45 pages • 1 hour read
Rachel JoyceMiss Benson's Beetle
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Book Club Questions
General Impressions
Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of mental illness
Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.
1. How does this novel compare to the author’s earlier works, such as The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry? Has her style changed or evolved over the years? If you have not read Joyce’s other novels, are you interested in doing so?
2. What did Margery and Enid learn from each other? Did you learn anything from either (or both) of these characters?
3. Which character did you identify with most? Did this change at any point over the course of the novel?
Personal Reflection and Connection
Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.
1. Strong friendship is at the heart of the novel. Does the relationship between Margery and Enid remind you of any friendships or familial relationships in your own life? What do you think makes for an enduring friendship?
2. Enid talks about the importance of a “vocation,” or guiding purpose. Do you have a vocation in life? How does your journey to enacting it compare with those of the characters?
3. Both Enid and Margery express themselves through their clothing. How has your outer expression evolved over the years? Does it have anything in common with the way these characters’ outer expression changes?
4. Did you find Mundic to be a sympathetic character? Why or why not?
Societal and Cultural Context
Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.
1. How is Margery’s life shaped by the culture of postwar England? How does she push back against this culture?
2. How does Margery’s quest reflect larger environmental issues in the world today?
3. Consider the way society’s attitude toward mental illness and trauma is portrayed in the novel. How is this similar to or different from contemporary societal attitudes?
Literary Analysis
Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.
1. What role does trauma play in the progression of the novel? How do each of the characters manage their trauma in different ways, and how do those differences support the novel’s overall narrative and meaning?
2. Why did the author choose to separate the narrative into four parts? What does this contribute to the narrative?
3. Enid is a tragic figure who achieves her goal and dies immediately afterward. Was this a narratively and thematically fitting end to her story? Why or why not?
4. The concept of “vocation” in the novel carries a spiritual connotation. What role does spirituality or spiritual awakening play in the story?
Creative Engagement
Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.
1. Make a mood board of images that represent scenes in the novel. How do your choices capture your chosen scenes?
2. Imagine you are writing a sequel to the novel. What happens to Freya as she sets off on her journey? How might it parallel themes from Margery’s journey? How might it be different?
Need more inspiration for your next meeting? Browse all of our Book Club Resources.
