Reading Group Discussion Questions--Desert 1. Descriptions of the Sahara desert are included in the novel, oftentimes with repeating phrases and details. What purpose do you think the repetitions serve? What are they there for? 2. Women are present in all of Clezio’s novels, and they are depicted as incredible fighters. Do you think Lalla is a strong woman? Why or why not? What are some of the things she fights for? Do you think she succeeds? 3. Clezio has published over 50 books, with his most famous works being those of nomads and childhood memories. Why do you think this is? Is Desert something you would normally read? 4. Lalla goes back to Tangier to give birth. Was that a wise decision? Should she have given birth in Marseille? A different city altogether? 5. The novel has two main characters, Nour and Lalla. Whose story did you prefer? Why? What would’ve made the other character’s a more interesting story? 6. What do you think is the overall objective of the author? Is there more than one objective? Do you think he succeeded in conveying the objective(s)? 7. What is the first line of the novel about? What is the last line about? What is the effect on the reader? 8. How is Marseille depicted in Desert? How does it differ from the Sahara and Tangier? 9. Which of Le Clezio’s recurring themes are found in this novel? Which general themes are included? 10. Why do you think Clezio decides to depict men as unfaithful, greedy, violent, and cowardly? Do you feel these are reflective of his personal life experience? Or simply a literary tool? Le Clezio Was born in Nice, France in the year 1940. His English father and French mother were both from Mauritius, an island country in the Indian Ocean. He didn’t know his father due to World War II; when he was seven years old, his mother sailed to Nigeria to meet his father. He began writing while on that boat. He eventually wrote about his first encounter with his father in The African (published in 2004). He has travelled extensively since 1970, living with Native Americans in the Panaman jungle from 1970-1974 and then teaching French literature at universities in Boston, Bangkok, Mexico, Seoul, and Albuquerque. Clezio feels that he is rootless, a globe-trotting writer. He only has imaginary roots; his only country is the French language. Clezio is bilingual and could have written in English; he claims he chose to write in French because it’s his mother’s tongue. His works Clezio has published over 50 books, all of which are in French. Some of his more prominent works have since been translated into English. Le Proces-Verbal (The Interrogation) Le Livres de Fuites (The Book of Flights: An Adventure Story) Le Deluge (The Flood) Terra Amata Le Guerre (War) Desert Le Chercheur d’or (The Prospector) Etoile Errante (Wandering Star: a Novel) Onitsha Short stories La Fievre (Fever) Mondo et autres Histoires (Mondo and other Stories) La Ronde et autres Faits Divers (The Round and other Cold Hard Facts) Awaite Pawana (Pawana) Books for children Celui qui n’avait Jamais vu la Mer (The Boy Who had Never Seen the Sea) Lullaby Les Geants (The Giants) .