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Book Clubs - Discussion Questions for Book Clubs
Random Violence captures the essence of modern Jo'burg, showing a side of the city where good and evil are constantly at war, greed is the strongest driving force, and help (if it arrives) often comes from unexpected sources. Below are some questions to stimulate your book club debate.
- Random Violence is a South African book - written by a South African, set in this country, published locally and with a plotline that could only have happened in good old Jo'burg. How do you perceive South African literature? When you pick up a South African book, do you still expect it to be of inferior quality to an overseas publication, or contain political baggage from the past?
- In this country, we're used to reading novels - particularly thrillers - that are mostly set in the USA or the UK. How do you feel about reading a thriller set here? Does it feel uncomfortably close to home, or do you enjoy having the action set in familiar territory?
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- In Random Violence, there are no characters who could be described as one hundred percent good. They all have a dash of bad in them, and a couple are downright evil. Which character in the novel do you think comes closest to being truly good? And who is the most evil?
- Jade and David's relationship might generously described as conflicted, and by the end of the book, there's no clear resolution in sight. What do you think of Jade and David as romantic partners? In what ways are they suited to each other? What would they have to change in order for their relationship to work? Should they even end up together?
- In Random Violence, events of the past have a strong bearing on the future, and by the end of the book the reader knows a fair amount about the main characters' pasts. Which character's past do you think has the biggest influence on the story, and why?
- One reviewer gave Random Violence a nine on a scale of ten for violence and gore. How would you rate this book on your own personal scale? Which other writers depict violence on the same level? One of Jassy's rules is that, while violence is an integral part of a crime novel, no harm must come to children or animals. How do you feel about this?
- In your opinion, which characters meet the fate they deserve? Which character do you feel the most sorry for (if any) at the end of the book?
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