8/12/2019 Reader's Guide: Night Film by Marisha Pessl
1/4
8/12/2019 Reader's Guide: Night Film by Marisha Pessl
2/4
1. Professor Wolfgang Beckman accuses Scott of having no respect for the murk. For
the blackly unexplained. The un-nail downable. How does Scotts perspective on
mystery and the blackly unexplained change over the course of the novel?
2. Nora asks Scott, How much evidence do you need before you wonder if itjust might
be real? Do you think Scotts skepticism is a mark of pride, as well as rationality, as
Nora suggests? Why does he wish to believe in the curse after his conversation with
Inez Gallo? How ready were you to believe in the curse?
3. Scott is relentless in his pursuit of the truth about Cordova. How far would you have
gone, in his situation? Is there a point at which you would have stopped pursuing the
truth?
4. Cordovas films were filled with such horror and violence that, in many cases, they
were banned from theaters. What is your perspective on violenceits role and its
effectsin movies today?
5. Cordovas philosophy is in many ways antithetical to our modern world, where
transparency, over-sharing and social media are the norm. Did you feel drawn to
Cordovas philosophy, or repelled, or both? Why?
6. Discuss how Scott advertently or inadvertently involved his daughter Samantha in his
investigation. What did you think of the role she wound up playing, in his discovery?
7. How does your perception of Scott change, from the beginning to the end of the
novel?
8. What did you think of the evolution of Nora and Scotts relationship?
8/12/2019 Reader's Guide: Night Film by Marisha Pessl
3/4
9. Both Scott and Nora reflect on the power of memory and story to alter the way we
relate to our experiences. Scott says: It was never the act itself but our own
understanding of it that defeated us, over and over again. Nora says: The bad things
that happen to you dont have to mean anything at all. Do you agree?
10. Beckman says Every one of us has our box, a dark chamber stowing the thing that
lanced our heart. Consider Nora, Hopper, Ashley, Cordova, and Scott. What do their
boxes contain, and in what ways do these secrets motivate them? Imprison them?
11. What do you think helped Hopper come to peace with Ashleys memory?
12. New York City is just as much a character in the novel as any one person. How
does your personal experience of, or relationship with, the city affect your reading?
13. How did the visual elements throughout the book enhance or impact your reading
experience?
8/12/2019 Reader's Guide: Night Film by Marisha Pessl
4/4
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/night-film-marisha-pessl/9780385667654-item.htmlhttp://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385667655/randomhouseof-20http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780307368225https://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=9780307368225https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/night-film/id442160430?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_kinc?url=node%3D154606011&field-keywords=Night+Film