1. How do Valdimar Haraldsson’s recollections of post–World War I Berlin compare to Caeneus’s recollections of the ancient Greek island of Lemnos? What do both story lines tell us about heroism?

2. How was Haraldsson able to fill the pages of Fisk og Kultur, his journal devoted to “the link between fish consumption and the superiority of the Nordic race,” for more than twenty years? What aspects of his culture—culinary and otherwise—are captured in the world of seafaring?

3. As a storytelling device, does the stench of Queen Hypsipyle and the other women of Lemnos affect the male and female audience members differently?

4. Discuss the purser’s sensitive lady friend. How did your opinion of her shift throughout the book? What does her history teach us about Europe’s history?

5. Chapter IV frames the Nordic legend of Sigurd and Gudrun within Greek mythology. What conflicts emerge within both cultures? What does this passage say about universal experiences between lovers?

6. On page 75, in his shipboard lecture, Haraldsson proposes teaming up with Japan. To what extent does this predict the global fish trade of the twenty-first century?

7. What realities are revealed in the novel’s myths? What truths survive across centuries of retelling?

8. If you were able to take a modern-day voyage with a mythical Greek hero, which one would you choose?