Fallen Angel (Silva) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:

• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)

Also consider these LitLovers talking points to help get a discussion started for The Fallen Angel:

1. How would you describe Gabriel Allon as a character—his personality and inner-makeup? Does author Daniel Silva, in fact, give Allon an inner-life? Or is Allon, like many thriller heroes, a one-dimensional man of action?

2. Follow-up to Question 1: One reviewer describes Allon as a "Renaissance man." What does that phrase mean? Do you agree with the description...and if so, in what way?

3. Follow-up to Questions 1 & 2: Allon has also been referred to as "the perfect hero for the new millennium." Silva himself, who earlier gave Allon the task of hunting down the real-life killers of the Israel  athletes in the 1972 Munich Olympics, says he wants Allon, to be an "epic" character. What do those two statements mean? Is Allon a perfect hero for our age and/or an epic figure?

4. Talk about Monsignor Luigi Donati. What do you think of him? He's portrayed as the true power behind the papal throne. I that a troublesome concept—that one other than the Pope wields the power in the Vatican? What does Donati mean when he cautions Gabriel that the first rule at the Vatican is not to ask too many questions?

5. Silva explores the tensions in the Middle East between Muslims and Jews, each side committed to claiming its own land. Whom does Silva side with in this violent dispute? Does he explain the issues of both sides equally? Or does he align himself more heavily with one side to the exclusion of the other? With whom are you aligned? Has the book enhanced your understanding of the Mid-East conflict? Does it alter your views...or confirm them?

6. After reading The Fallen Angel, do you feel there is any hope for the Mid-East conflict? What does the future hold for the region?

7. Talk about the way in which the book mentions both Austria and Switzerland. What is Silva's argument regarding the history of those countries?

8. What is the meaning of the recurring quote, "Blood never sleeps"?

9. Trace the double plots—the death of Claudia Andreatti with the Middle East intrigue. How does Silva bring them together in the book? Are the two plots woven together seamlessly...or does it feel forced?

10. What about the stolen antiquities and the Vatican's involvement. Does this part of the plot seem preposterous...or does Silva make it believable?

11. Why might Silva have named his hero after the angel Gabriel? And what is the significance of the book's title?

12. The Fallen Angel covers a wide range of topics: art restoration, antiquities trafficking, Vatican politics, organized crime, religious history, and geopolitics. Is there too much going on in this thriller? Were you able to keep track of the ins and outs of the plot? Did you find all parts of the story engaging...or were there parts that were overly digressive?

13. Have you read Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code? If so, are there similarities between this book and Brown's? Do you prefer one over the other?

14. Does this book live up to its expectations as a suspense thriller? Have you read other Silva books; if so, how does this one compare?

(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)

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