Our book group choice for March 2019 is Travels with my Aunt by Graham Greene. It’s the story of Hanry Pulling, a retired and complacent bank manager who meets his septuagenarian Aunt Augusta for the first time at what he supposes to be his mother’s funeral.
She soon persuades Henry to abandon his dull suburban existence to travel her way—winding through Brighton, Paris, Istanbul, and Paraguay. Through Aunt Augusta, one of Greene’s greatest comic creations, Henry joins a shiftless, twilight society; mixes with hippies, war criminals, and CIA men; smokes pot; and breaks all currency regulations.
Discussion Questions for Travels with My Aunt
- Did you like it? How do you think it compares to Greene’s other books?
- There are a lot of side-stories / reminisces, do they complement/ distract from the story?
- The book starts and ends with a death, and the theme of death/loss remains throughout the book, what part do you think this plays in the story?
- What was CHICKEN?
- Opinions on the characters – were any likable/ sympathetic?
- The sadness of side-characters – Miss Keene, Wordsworth, Tooley, Miss Patterson.
- Was there any underlying religious sentiment? Catholicism is mentioned a lot, but was it necessary?
- At the end, did Pullen make the right decision to stay with his ‘Aunt’, or should he have returned to Southwold, possibly with Miss Keene?
- Anyone seen the film (1972)?
- Would you recommend the book?
Individual Comments
DKB's Rating 
