Spoiler Warning: These book club discussion questions reveal important details about Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell. Finish the book before reading on.
- Did you like Pietro as a "protagonist"?
- Which story intrigued you more -- Bearclaw's back story or Dr. Brown's present story? Why?
- Was his grandparents' story worthy motivation to become a hit man? How does the revelation near the end of the novel complicate Pietro's motivation?
- Did Bazell's depiction of a hospital seem authentic? Do you buy his author's note/warning that all parts of this book, particularly regarding medical information, are fiction?
- The first footnote says the fibula bone is almost unnecessary. Did this, along with others, make you look up the actual medical information?
- How did the footnotes add to the storytelling? Which foreshadowed events to come?
- In a way, Pietro becoming a doctor is bizarre poetic justice or dramatic irony. How does the author play with this balance?
- If becoming a doctor is an attempt at purging his former life, how could becoming a novelist be an attempt by Bazell to deal with med school?
- How quickly did you read Beat the Reaper?
- Rate Beat the Reaper from 1 to 5.
