I run a small work book club, and have done for the past few years. This time for my book I chose Replay by Ken Grimwood, and unlike previous books there was almost no information / book club questions out there on the internet. Only really one interesting reddit thread about the book too so I thought I’d make a post for future book clubbers, to help them out and start some discussion.
Credit also to u/drkachicken for some of the questions or ideas behind them!
This book is one of my favorites and I have read it nearly 10 times – I read it every year, I find it very motivational
If anyone has any thoughts or good material to contribute I would be happy to add it in.
Obviously there are spoilers below, don’t read until you have read the book if you care about certain things being spoilt.
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* What was your favorite replay and why?
* What do you think about the author’s handling of there being no explanation for what is happening to Jeff/Pam?
* How did you feel about the repeated death scenes, and the change of attitude from Jeff as he went from trying everything to prevent his death to trying to ease his death – making it symbolic?
* The characters are intentionally bland? Is this meant to make us feel the effects of the replays on them harder? Thoughts on this?
* Jeff pretty much doesn’t have a single character trait by the end that didn’t come from his replay experience, and Pam had a couple. Interesting writing style, but it keeps us reading and seeing how they grow. What did you think made a big difference in shaping their characters?
* Also note how Jeff and Pamela, destined as soulmates, didn’t even meet in their original lives. How many potentially life-defining connections are we missing out on? Sad to contemplate.
* Was it inherently selfish of Jeff and Pam to just enjoy their quiet lives together instead of using their knowledge to better the world? Or was it just human nature? Or, is that a commentary on wisdom acquired through their years, and simply what wise people would do? They certainly paid a heavy price – even time wise – for trying to do good.
* Given the knowledge that your impact on the world might be trivial, or it might go horribly wrong, what do you choose? Do you still choose to try? Will you do so at the cost of spending time with your loved ones?
* Jeff spends a lot of time on one of his final replays with the original Pam – the Pam who doesn’t know about replaying – what are your thoughts on this? Consentually it feels wrong. But his argument about loving who she is/was also makes sense.
* How much would you remember about old historical events if you had to make money gambling on them?
* Some spooky things from reading around the web
* Ken Grimwood’s life mirrors Jeff’s quite a lot
* They both worked in radio most of their life
* Both went to Emory and majored in the same subject
* Ken left Emory after 3 years, it could be on this replay he just couldn’t stand to look at his college love, and had to transfer out – my personal theory.
* Ken seems to have known another author who wrote a similar book called Julia Phillips, and there is evidence they had a secret relationship too…
* Ken died of a heart attack aged 59
* There are a lot of similarities between Starsea and Avatar actually too!
by Subbbie