Us Conductors

The book for the March 1st, 2016 meeting of the Louise Riley Library Book Club is Us Conductors, by Sean Michaels.


Kirsten found a YouTube clip of Clara Rockmore playing the Theremin.
Click on the link below to view it:
http://youtu.be/pSzTPGlNa5U


Us Conductors Discussion Questions:

Section 1: page 1-96:

1. How did you feel after you finished the first chapter? Do you have a clear understanding of Leon and his situation? Do you find the story compelling? Could you picture the theremin? (Bonus question: have you ever seen or played a theremin?)
2. On page 45, Pash tells Leon, “You are more unwitting than you think.” Do you trust Leon as a narrator? Do you like or sympathize with him?  So far, do you enjoy the tone and style of Leon’s voice? Why or why not?
3. Us Conductors walks an interesting line between fact and fiction. How does your understanding of the references the author makes to the composers, inventors, and political figures of the era affect your engagement with the novel? Does knowing that the novel is “inspired by the true life and loves of the famed Russian scientist, inventor and spy” (cover copy) change your experience of the book as work of fiction? (Further, where is the line between fiction and non-fiction? Does defining that line matter?)

Section 2: page 97-188:

4. How do you feel about Leon’s treatment of the women in the novel? Do you find Clara as compelling as Leon does?
5. Leon lives a double life, as both inventor and spy. How does this back and forth between worlds affect the pace and tone of the story?
6. What was your reaction to Leon’s encounter with Danny Finch on page 148? Does this scene change your opinion of Leon? 

Section 3: page 189-267

7.      How do you feel about the novel moving into Part 2? Do you find the story and characters compelling at this stage in the narrative?

8.      When Leon returns to Russia, he finds himself in a political climate he no longer understands. Do you think that Leon emphasizes his naive perspective in order to elicit Clara’s (and the reader’s) sympathy? Or, is Leon really as unwitting as he presents himself to be?

9.      What is your reaction to Leon’s journey to Kolyma? Did you find it difficult to read? How does Michaels’ style affect your emotional response?

Section 4: page 268-347

10.  Discuss the role of the setting in the development of the story. Russia and America are obviously quite different, but do you also see any similarities?

11.  What do you think of the title? Now that you have finished the book, do you think that Leon is a conductor, or is he conducted by others?

12.  Would you recommend this book to others? Why or why not?