'Drood' by Dan Simmons

In Drood, Dan Simmons attempts to tell the story of the end of Charles Dickens' life from the perspective of his friend and secret rival, Wilkie Collins.

Spoiler Warning: These book club discussion questions reveal important details about the story. Finish the book before reading on.

1. Did the story grip your attention until the very end?

2. Which character seemed more flawed to you? Dickens or Collins? Why?

3. Did you have sympathy for any of the characters? Why or why not?

4. With one of the themes of the novel being mesmerism, did you think there are sequences in Simmons' writing that channel Dickens or Collins?

5. What were some of the story's surprises? Were there any revelations about Dickens or Collins' lives that you didn't know?

6. What did you think of the character Drood? What do you think Simmons meant for this character to represent in each of the authors' lives?

7. Which passages revealed Simmons critique/praise for Dickens/Collins writing? Do 'Drood' make you want to visit or revisit any of Dickens or Collins' works?

8. How well played was the mystery? Did you figure out the resolution before the end?

9. Would you recommend Drood to others? Why or why not?

10. Rate Drood from 1 to 5.