Come to Grief | Topics for Discussion & Projects

Come to Grief Key Questions

Dick Francis is often described as a crime novelist writing beyond the conventions of standard crime fiction. What elements of Come to Grief are standards of the genre?

What elements are unusual for the genre?

How do these non-standard elements add depth to the novel and its characters?

1. Because horse racing recurs to a greater or lesser degree in all Francis novels, consider the thematic and symbolic functions of this motif in Come to Grief.

Also, to what extent does the author present the Jockey Club milieu as a microcosm, a world in miniature, or as a very different and singular society?

2. Sid Halley appears as the detectivenarrator in Odds Against (1965) and Whip Hand (1979). Is he basically the same person in all three, or has his character evolved?

3. Francis has been criticized for...
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