Are character lists helpful alongside discussion questions?

BookBrowse is planning to write some of our own reading guides for books we review, and we’re wondering whether or not it would be useful to add character lists, or is that information not very helpful? Let us know by using this poll or commenting below!

  • Yes, character lists are a useful addition to reading guides / discussion questions
  • No, character lists are not a useful addition to reading guides / discussion questions
0 voters

Lists would be especially nice when a story jumps between times and/or character who’s narrating the plot.

I agree with NanK–I wish books would include character lists sometimes.

I like character lists when I can’t pronounce names

I often write my own character lists as I’m reading. That helps me to cement characters in my mind. A published character list can sometimes be helpful but can also contain spoilers.

I often have to make character lists especially when there are a lot of characters. I just read Frozen River, and made a list of all the characters and their roles in the book.

Yes, it would be helpful because when there are timelines and minor characters, names sometimes get lost.

In my book groups, everyone is very appreciative of the character list I create when facilitating a discussion. I’m very careful to keep it simple, but with enough info to help. Also, I have another person read the list to ensure there are no spoilers.
Personally, if I had to choose between discussion quests and character lists, I’d always choose character lists!

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