The Dictionary of Lost Words

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• The Dictionary of Lost Words focuses on characters in a range of social classes and levels of education. Which character did you identify with most, and why?
• How did the book benefit from covering a wide expanse of time?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Did this novel change the way you think of dictionaries today? How have dictionaries changed since Esme’s time?
• Did you sympathize with the suffrage movement? Why?
• Were any of the “inappropriate” words jarring to you? Is there such thing as a “bad” word and a “good” word?
• The novel features a few tragic character deaths. Which one impacted you most, and why?
• Esme grows up in the unassuming garden shed called the Scriptorium, where she feels nurtured and safe. Discuss a setting in your own life that you consider a safe place.

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• The petition for women’s rights is one of the driving forces in the novel. How are these struggles still present today?
• Esme worries that important elements of language are being lost through the curation from the dictionary’s editors. Compare the process of creating the dictionary to the efforts at literary censorship today.
• Consider other languages that are in danger of being lost, such as the Australian aboriginal language in the epilogue. What can this book teach us about the importance of preserving them?

4. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• How does the book benefit from its structure of six parts? How does each part function as a self-contained narrative, and part of a larger whole?
• How does the development of the dictionary parallel Esme’s growth across the novel?
• How does the Scriptorium act as a microcosm of Oxford University?
• Discuss the theme of emotional and cognitive dissonance. How do characters across the novel distance themselves in different ways?

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• Imagine a conversation between Esme and Megan. What would they talk about?
• Make your own dictionary of “women’s words” or contemporary slang by copying and pasting words from online media. Discuss the words you chose to include, and why.
• Write a first-person short story imagining yourself as a suffragette. Use one of the events in the novel as a starting point.

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