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Phoenix FM Podcast - Mark Hayhurst AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Jessica Gregson
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The Angel Makers - Reading guide 1. The prologue and epilogue are the only times we directly hear Sari’s voice in the novel, though much of the story is told from her perspective. Why do you think the author chose third-person narration for the bulk of the novel, and what do you feel are the advantages and disadvantages of such a choice? 2. Chapter one opens with a funeral, which foreshadows the large role that death plays in the novel. What other examples of foreshadowing are used throughout the novel? 3. The Ferenc we meet in 1914 is a very different person to the one who returns in 1918. do you feel that the changes that his character goes through stem purely for the war, or whether his less pleasant characteristics were there all along? Is Ferenc a sympathetic character at any point in the book? Why or why not? 4. The action of World War I is very far away from the action in the novel, but clearly has a strong effect on it. Beyond the obvious changes that it brings about, how do you think the war affects the behaviour of the women in the village and the events of the novel? 5. The physical setting of The Angel Makers is very important. Discuss ways in which the landscape of the village and the surrounding plain works as a symbol for themes within the novel. 6. the question of whether Sari and Judit have powers beyond the mundane comes up repeatedly during the novel. What is the role of superstition within The Angel Makers? Where do you think the line lies between reality and the supernatural? 7. Although the majority of the characters in the novel are female, there are a number of significant male characters. How would you describe gender relations within the world of the novel? Which aspects of this do you think are accurate, and which are inaccurate? 8. Throughout the novel, we see Sari through the eyes of many different people, and learn about how she thinks the other people in the village see her. But how do you think that Sari sees herself? What sort of person would Sari be outside the village – is she an extraordinary woman, or an ordinary woman in extraordinary circumstances? 9. When she returns to the village, Lilike senses that something is wrong; many others in the village are also aware of what is going on. Why do you think that nobody does anything to stop the murders? 10. How is the character of Rozsi important? What does her silence tell us about her as a character, and how does she illuminate those around her? 11. Much of the book deals with a series of small and gradual changes that bring about a highly unusual situation in the village. Do you feel that there is a ‘turning point’ in the action, or are the outcomes inevitable due to what has come before? 12. Following Marco’s death, Sari tells herself that their relationship could never work outside of the specific context in which it started. Do you feel that this is true, or is Sari just trying to convince herself? Similarly, do you believe that Marco really loves Sari as he claims that he does? 13. At the end of the book, Sari says ‘I chose not to let things happen to me’ – a very different view than was expected of women at that time. Taking into account her actions and her attitudes, do you feel that Sari is a positive or negative role model for her daughter? 14. One of the central themes of the book is about personal choice. Why do you think that Bela chooses to give Orsolya’s money to Sari? How do you think this choice will affect him in future? 15. Do you find the end of the novel to be a hopeful one? What sort of future is there for Sari and Roszi beyond Falucska?
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