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Free Book Group Reading Guide

If you are interested in picking The Angel Makers as your next book club book you can download the reading group guide for free! The guide is also included in the back of the book (both hardback and paperback).

The Snowing and Greening of Thomas Passmore - Reading guide

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1          At times, Thomas Passmore’s judgement appears skewed by his prejudices and obsessions.  Identify instances of this and comment on his overall reliability as a narrator.  (You may wish to compare Nick Carraway’s role as a narrator in F.Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.)

2          Many novels explore the notion of life as a journey or series of journeys, and indeed the name Passmore is derived from an old nickname for a sailor (passe-mer: cross the sea).  Explore the relationship between Tom’s principle journey, which involves reconciling himself to the past and learning to live in the present, and one or two of his other transitional journeys:
            a)  his migration from Britain to Australia, and his return;
            b)  from country to city, and from city to country;
            c)  from childhood to adolescence to adulthood;
            d)  from innocence to experience.

3          Many aspects of the natural world (the sea, trees and plants, rocks, etc) take on a symbolic and/or mythological status in the novel, whilst pagan and early-Christian imagery (the maypole, mummers play, corn dolly, etc) is also drawn upon.  What is the effect of this in terms of creating a broader context for the story?

4          In what ways does the novel’s dislocated, non-chronological structure support the telling of Thomas Passmore’s story?  Could this story be told in a chronological and naturalistic manner?  What would be lost or gained?

5          The Snowing and Greening of Thomas Passmore is told in first person throughout and adopts present tense for the most part.  What effect would be achieved by telling it in third person and by adopting the more frequently-used past tense?

6          The novel touches upon a number of universal themes, but aims to explore these in an original manner.  Comment on the approach taken (and effectiveness) in drawing upon either one of the following themes or a theme that you’ve identified yourself:
            a)  the love triangle;
            b)  unrequited love/lost love;
            c)  the lost kingdom/paradise lost;
            d)  the cycle of birth, life, death, decay ... and rebirth;
            e)  mother and sons/fathers and sons.

7          Tom Passmore is a flawed hero, primarily because he is self-obsessed and fails to see events from other people’s perspectives.  How true is this?

8          Thomas has failed to let go of the past in many senses and yet the past is also his buoy.  Explore the apparent contradiction in this.

9          The language of this novel is deliberately dreamy and poetic.  Find examples that support this statement and comment on the manner in which such language underscores and makes more credible Tom Passmore’s experience.

10        Kate, Elin and his mother are presented as three strong characters in Tom’s life.  Compare and contrast their personalities, and find examples that identify their different strengths.

11        It might be said that in some ways Tom and his mother share a similar stubbornness.  To what extent is this true?

12        Research the Green Man and the four elements of Fire, Earth, Air and Water, and identify their application to this tale.

13        Benign or harsh or fickle, Nature, in many of its guises, is as much a character in this book as anything else.  Explore why the author possibly gave such emphasis to what otherwise might have remained a background setting for events to unravel against.

14        Although optimistic in tone, the ending of the novel introduces an element of uncertainty.  To what extent do you feel that Tom satisfactorily fulfils his quest and what evidence is there to support this?

15        Mystery or love story?  Which aspect of the novel seems stronger to you, and why?

16        For a broader discussion, you may wish to compare and contrast other texts that you’ve previously read which explore similar ideas or tell their story in a similar manner.  The following are suggested texts for beginning such a discussion: Le Grande Meaulnes by Alain-Fournier, Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, Pincher Martin by William Golding, Sons and Lovers by D.H.Lawrence, A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami, If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things by Jon McGregor, Eden Close by Anita Shreve.