Conversations With Mr. Prain

by Joan Taylor

  Reading Group Guide

  Stella and Edward often discuss the question: What is the purpose of writing and art? What various reasons do they each give? What does this reveal about their characters? Do you agree with them?

  Should art make money? How does Stella resolve this question in her own life? How do you think Edward and Monique view this question?

  How does Stella view herself as a woman? How does she view herself as a writer? Are these distinctions kept separate or do they blur together? Throughout the novel, are her motives driven by her desires as a woman, or her desires as a writer?

  Edward says that one of the biggest problems facing writers is that there are “too many good stories” and “too many good writers.” To what extent do you agree or disagree?

  Both Stella and Monique have moved from their respective homelands to England. What effect does this cultural displacement have on them? What effect does it have on their art?

  Does Stella change over the course of the novel? If so, how is she changed and what changes her?

  Stella says, “My desire to write about the world paralleled my interest in participating in it, and whilst participating in it, you cannot write”. Do you think that art comes from life? Is it necessary to participate in the world in order to make art? What resolution can you think of for this conflict?

  Are Monique and Stella alike in some ways? In what ways are they different? What does Edward see in both of them?

  Edward is often shown as a lone figure, both living and working alone. What are his motives for his actions throughout the novel? Is Edward a powerful man?

  Discuss the role of class in the novel. How does Edward’s wealth affect his relationship with Stella?

  Edward is a man who acts as a patron to female artists. Do you feel that gender roles are at odds with one another at times in the novel? How do Edward, Stella and Monique address this imbalance? How do you view this in light of Edward’s desire for Stella as an artistic object in both the photograph and in the proposed sculpture of her?

  Stella found it impossible to gain access to the publishing world, until she met Edward. Do you think the novel could be read as a critique of the publishing industry?

  The novel is full of images of games. What is the significance of the games as a theme in the novel? How does the game imagery conceal and reveal the story?

  How do you interpret Stella’s reaction on discovering that Edward genuinely likes her novel? How could he have acted differently?

  At the end of the novel, what do you think will become of Stella’s writing career and her relationship with Edward?