MADAME CURIE: A BIOGRAPHY

by Eve Curie (nonfiction selection))

THE BOOK ABOUT BLANCHE AND MARIE
by Per Olov Enquist (fiction selection)

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READING DIVERSIONS BOOK CLUB

Discussion Questions

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General Discussion Questions

1. Which book(s) did you read, and did you like or dislike them?

2. What were your general impressions of the book(s)?

Discussion Questions for MADAME CURIE: A BIOGRAPHY (Nonfiction selection)

1. In Eve Curie's Introduction, she writes that Albert Einstein said "Marie Curie is, of all celebrated beings, the only one whom fame has not corrupted." Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

2. What did you think of the Introduction to the 2001 edition? Did this add to the book? Why do you suppose they added this introduction to that edition?

3. The author uses many excerpts from personal letters and correspondences to tell her story. What do you think of this style?

4. Occasionally, the author has a voice in this book, using first person (p. 47). How did you feel about this occasional use of first person? Does knowing that the author is the daughter of Marie Curie impact these feelings?

5. Did you have any difficulty accepting the image of Marie Curie portrayed by her daughter? (Marie is essentially portrayed as being perfect, or a victim---it is as if she can do no wrong.) How do you think a biography written by someone else would be different?

6. Were you surprised to learn that Marie Curie had such a difficult and unhappy childhood and early adulthood? How did this affect her later in life?

7. Marie and Pierre Curie refused to copyright any of their work, claiming it should be available to all. Consequently, they earned very little money for their scientific discoveries. Your thoughts?

8. On the other hand, in her later years, Marie advocated copyright for scientists, believing it was a way to fund laboratories. Is that the way copyright works today?

9. What is your opinion of the treatment the Curies received from the French scientific establishment? Why do you suppose France was so reluctant to bestow honor on the Curies when other countries were continually recognizing them for their work?

10. The author refers to "a perfidious campaign" (p. 279) against Marie around the time she was awarded her second Nobel Prize in 1911. From the description, does the reader know what happened? What do you think of the way these events were written? (We learn in the Introduction to the 2001 edition that Marie had an affair with another scientist that was not easily accepted by the public. (p. xii))

11. What parts of Marie's travels to America stand out in your mind?

Discussion Questions for THE BOOK ABOUT BLANCHE AND MARIE (Fiction selection)

1. In the beginning of the book, in regards to Blanche it says "Marie Curie does not mention her existence in her memoirs…" (p. 14). She is also not mentioned in the nonfiction book by Eve Curie that we read. Why do you think this is?

2. It appears that the "speaker" keeps changing between paragraphs. Did you find it difficult to figure out who was talking at various times during the book? Who was the narrator?

3. The author uses exclamation points in the middle of sentences throughout the novel. In what way did this unusual style affect your reading?

4. During her time at the Salpetriere Hospital, Blanche is described as both Dr. Charcot's patient and his assistant. Your thoughts?

5. Do you think Blanche's love for Marie was of the romantic type?

6. Why do you suppose the 3 books were called "yellow", "black", and "red"? We learn that the "red" book is so titled because red is the color of love, but what about the others? (p. 201)

7. The scandal that involved Marie Curie and Paul Langevin is described in some detail in this novel, in contrast to the lack of discussion in the nonfiction book. Do you think it was important to have this information in the novel?

Created September 2009