How to Age Disgracefully

Examine the theme of friendship as it develops across the novel. How does Pooley explore the nature of friendship, such as intergenerational friendship, old friendships, new friendships, etc.?

Discuss the importance of family in the novel and the impacts that the characters’ families have on them. How do familial bonds shape their sense of identity and/or purpose? What complicates these bonds?

Examine the ways that How to Age Disgracefully works as a comic novel, including tone, plot devices, and/or characterization. What literary techniques does Pooley use? How, and where, do you see these comic devices working to convey a certain message or effect?

Compare the path of rediscovery or reinvention pursued by different characters over the course of the novel. How are their quests different or similar to one another?

The notion of the heist, con, or scam runs as a motif throughout the novel, appearing in Daphne’s past, Sidney’s con, Lydia’s Revenge, and the TV talent show act with Maggie. What is the wider significance of this motif in the novel?

Examine Pooley’s use of an ensemble cast and discuss how the arcs of the individual protagonists intersect and influence one another. How does this dramatic structure influence the action and message of the novel, particularly what it has to say about social bonds and interdependence?

Compare the different values represented by the dreams of each of the protagonists. Art, for instance, had dreams of success and admiration in an acting career, while Ziggy’s success was more about money and luxury items. Daphne had ambitions of living in luxury and glamor, while Lydia’s goals were based around having a family. How does the novel explore the experience of hope and disillusionment in these instances?

Compare and contrast How to Age Disgracefully with another of Pooley’s novels, such as Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting. What key themes and ideas do the two works share in common? How does each use its ensemble cast?