The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

[Adriana]

Discussion for the book. Will update later with questions. Must sleep soon...

[Adriana]

1. What do you think of the title and book cover? Are they good choices? What’s the
meaning of the title?
2. With her high level of knowledge, her erudition and her self-reliance, Flavia hardly seems your
typical eleven-year-old girl. Or does she? How does Flavia’s personality drive the novel?
3. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie falls within the tradition of English country house
mysteries, but with the devilishly intelligent Flavia racing around Bishop’s Lacey on her
bike instead of the expected older woman ferreting out the truth by chatting with her
fellow villagers. Are you a fan of cozy mysteries? Did you like the twists the author put
on the genre?
4. Do you have a favorite scene from The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie?
5. With her excessive interest in poisons and revenge, it’s no surprise that Flavia is
fascinated, not scared, as she watches the stranger die in her garden. In your view, is her
dark matter-of-factness more refreshing or disturbing?
6. Flavia reminds us often about Harriet, the mother she never knew, and has many
keepsakes that help her imagine what she was like. How has the missing Harriet shaped
Flavia’s personality?
7. Flavia’s distance from her father, the Colonel, is obvious, yet she loves him all the same.
How does their relationship develop over the course of the story?
8. Buckshaw, the estate, is almost a character in its own right, with its overlarge wings,
hidden laboratory, and pinched front gates. How do Buckshaw and the setting of the novel
function in the story?
9. Like any scientist, Flavia expects her world to obey certain rules, and she seems to be
thrown off kilter when surprises occur. How much does she rely on the predictability of
those around her, like her father and her sisters, in order to pursue her own interests (like
solving the murder)?
10. Did you find the characters believable? Which of the characters did you like the most?
Which did you dislike?
11. Did you find the dialog in the story realistic?
12.What did you think of the plot line development? How credible did the author make the plot?
13. Any comments about the way the book ended?
14. Are there questions you would like to ask or additional comments you would like to make

[Adriana]

Here are some more. please tell me which set to keep. thank you. (:

[Adriana]

Thank you. I deleted the first then.

2)Ummm... she is the novel! I would say she is typical because she thinks like a kid. The only difference is she is extremely well read and has a passion... for poison! :D
3)I've never really read any cozies and actually am doing a challenge for next year. A couple of the books I wanted to read were cozies so I was like why not?
4)The beginning really grabbed me...hmmm... there was that but I'm not sure if there was a particular one that was my favorite.
5)I wouldn't say refreshing but it wasn't disturbing either. I was okay with it because it's not real and anyways it's not like she killed him.
6)She grew into an awkward kind of distant child.
10)Believable? I guess... I really liked Dogger and Flavia together. I didn't like Ned. He was such a dog.
13)It was a great mystery I thought. A bit long. I was speculating throughout but I did know it was Pemberton for a little while before she solved it. It was kind of surprising who he was.

[Adriana]

The story kind of went a little long for me so I can see why Flavia could have annoyed you but I still don't see it.