Topic 1

To what extent is Lionel defined by his Tourette’s? Does the fact that his disease is the most apparent thing about him an accurate means of determining his character, as so many other characters seem to conclude? Are his compulsions the most important reason for his drive to get to the bottom of the Minna murder? What does it mean that the further he ranges from Brooklyn the more understanding people seem to be of his condition?

Topic 2

How do the conventions of the mystery pose a problem to the author in creating an original work? Where he does diverge from the standard forms and expected twists of such a narrative, is it effective? How do the ironies in place, such as the menacing Zendo or the narrator’s seeming inability to function normally affect the novel’s attempt to operate simply as a detective...