Starting Out in the Evening
by Brian Morton
List Price: $12.95
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 0425168697
Publisher: Berkley Pub Group
In this "captivating" (Time Out New York) novel, an aging author --- now
out of print and barely remembered by the literary world that once fleetingly
embraced him --- is courted by a brash young graduate student who wants
to write her thesis on him. What ensues is a story that is at once comical,
sensitive and sharply insightful --- a work that has already earned astonishing
reviews, and that "in every way fulfills the promise of Morton' s
lovely first novel, The Dylanist.*"
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1. When Heather meets
Ariel for the first time, she thinks, "I'd be a better daughter for
[Schiller] than she is" (p. 13). Why does Heather believe this? Do you
agree or disagree with her? What does this belief reveal about her character?
By the end of the novel, does she change her opinion? If so, why?
2. The author spares
few details when describing Leonard Schiller's physical appearance
and health. Why is this information crucial to understanding the encounter
between Schiller and Heather in his bed? Do you consider this to be a
sexual encounter or something of a different nature? How does Heather
try to reconcile her fantasy of his apartment as "a seat of power" with
the reality of the "sad smell of an old man living alone" (p. 10)? What
does Heather hope to accomplish by becoming part of Schiller's life?
Does he comply fully with her wishes? Why, or why not?
3. Heather credits reading
Leonard Schiller's first novel with beginning a new life for her when
she was sixteen. Have any books inspired great change or new understanding
in your own life? Which one(s), and why? Have you, like Heather, been
motivated to seek out and meet the author of these books?
4. Do you think Ariel's
philosophy, "Go with the skid" (p. 19), has served her well? How does
the scene in which Heather's rental car skids out of control (pp.
16-18) illuminate the differences between these two women? With which
character do you identify more? Why?
5. After studying Schiller's
life and works, Heather finds she is unsure "if he was a hero or if he
had wasted his life" (p. 270). In your opinion, which of these alternatives
is closer to the truth? What are his strengths and weaknesses as a husband?
A father? A friend? An artist? Do you feel that there is "brilliancy"
in his life?
6. Why do you think
Casey and Ariel are drawn back into each other's lives? Do you feel
they will be compatible in the long run? Do you believe Ariel can be happy
with the compromise she may have to make in order to remain with Casey?
If she chooses to "become a grown-up" (p. 294), do you think the nurturing
aspect of Casey's personality will be able to cope with the loss of
the childlike Ariel who has needed his protection? Can they have a fulfilling
life together if she decides to "remain a child" (p. 294)? What role,
if any, does Leonard play in her decision?
7. Do you find Stella
to be a strong presence throughout the book? How has her death affected
the other relationships in Schiller's life --- with Ariel? With his
work? With his friend Levin? With Heather? How would you describe his
reunion with Stella when he finally returns to their spot in Paris?
8. What is the significance
of the novel's title vis-á-vis the relationships between Schiller
and Heather, Ariel and Casey, and Schiller and Stella? Why do you think
the author has set the final scene in the evening, watching for the comet?
Did you find it to be a satisfying conclusion for the novel? Why, or why
not?
9. Compare and contrast
Heather's relationship to the literary world with that of Leonard
Schiller. Are the differences attributable more to their ages or to their
personalities? How do the friendships between Schiller and Leslie, the
book editor, and between Heather and Sandra, the Bomb editor, illustrate
these dissimilarities? What, in your view, are the greatest differences
between Schiller's "New York intellectuals" and the media elite of
today? In which world would you feel more comfortable?
10. The author writes
that Schiller, like the great philosophers, "had practiced dying for a
long time" (p. 70). Why has he chosen such an ascetic life? How does Heather
react upon discovering that the creator of the fictional characters that
have inspired her to live so freely is in reality a man cautious to an
extreme? Would she have been better off not learning this? Why does she
think she can change him? Why is she willing to try so hard to do so?
11. Do you feel Schiller's
and Ariel's concerns regarding posterity are similar? If so, why do
they often have difficulty understanding each other? Do you feel their
worries about future generations hinder their ability to exercise good
judgment in the present? Are their fears justified?
12. At the novel's
conclusion, why does Heather decide she no longer needs Schiller --- or
anyone else --- to be her mentor? Why does Schiller slap Heather during
their last encounter (p. 300), and how does this action affect her?
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"Such a pleasure to read...nothing less than a triumph."—New York Times Book Review
"Wonderful...this is what a novel is supposed to be."—Newsday
"Subtle, tender, and moving."—Publishers Weekly
"Starting Out in the Evening is the story of an artist's struggle, a writer's life, but it fans out to encompass the heroic struggle of life itself that becomes art."—USA Today
