Here are the questions discussed at the Reading the Western Landscape Book Club at the Arboretum Library of the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden on February 22, 2017: 
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 *	What do you like best so far? What not so much? 
 *	Do you think the brother is going to reappear? 
 *	Do we have a reliable narrator? 
 *	The narrator has inserted himself in the book several times? What context can we bring to that at this point? 
 *	What is the deal with Cathy/Kate? 
 o	Why is she described the way she is? 
 o	Is she a caricature? 
 o	Is she believable as a character? 
 *	Are the other characters believable? 
 o	Do they need to be? 
 *	Is there anything that is confusing for you? 
 *	Why do you think Steinbeck quoted the whole Cain and Abel story from the bible? 
 *	Are Steinbeck's thought processes about people simplistic? 
 *	What did you think about the naming story? 
 *	Do you have any questions you would like to ask the group? 
 For our second discussion on March 29, 2017 we had an extended discussion on what makes this book a "masterpiece." 
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