1.Why does Sonalal kill the snake? Aside from being angry that the snake has bitten him, what else is going on in this scene that might account for Sonalal's extreme rage? What do we learn later about Sonalal's relationship with his biological sons, and about the extent of his happiness with Raju, that might explain the action?

2.Nigam returns again and again to the moment when Sonalal bit Raju. How does that single incident—and the events leading up to it—shape the novel itself?

3.How would you account for the various maladies visited on Sonalal after Raju's death? Are they coincidental or triggered by the guilt he feels about killing Raju? Does he deserve this fate? Do you think he should have tried harder to redeem himself through his own actions rather than through the healing suggestions of various doctors?

4. What can science do for a man like Sonalal, who is illiterate, poor, and ignorant? Would education make him happier, or would it merely "rob the world of its poetry"?

5.What does Sonalal really learn from his encounters with Dr. Seth and Dr. Basu? How do both doctors hinder—and help—him in his efforts to relieve his suffering?

6. Although the novel is chiefly about Sonalal, Nigam creates a number of strong and quirky characters. How do Sonalal's interactions with each of these characters propel him along? What do the consequences of these interactions reveal about Sonalal?

7.What do you think of Sarita, Sonalal's wife? Is she really just a shrew with no compassion for her husband, or does she have a right to be impatient with his apparent lack of ambition, his disregard for his sons, and his lack of feeling for her? What do you think accounts for the times, rare as they may be, when the couple seems to be getting along?

8. What aspects of Sonalal's story and character strike you as being distinctly Indian? How does Nigam infuse the novel with Western overtones? If Sonalal were a character in a novel that took place in America, what do you think would be his occupation? What sorts of doctors would he visit to heal himself? How might his story have ended differently—or would his fate resemble Sonalal's?

9. How does magic figure in this novel? Do we—or Sonalal—witness any true feats of magic? How does Jagat define magic when he comments to Sonalal that "Maya's veil isn't over the world, it's over their eyes. Your eyes! You must lift the veil, Sona—see the way you used to"?

10. Why do you think Sonalal is able to find such happiness with Reena? What does she give him that Sarita cannot? What happens during their weeklong vacation that changes Sonalal's outlook on life and his feelings for her?

11. Why do you think Sonalal is so drawn to Dr. Seth? Even though the doctor makes all sorts of distasteful and strange suggestions about what may be causing Sonalal's ailments, Sonalal continues to seek him out, even in prison. What does Sonalal learn from the doctor? Is he really a quack? What does Dr. Seth's prescriptive potpourri of psychology, philosophy, and holistic medicine say about how we can heal ourselves?

12. How does Sonalal's search for redemption and relief from his emotional and physical ailments reflect the encroachment of Western ideas and practices into traditional Indian culture?