Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Louis C.K., is known for comedy that explores moral hypocrisy and existential dread. How did C.K.’s comic background influence your expectations for Ingram, and in what ways did the novel’s tone surprise or challenge you?

2. Ingram’s journey through a desolate landscape is reminiscent of other works of survival writing. How does his solitary struggle for morality and connection compare to similar literary journeys like those depicted in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road (2006) or John Krakauer’s Into the Wild (1996)?

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

1. Ingram learns crucial life lessons  from a series of flawed and unconventional mentors. Thinking about your own life, who has been an unexpected teacher for you, and what important lessons did you learn from them?

2. What does the novel suggest about the power of literacy through Ingram’s journey from being unable to read to creating his own stories? Have you ever learned a new skill that fundamentally changed how you saw yourself or the world around you?

3. Sinema tells Ingram that reality is something you must actively create through your responsibilities. What does this idea of “reality” mean to you? Have you ever had to reshape your sense of reality to lead a more fulfilled life?

4. The advice Ingram receives from different characters often serves as a guidepost during his journey. Considering the pieces of wisdom Ingram receives from his mother, Pa, the mountain, Bart, Bull, and Marion, identify a piece of advice you’ve received that has stayed with you. How has this advice offered you guidance and direction?

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

1. The oil field is depicted as a lawless corporate territory where human life is cheap and government oversight is absent. In what ways does this setting reflect real-world concerns about labor exploitation and the unchecked power of corporations?

2. The novel is set in a version of the American South where social structures are fracturing. What aspects of this world felt particularly relevant to current societal anxieties?

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

1. What is the significance of the recurring gray creature in Ingram’s mind? How does its presence evolve from a vague nightmare into a symbol of a specific, identifiable trauma by the end of the book?

2. The narrative is episodic, following Ingram through a series of distinct encounters that blend the picaresque tradition with a coming-of-age story. How does this structure mirror Ingram’s fragmented identity and his piecemeal construction of a moral code?

3. How does the recurring motif of hunger and food chart Ingram’s moral and emotional development throughout the novel? In what ways does C.K. disrupt archetypal meanings surrounding hunger and food and reinvent them for the purpose of Ingram’s story?

4. While this is his debut novel, C.K. has explored themes of human fallibility in his comedic work. How are these same themes treated differently when stripped of their comedic context and placed within this tragic framework?

5. What is the effect of the novel’s simple, sensory-focused first-person narration, especially when describing moments of extreme violence?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Ingram learns to comfort Kyle by inventing new adventures for the fictional cowboy Mighty Mike. What new Mighty Mike story would you create to help Kyle understand the intimidating city of New Austin?

2. What do you imagine the first conversation between Ingram and his mother, Sarah, might be like after all these years? Does Sarah reject or accept Ingram? Is Sarah who Ingram remembers her to be? Consider how Ingram’s regard for her evolves in the years following his departure from home.