Book Club Questions for Discussion
1. Mystery on the Isles of Shoals claims to be the last word on the Wagner murder case of 1873. Are you convinced that Louis Wagner was the killer? If so,. what techniques does the author use to close the case? If not, what facts -- not feelings -- compel you to believe Wagner might have been innocent?
2. We are obsessed today with true crime cases, courtroom trials, and detective stories. But our Victorian ancestors lived in a different world with a very different mindset. Working within the "historical true crime" genre, what does the author do to provide context for the modern reader? Why is it important to know about social behavior, the fishing industry, the media, police and legal procedures, and other elements of life in 1873?
3. Why do a few horrific crimes stick in the public mind, while most fade from memory? What do you think has kept the Smuttynose murders "alive" and as hotly debated today as they were in 1873?
4. The author regrets that, in retelling the tragedy of Karen and Anethe Christensen, that so much of the story must focus on the killer, rather than the victims. But he suggests that the more one knows about Louis Wagner, the more he fits the profile of what we now call a "sociopath." Do you agree?
5. Mystery on the Isles of Shoals introduces the reader to many "sidebar" topics such as the decline of the fishing industry, early CSI-style blood analysis, the literary salon of Celia Thaxter, Norwegian immigration, the history of the Isles of Shoals, and a host of other murder cases. Which of these digressions sparked your interest and made you want to dig deeper into the topic?
6. The novel Weight of Water by Anita Shreve is based on the Smuttynose murders and draws much of its content from the 1873 Wagner trial transcript. Comparing the novel to Mystery on the Isles of Shoals, can you detect where Shreve artfully leaves out critical evidence of Wagner's guilt and invents details that point toward Maren Hontvet as the killer?
7. In her novel, Shreve invents a deathbed confession letter by Maren Hontvet. Critics have argued that turning an innocent figure into a killer, when the real Maren was herself a victim and nearly murdered, is morally inexcusable. What do you think? Do fiction writers who draw details from the lives of historical figures have any responsibility to tell the truth? If someone wrote a novel accusing one of your ancestors of assassinating President Kennedy, would that be okay? What if that novel named you as the killer?
8. The film version of Weight of Water, directed by Academy Award-winner Kathryn Bigelow, opens with Louis Wagner, declaring his innocence to a mob intent on lynching him. In the film Wagner is ragged, long-haired, bearded, and desperate after his capture. In reality Wagner was clean shaven, neatly dressed, handsome, composed, and sympathetic. In other scenes, Wagner assaults Anethe and kisses Maren. What other visual cues, not based on fact, does the filmmaker use to develop the characters and heighten the drama?
9. Are we becoming a nation of conspiracy theorists who prefer to believe the opposite of what the "authorities" tell us is true? Is the Information Age making it easier or more difficult to get to the facts of a story or news event? Are we relying more and more on opinions and headlines rather than on in-depth research and expert testimony? Is this a dangerous trend?
10. Which of the following sites would you most like to visit and why -- the Isles of Shoals, the Oceanic Hotel, the Portsmouth, NH waterfront, the York County Courthouse or Wagner's jail site in Alfred, Maine, the site of the former Thomaston State Prison, New Castle (where Wagner abandoned his boat and crossed the bridge), St. John's Church, or the graves of Karen and Anethe?
(c) 2015 J. Dennis Robinson / SmuttynoseMurders.com
2. We are obsessed today with true crime cases, courtroom trials, and detective stories. But our Victorian ancestors lived in a different world with a very different mindset. Working within the "historical true crime" genre, what does the author do to provide context for the modern reader? Why is it important to know about social behavior, the fishing industry, the media, police and legal procedures, and other elements of life in 1873?
3. Why do a few horrific crimes stick in the public mind, while most fade from memory? What do you think has kept the Smuttynose murders "alive" and as hotly debated today as they were in 1873?
4. The author regrets that, in retelling the tragedy of Karen and Anethe Christensen, that so much of the story must focus on the killer, rather than the victims. But he suggests that the more one knows about Louis Wagner, the more he fits the profile of what we now call a "sociopath." Do you agree?
5. Mystery on the Isles of Shoals introduces the reader to many "sidebar" topics such as the decline of the fishing industry, early CSI-style blood analysis, the literary salon of Celia Thaxter, Norwegian immigration, the history of the Isles of Shoals, and a host of other murder cases. Which of these digressions sparked your interest and made you want to dig deeper into the topic?
6. The novel Weight of Water by Anita Shreve is based on the Smuttynose murders and draws much of its content from the 1873 Wagner trial transcript. Comparing the novel to Mystery on the Isles of Shoals, can you detect where Shreve artfully leaves out critical evidence of Wagner's guilt and invents details that point toward Maren Hontvet as the killer?
7. In her novel, Shreve invents a deathbed confession letter by Maren Hontvet. Critics have argued that turning an innocent figure into a killer, when the real Maren was herself a victim and nearly murdered, is morally inexcusable. What do you think? Do fiction writers who draw details from the lives of historical figures have any responsibility to tell the truth? If someone wrote a novel accusing one of your ancestors of assassinating President Kennedy, would that be okay? What if that novel named you as the killer?
8. The film version of Weight of Water, directed by Academy Award-winner Kathryn Bigelow, opens with Louis Wagner, declaring his innocence to a mob intent on lynching him. In the film Wagner is ragged, long-haired, bearded, and desperate after his capture. In reality Wagner was clean shaven, neatly dressed, handsome, composed, and sympathetic. In other scenes, Wagner assaults Anethe and kisses Maren. What other visual cues, not based on fact, does the filmmaker use to develop the characters and heighten the drama?
9. Are we becoming a nation of conspiracy theorists who prefer to believe the opposite of what the "authorities" tell us is true? Is the Information Age making it easier or more difficult to get to the facts of a story or news event? Are we relying more and more on opinions and headlines rather than on in-depth research and expert testimony? Is this a dangerous trend?
10. Which of the following sites would you most like to visit and why -- the Isles of Shoals, the Oceanic Hotel, the Portsmouth, NH waterfront, the York County Courthouse or Wagner's jail site in Alfred, Maine, the site of the former Thomaston State Prison, New Castle (where Wagner abandoned his boat and crossed the bridge), St. John's Church, or the graves of Karen and Anethe?
(c) 2015 J. Dennis Robinson / SmuttynoseMurders.com
