Last Notes from Home | Topics for Discussion & Projects

Last Notes from Home Key Questions

Last Notes from Home completes the "fictional memoir" Exley began with A Fan's Notes and, as such, spans most of the author's adult life. One area worth exploring relative to the culminating nature of this novel might be the temporal landscape, or changes wrought over time.

1. In what significant ways does the Fred Exley of Last Notes from Home differ from the Fred Exley of Pages from a Cold Island or A Fan's Notes? What personality traits remain consistent from one novel to the next?

2. How does Last Notes from Home compare or contrast structurally with Exley's two prior memoirs?

3. Discuss the use of apostrophe in Last Notes from Home. How does this technique shape or influence reader response?

4. Explore the irony implicit in Exley's purported "imprisonment in paradise."

5. What role does The Brigadier play...
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