1.         A central theme in The Fan-Maker's Inquisition is the ability of imagination to bring a world into existence. What role does imagination play in the worlds created by Sade, Gabrielle, and Bishop Landa?

2.         Parodying Descartes' intellectual starting point, "I think therefore I am," Gabrielle and Sade have their fictional laborers assert "I stink therefore I am." According to the novel, can the world sometimes be best known through the body? When?

3.         Lists of exotic kitchens, fantastic meals, bizarre machines and other inventions appear throughout The Fan-Maker's Inquisition. Discuss how these lists serve as "miniatures" within the novel. How do they help tell the story?

4.         According to the novel, does unlimited personal freedom always lead to murder and perversion? Does unlimited institutional freedom?

5.         Class differences were central to the French Revolution. Do you think Sade's opinions would differ if he, like Gabrielle, had been a member of the artisan/worker class instead of a member of the aristocracy? Would Gabrielle's values differ is she was a member of the aristocracy? Do class differences play a role in this novel?

6.         At the beginning of the novel, Gabrielle states that a fan opens like the "thighs of a woman" and "produces its own weather." Later we are told that a "book will open like a fan." Discuss how this novel is like one of Gabrielle's fans. What is the nature of the "weather" it produces? What is its desired effect on the world?

7.         According to Gabrielle, is brutality, like beauty, always in the eye of the beholder? Is all truth subjective?

8.         Rather than trying to explain the world, The Fan-Maker's Inquisition often tries to show how mysterious it can be. Is this a worthwhile goal? Explain.

9.         Do you agree with Sade's statement that "The best books cause us to dream; the rest are not worth reading?" Explain how Ducornet's lyrical prose style reinforces this world view.

10.         According to the novel, are "idealism" and "reigns of terror" two sides of the same coin? Do Sade's crimes differ from those he accuses governments and religions of committing? Do intentions matter?

11.         How would you describe the relationship between Gabrielle and Sade?

12.         Gabrielle tells the court that "Sade offers [us] a mirror." Does he? What do we see reflected in him? How does reading about Sade and Gabrielle make you feel about your own life? Your own country? Your own moment in history?