Apart From the World cover

Apart From the World

by J. Ross Baughman

Libraries are actually filled with mirrors, at least as far as the German author Johann Wolfgang Goethe saw it. When he had Wagner speak to Faust in his classic drama, they both took a moment to reflect on history: “Forgive me! It is a great delight to place oneself in the spirit of the times... and then see how far we have advanced from that.” To which Faust replied: “The past is a sealed book for us. What you call the spirit of the times is really your own spirit in which the times are reflected.”

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?