Maude’s Book Club Questions For ‘The Poppy War’ by R.F. Kuang

Apr 19

The world has rediscovered the beauty of being part of a community. More book clubs are popping up everywhere, and people have gotten into reading. Whether it was a book club that helped you or #BookTok, the new craze is most welcome.

We love having discussions at MBC! We tackled The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang in March! For those who love historical fiction and extensive lore that ties in with actual events, Kuang’s war fantasy novel is unlike anything you’ll ever read.

We thought it would be nice to share the questions we have prepared for our book club with all of you. That way, if you enjoy the thought-provoking questions that come with reading a book and going into detail, you’ll join us for next month’s pick!

Become a member today and fall in love with reading.

Book Club Questions For
‘The Poppy War’

Who is your favourite character?
RF Kuang talks about what she hoped people would take away from Rin taking the broth to destroy her uterus, and it was the fact that adults were even providing it as an option. Did you see this as child abuse or female empowerment?
Rin says she wants to be a “Good Soldier”. IS she? Why/Why not
The seduction and dissuasion of power - who seeks it, who does not?
“Becoming the thing you hate.” Why does Rin do worse to her enemies than they did to her?
Rin’s blind loyalty to a nation that minimized and belittled her. Where does that loyalty come from?
Out of the three distinct parts of the book: Academy, War Integration, and Harnessing a God, which was your favourite?
What did you think of Kuang’s brutality in discussing war? Talk about how the book would have changed if it were a lived experience instead of second-hand information
What are the similarities and key differences between Rin and Altan?
Rin’s appearance was never about her looks or trying to become beautiful. It’s addressed that she’s not attractive and the story moves on from ever discussing it again. Why is this important?
What did you like/not like about the use of magic and shamans in this book?
Rin starts this book as a protagonist and ends as an anti-hero. What was it like in her POV during her shift? Did it compel you to continue reading?
Fantasy based on historical events: Does this spark a curiosity to learn more about the true events that inspired the book?
Once you learned the atrocities described in the book are very closely based on true events, did this change your view of the story and if so how?
Would you be interested in reading non-fictional works by this author on Chinese History?