The Flamethrowers: A Novel [Paperback]

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST * NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS BYTHE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW * New Yorkmagazine’s #1 Book of the Year * Best Book of 2013 by:The Wall Street Journal;Vogue;O, The Oprah Magazine;Los Angeles Times;The San Francisco Chronicle;The New Yorker;Time;Flavorwire;Salon;Slate;The Daily Beast

“Superb…Scintillatingly alive…A pure explosion of now.”—The New Yorker

Reno, so-called because of the place of her birth, comes to New York intent on turning her fascination with motorcycles and speed into art. Her arrival coincides with an explosion of activity—artists colonize a deserted and industrial SoHo, stage actions in the East Village, blur the line between life and art. Reno is submitted to a sentimental education of sorts—by dreamers, poseurs, and raconteurs in New York and by radicals in Italy, where she goes with her lover to meet his estranged and formidable family. Ardent, vulnerable, and bold, Reno is a fiercely memorable observer, superbly realized by Rachel Kushner.This Scribner reading group guide for The Flamethrowers includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.


Introduction

The young and impressionable unnamed narrator ofThe Flamethrowers, occasionally referred to by other characters as “Reno,” grew up in that Nevada town, riding motorcycles with her rough and tumble cousins, and studied fine art at the University of Nevada. When she moves to New York in 1975 with little more than a camera, she finds a fast-paced downtown art world ofló