believe she’s correct?
|
|
15
|
103
|
July 2, 2026
|
|
As he’s designing his statue of Aphrodite, Alexandros struggles with what to put in her hands. Did you have any thoughts as you were reading as to what would be appropriate? What do you feel about his final choice?
|
|
7
|
36
|
July 2, 2026
|
|
Why Do Men Go to War?
|
|
8
|
65
|
July 2, 2026
|