The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The secret of Ted and Anna’s marriage and George’s parentage is an important mystery throughout the novel. Did you guess the answer before it was revealed? Why or why not? What aspects of the mystery were the most compelling to you?

2. The novel is simultaneously a coming-of-age story, a romance, a book about friendship, and a meditation on motherhood. Did you find one of these aspects more compelling or interesting than the other? Why?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. The novel concerns the deep friendship between Pen and Alice, who are initially portrayed as opposites. Which character did you identify with more strongly, and why? Have you ever experienced a close friendship with someone who is different than you?

2. Pen’s perspective on life shifts dramatically as she gains maturity and experience and becomes a mother. How has your greater life experience changed your perceptions of the things you did as a younger person?

3. Worried that she is doomed to repeat her parents’ dysfunctional marriage, Pen hopes that her quest to understand the reasons for their divorce will help her to avoid making similar mistakes.