The notebook cover

The notebook

by José Saramago

Beginning on the eve of the 2008 U.S. presidential election, the author evokes life in his beloved city of Lisbon, revisits conversations with friends, meditates on his favorites authors, dissects the financial crisis, deplores Israel's punishment of Gaza, and reflects on the rise of Barack Obama.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?