| | 
|
|
 |
|
Quarantine
Jim Crace. Picador USA: 1999 (paperback). ISBN: 0312199511. 243 pages.
|
| |
|
About the Author
A page of detailed biographical information on Quarantine, including excerpts from interviews in which Crace interprets his own work.
We imagine you'll be interested to know that Crace is an atheist. Here's what he has to say about Quarantine: "It was conceived as a confrontation between
religion and science. My expectation was that science would be the winner and religion would fail--destroying 2,000 years of Christianity. But it did not happen, the book had a view and a narrative of its own."
All in the Family
A synopsis of the literary traditions and genres with which Quarantine is affiliated and a brief explanation of these connections, giving your book group the opportunity to understand Crace’s novel in a larger literary perspective.
We excerpt passages that provide some of the scant biblical narrative Crace uses as the foundation of his novel, we define some different spiritual perspectives (from atheist to pantheist), we catalogue other fictional revisions of the Bible, and we look at "quoted" passages and words that Crace created for his novel. "I warn you," Crace says, "all the history is my books is bogus."
Talk Back to the Critics
Excerpts of some major critical reviews of Quarantine from authoritative journals, newspapers, and magazines. We encourage your book group to enjoy the opportunity to argue with expert opinion.
Now if the fictionalizing of Christ as a character isn't enough to get you going, here's one reviewer who will: "Jesus is] an ignorant adolescent motivated by a wish to prove both his superiority to the folks back home and his desire for revelation. . . .[Jesus is] not so much inspired as deluded. . . .[H]e had no one to blame for his miserable end. He was a victim of his own vanity."
Character Tree
A list of major characters and their dominant characteristics and values, showing characters’ relationships to each other.
Jim Crace has created a very small and unusual community in Quarantine, and each of the seekers represents an important aspect of the quest for divine intervention. As you review each character in this section, think about how each responds to both Musa and Jesus, including of course, Mufasa and Jesus themselves.
Streams of Themes
A breakdown of potential major discussion themes in Quarantine, including ways these themes are interconnected.
Judeo-Christian teaching has always maintained that God loves those who suffer. Think about the theme of suffering as the path to redemption in this novel-does anyone indeed reap the reward of his or her sacrifice? Check out this section for a full overview of the important themes in Crace's Jesus Version 2.0.
Doorways to Discussion
A chronologically and thematically organized list of discussion questions, which function to explore, in a logical and thoughtful manner, the questions and possibilities that Quarantine evokes.
If Jesus of Nazareth is, well, Jesus, then who is Musa? Does he represent the devil, or perhaps a lesser demon? If so, then what do his feelings about Gally say about his own need for redemption and understanding? How is "the devil" created? There are so many great theological teasers in this novel, and we unpack a bunch of them in this section.
Taste Test
A selection of other books on subjects similar to those in Quarantine to consider for future book group meetings or for private reading.
Want to read another modern reinterpretation of an old and favorite story? Interested in finding another novel that explores the human greed for the divine? Take a look at this section for some great ideas for further reading.
|
Read more about
the book
|
| |
| |
contact us
