Katabasis

What did you think of Kuang's portrayal of the "magick" in the book? Contrast it to the depiction of magic in other fantasy books that you have read.

Katabasis is a dark academia novel, and it's certainly heavy on the academia part. Did you enjoy the descriptions of logic, mathematics and geography and the many references to real life writers and scholars? Did it help you to understand how everything worked or did you find that this dragged the book down?

Are you part of the world of academia? If so, did you see elements of academia that you've experienced echoed in the novel?

Which hell court did you find most intersting? Which would be most tortuous for you personally to be stuck in?

How familiar are you with Dante's "Inferno?" How does Alice and Peter's journey compare to Dante's journey through the nine circles of hell in search of Beatrice?

Do you believe in Hell? What is your personal conception of what Hell might be like?

Did Alice's reasons for pursuing Professor Grimes into hell make sense to you? Why did she make the sacrifices she did?

Alice and Peter both hate Professor Grimes, and at the same time idolize him and desperately seek his approval. What do you think Kuang is saying about the dangers of idolizing teachers or mentors? What makes the teacher/student relationship so potentially fraught?

Could you relate to Alice's struggles with depression? What did you think of Kuang's depiction of mental illness?

Did you enjoy seeing Peter's story through his flashbacks? What did you learn about the character and how did it contrast with Alice's view of him?

This is not a romance novel, but it does have a rivals to lovers romance arc. What did you think about the development of Alice and Peter's relationship?

The book is set during the 1980s. Were you alive during that time period? How does the historical setting impact the novel? How would it be different if it were set today?

What did you think of the ending? Did you find it satisfying?

Have you read any other books by R.F. Kuang (such as Babel, The Poppy Wars, or Yellowface)? If so, how did Katabasis compare in its themes and in its writing style?