1. The idea of physiognomy is that one can read depth from clues found on the surface. In what ways is this practice still in use in today's society?

2. Although the act of judging a book by its cover, so to speak, can lead to problems like stereotyping, when might it be absolutely necessary for one to utilize this technique?

3. When the book begins, who is the figure of greater evil, Cley or Below?

4. Compare the worlds of The Well-Built City and Anamasobia. How are their citizens different? How are they different physically and philosophically?

5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Cley being able to use "sheer beauty"?

6. How does the concept of Paradise change throughout the book -- in different situations and for the different characters?

7. What does the concept of Paradise bring to mind in relation to our present culture?

8. What is it that makes Cley lose the power of the physiognomy?

9. If you were a subject in the Well-Built City, how would your own physiognomy fare?

10. How important are Cley's friends, the mayor and Calloo, to the success of his goal?

11. What does Cley learn in the mines of Doralice?

12. Is Silencio friend or foe? Why the wide use of monkey imagery through the book?

13. Discuss the major transformations Cley undergoes in the book.

14. At the end of the novel, is the green veil a sign that Arla has forgiven Cley or not? Should she ever forgive him?

15. How does the place that Cley reaches at the end of the novel (Wenau) coincide with his dream of Paradise throughout the work?