The Little Paris Bookshop

Imagine you’re helping Perdu write his encyclopedia. What are a few entries that you would include? Describe how your entries are similar or different to the entries Perdu writes in the novel.

What role does the concept of freedom play in the novel? What overall point does Nina George make about the importance of freedom? Cite examples from the text in your response.

Samy introduces Perdu to the idea of “the hurting time” in Chapter 37. What other characters need “hurting time” to mourn their losses? Compare and contrast their approaches to mourning with Perdu’s.

Many of the characters in the novel are artists or have creative occupations. Focusing on one or two characters, describe their inspiration and the role that art plays in helping them forge connections with others. Cite examples from the text in your response.

Parenthood is one of the many significant relationships that the novel explores. How does The Little Paris Bookshop describe parenthood? Consider the characterization of the various parents or parental figures in the novel.

Consider the list of words that Max invents in Chapter 31. Select two or three of the words and describe what you think they mean. What might have inspired Max to invent them? Cite examples from the novel to support your claims.

Water is a recuring motif throughout the novel. Consider Perdu’s experiences on his river journey and with the sea in Sanary-sur-Mer. How does the author use water to develop Perdu’s character and the novel’s themes?

Perdu comes to think that “food and books [are] closely related” (310). How does he come to this conclusion? Compare and contrast the role of food and books in the novel. Is there anything one can do that the other cannot?