The solid mandala cover

The solid mandala

by Patrick White

Arthur and Waldo Brown were born twins and spent their childhood, their youth, middle-age and retirement together. They shared everything, even a girl, but their view of things differed. Waldo, a retired librarian, saw everything and understood little. Arthur was the fool who didn't bother to look. He understood. The book is set in Sydney, Australia in the early 20th century. The two men, sons of English immigrants, are never fully accepted by others even in their old age. They walk holding hands and this causes a stir among the local Aussies. Their somewhat sad lives are rather dull and drab.

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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?