Our Book Of The Month for June is Diary of a Somebody by Brian Bilston. For our online Book Clubbers we have some questions below for you to get involved with. Either answer in the comments section or use as discussion points at your next Book Club. If you haven’t read the book check out our Lowdown all about it here.
Diary of a Somebody – The Blurb
It’s January 1st and Brian Bilston’s life needs to change. His ex-wife has taken up with a new man, a motivational speaker and marketing guru to boot; he seems to constantly disappoint his long-suffering son; and at work he is drowning in a sea of spreadsheets and management jargon.
Brian’s resolution is to write a poem every day; poetry will be his salvation. But there is an obstacle to his happiness in the form of Toby Salt, his arch nemesis in the Poetry Group and rival suitor to Liz, Brian’s new poetic inspiration. When Toby goes missing, Brian is the number one suspect.
Part tender love story, part murder mystery, part coruscating description of a wasted life, and interspersed with some of the funniest poems about the mundane and the profound, Diary of a Somebody is a unique, original and hilarious novel.
Discussion Points
The following are written with the presumption you have read Diary of a Somebody. If you haven’t, bookmark the post and come back to answer the questions later.
- Is poetry something that you normally read or was Diary a departure for you? If the latter, has Diary inspired you to read more poetry?
- What was your favorite poem and why?
- The lead character was called Brian Bilston which is a non de plume for the book’s author. Why do you think the author called the book’s character Brian Bilston as well?
- Liz is often rejected by Brian yet seems to keep coming back for more. What does Liz see in Brian?
- What do you think the turning point is for Brian? Do you think he now considers himself to be ‘a somebody’?
- Dylan comes across as quite sensible, intelligent and often seems to be the father figure in his and Brian’s relationship. Does Dylan think Brian is a good dad? Do you?
Get Involved
Feel free to answer as many of the questions as you want. Post your replies below, discuss with us on social media using @BookSocialUK, or pose some questions of your own. If you enjoyed the questions, have a go at last month’s Get Involved: Spring.
And come back tomorrow to read our #BigReview of Diary of a Somebody.