Being there cover

Being there

by Jerzy N. Kosinski

Being There is a satirical novel by the Polish born writer Jerzy Kosinski, first published in 1971. Set in America the story concerns Chance, a simple gardener who unwittingly becomes a much sought after political pundit and commentator of the modern world. A film of the book was made in 1979 for which Kosinski co-wrote the screenplay with Robert C. Jones.

More by Jerzy N. Kosinski

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?