Lady in Gold (O'Connor)

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 start a discussion for The Lady in Gold:

1. Describe Viennese society as portrayed by Anne-Marie O'Connor in The Lady in Gold. Certainly it was "glittering," but what else was it? What role did the Jewish haute bourgeoisie play in that society? How strongly did they identify themselves as Jewish? Was there any hint of the virulent—and violent—antisemitism that was to emerge decades later?

2. Talk about the luminous figures in Vienna at the time—especially Adele Bloch-Bauer, her family, and Gustav Klimt.

3. Where did Klimt find his inspiration for his artistic style, particularly the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I? Display a copy of the painting for the group, and let members talk about its effect on them personally. What does each find most striking? What was its effect on Viennese society?

4. You might also do some research into the Secessionist movement in art and its founding by Gustav Klimt, as well as the other artists. What were they rebelling against? How would you describe their art?

5. O'Connor mentions the Viennese Academy of Arts' rejection of Adolph Hitler. What is the author's veiled implication by including that piece of information—is it merely to point out a bit of historical irony?

6. The second third of O'Connor's book covers the Nazi takeover of Austria. O'Connor places this chapter immediately after her chapter on the glory of the Viennese Belle Epoque. What effect does this juxtaposition have on your reading? Given everything you've most likely read and seen over the years, were you at all surprised by the Nazi thuggery? Is here a hint that the Nazi pillage of lavish homes and valuable art had more to do with venality than antisemitism?

7. How do you view the Austria's stance regarding the stolen artworks held in their possession well after the end of World War II? The museum claimed the paintings were part of their national heritage. Was there any validity in that claim or was it simply self-serving?

8. A Wall Street Journal review of The Lady in Gold presents an ethical conundrum regarding the return of Nazi-pilfered art, an issue not considered by the book's author. As a result of outsized bidding for the five Klimt paintings, the public has lost access to all but one—Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, now in New York. In an inflationary art market, public museums cannot compete with the wealth of individual buyers; as a result, paintings of historical significance are now held by private collectors outside the public domain. Is there middle ground, on which both heirs and museums could land, that would foster both fair restitution and public access to important works of art? (You might want to read the complete review here.)

9. What made Maria Altmann and Randol Schoenberg such a good team? What attributes did each of them bring to the partnership.

10. Were you able to follow the legal battle that Altmann and Schoenberg pursued? What legal obstacles were thrown in their path? Were you angered, even disgusted, by Austria's intransigence? Did you feel any degree of sympathy for their position? What legal strategy ultimately prevailed for Altmann/Schoenberg?

11. Many reviewers make reference to the wealth of detail the author has included in her book. Did you find the details superfluous, perhaps distracting? Or did the details enrich and deepen the story for you?

12. Watch the 2015 Helen Mirren movie Woman in Gold and discuss the book vs. film. How well does the film depict the book? Do you prefer one over the other?

16. You might also spend a separate night watching The Monuments Men (2014) with George Clooney and Matt Damon. That film provides a broad overview of the extent of Nazi art plunder.

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

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