1. Mahy often uses the isolated house as a setting in her novels. Read other Mahy novels like The Tricksters or The Catalogue of the Universe and compare and contrast the use of the houses as settings.

2. Does Dangerous Spaces reflect the cultural influence of New Zealand?

3. Psychologists like Elisabeth Kubler-Ross have identified the various stages of the grieving process. Does Anthea go through this process?

4. Draw a map or picture of Viridian, locating the key places mentioned in the novel. Describe its physical terrain.

5. Investigate the reference to the stereoscope picture of the Golden Stair Trail in Alaska. What was the Golden Stair Trail and how does it relate thematically to the novel?

6. Write a report on the stereoscope.

Try to locate one.

7. Explore the use of imagery in the novel. You might look at images of color, nature, the...