Fever Dream (Schweblin) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, use our LitLovers talking points to start a discussion for Fever Dream...then take off on your own:

1. What was your experience reading Fever Dream? What has happened—or is happening—in this book? 

2. At one point, Amanda says to David, "There’s only darkness, and you’re talking into my ear. I don’t even know if this is really happening," Is the conversation really happening?

3. Why is David pushing Amanda to tell him the story? How reliable is she as a storyteller / narrator? Is she at all grounded in reality?

4. Why does David continue to mention the worms? What are the worms? What do they signify?

5. What do we learn about the state of Argentine agriculture and its impact on the surrounding citizens?

6. The novel's Spanish (and original) title is "Rescue Distance," a phrase that recurs in the novel. What does it mean? What is a safe rescue distance?

7. Can you unravel the structure of this novel—a story nestled within a story, wrapped in yet another story?

8. It has been suggested that the novel's unstable form, as well as its mood of dread and uncertainty, is a perfect reflection of the Argentinians' insecurities, particularly those who live in the countryside. Discuss the way the novel marries form to subject.

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

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