1. Peter’s brother, Martin, thinks he has wasted his life. What do you think? What do you think the author believes a worthwhile life is?

2. Had Peter met Claire when he was younger, do you think he would have been happy with her?

3. Is Peter’s relentless philandering the result of the tragedies depicted in Poison?

4. Some people have argued that Peter’s adulteries are excusable because adultery is tolerated—if not expected—in other countries. What do you think of this defense (an appeal to moral relativism) of Peter’s behavior? In real life, how would you judge or react to similar behavior?

5. Do you think (or do the characters in Poison believe) that moral or sexual latitude ought to be granted to individuals of great gifts, like writers or painters or movie stars?

6. In the end, are Sigrid’s sacrifices for Peter’s sake beneficial or destructive?

7. Rose believes that she has experienced a revelation when speaking to a relative of Peter’s who owns a grocery store. She feels, afterwards, as if an angel has spoken to her. What sort of revelation is it?

8. What is Penelope’s role in this novel?

9. Which characters do you find most sympathetic, and which ones least? Which characters does the author seem to like or dislike most?

10. There are many violent storms depicted in Poison. What role does nature play in this novel?

11. Poison sometimes explores the chasm between what actual people or events actually were to the mythic events and beings the world eventually sees them as being. Is the description of the “famous” photograph of Peter and Evelyn meant to explore this idea?

12. Peter has two “motherless” children. Can they recover from the disasters inflicted upon them by their parents, especially famous parents? Or is the fact of the parents’ fame irrelevant?

13. In what way (if any) is the plot of Poison determined or fated? Is that fate created when Peter marries Evelyn? What could have avoided the many tragedies that occur in Poison? Is fate the same thing as character in this novel?

14. Meena may seem to be the classic evil stepmother, but Susan Fromberg Schaeffer has said that she finds her very sympathetic. Why does the author sympathize with Meena?

15. How would you characterize the author’s style, her way of telling a story?

16. When Poison ends, the controversy over Peter’s estate has not yet been settled. What do you think will happen to the estate? What do you think will become of the other characters, particularly Sophie and Andrew?