The Tender Bar Reading Questions ~ Prologue and Chapters 6-11
Directions: Read the following quotes and the respond to the questions after the blue
bullet point.
1. “I loved those books at first sight, and it was my mother who had predisposed me to
love them. Beginning when I was nine months old, and continuing until I started school,
my mother had taught me to read…like nothing else, words organized my world, put order
to chaos, divided things neatly into black and white. Words even helped me to organize
my parents. My mother was the printed word-tangible, present, real-while my father
was the spoken word-invisible, ephemeral, instantly part of memory.”
What impact does his mother have on his childhood? Why does it take J.R. so long to
value her impact on his life? How can books serves as a form of connection to others,
and a way to make sense of the world? How has reading shaped your life?
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2. “Our two-person democracy had reverted to a benevolent dictatorship. It was just as
well. I couldn’t convince my mother that the prospect of seeing McGraw and the cousins
didn’t excite me. I wasn’t that good a liar yet?
What is J.R. referring to? What does he mean he isn’t a good enough liar? Why do
people lie? When is it okay to lie?
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