SORBONNE CONFIDENTIAL READING GUIDE FOR BOOK GROUP DISCUSSIONS

 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION  

 

1. The first chapter of Sorbonne Confidential tells how Alice Wunderland is forced to find a new profession after losing her job in France. What other memoirs does this remind you of? And why?

 

2. Alice is not exactly supported by her husband in her quest, yet he is honest throughout. What does she need from him and what does she get ? What role does the husband play?

 

3. The Sorbonne is an important character in the novel.  Could this story have happened elsewhere?  Elaborate.  

 

4. Project Alice into the future. What might she do next? Do you think it’s a good thing or a bad thing that events happened as they did? Does she have "the right stuff" to be a good teacher?

 

5. Sorbonne Confidential is at times a very funny book. How does the author use humor to point out absurdities in the system? Do you think this approach works? Is the book a satire, a memoir, an expose or all three?

 

6. For the exam, Alice Wunderland studies several classics of British and American literature. How are these works leveraged to explore the themes of Sorbonne Confidential? Is this effort successful?

 

7. According to French government statistics, 90% of candidates sitting the agrégation exam for English teachers fail. Is this an efficient way to recruit educators? Why do you think so many people try? 

 

8. From Alice’s experiences, what might be the advantages and disadvantages of France's competitive exam system ?

 

9. The book ends with the explosion of rioting in French ghettos in 2005. What could be the link between Alice's experiences in an exam for elites and that of the children of Arab and African immigrants?

 

10. Who was your favorite character in the book? Why? Who was your least favorite character?

 

11. Would you like a “job-for-life” of the kind Alice is trying for ?

 

12. Alice succeeds in some ways and fails in others. Discuss.

 

13. Is Alice Wunderland a reliable narrator ? What makes you trust her or suspect her?

Comments

[Cheyenne]

Thanks for such nice and wonderful post.

[Account Deleted]

Thanks for sharing the Sorbonne Confidential book..thanks helps many !

Group discussion