Fireworks – Discussion Guide
1. Readers have very different and often strong reactions to Hollis. Some hate him, some love him, some are frustrated by him, and others amused. Some feel all of the above at once. What was your reaction to his character, and why? Is he a reliable narrator?
2. Fireworks takes place over the course of a single summer, but Hollis often returns in his mind to the past, both recent and long ago. How important is the past in defining Hollis in the present moment?
3. For the most part, Claire is absent from the action of the novel, presented to the reader only through Hollis’ memory. Do you think we get an accurate picture of who Claire really is? Why has Claire left Hollis?
4. What do you make of Hollis’ relationship with his neighbors? With Sal? With Larry and Crosby?
5. Hollis is a writer obsessed with non-stories. What exactly is a non-story? Is Fireworks a non-story?
6. The death of a child is undoubtedly one of the most difficult things that any person could face. Discuss the impact of Simon’s death on Hollis. When does he think about Simon, and how, and why?
7. What role does the dog, Jasper, play throughout the novel?
8. Each chapter in Fireworks has a title. How important are these titles? What purpose do they serve?
9. How does Hollis change over the course of the book, if at all?
