Notes on an Execution

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of graphic violence, death, and mental illness.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Like Emma Donoghue’s Room, Notes on an Execution attempts to subvert traditional crime thriller narratives by focusing on the women affected by the killer rather than glorifying the killer himself. How successful is the novel at diverting attention in this way? How did it affect your reading experience?

2. In what ways does Kukafka’s novel compare to other psychological examinations of killers like Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood? What makes her approach to the genre distinctive?

3. The novel alternates between Ansel’s countdown to execution and the three women’s stories. What effect did this structure have on your reading experience?

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

1. Which character’s method of processing trauma resonated most with your own experiences of working through difficult situations?

2. The novel explores how we often separate “monsters” from “humans” to make ourselves feel safer. When have you caught yourself categorizing people this way?

3. What objects or rituals in your life provide you with comfort or security, similar to how Ansel believed the trinkets would protect him?

4. Blue sees Ansel as someone who committed terrible acts and as a person capable of goodness. Describe a time when you had to reconcile contradictory aspects of someone in your own life.

5. Throughout the novel, characters like Lavender, Saffy, and Hazel find different communities that help them heal. What communities have played an important role in your healing process?

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

1. What do you think drives our culture’s fascination with male killers? What does this fascination reveal about our society?

2. The novel portrays a flawed prison system and questions the ethics of capital punishment. How do these portrayals connect to current debates about criminal justice reform?

3. Media coverage in the book focuses more on killers than on their victims. What responsibilities do media outlets and consumers have in how crime stories are told and consumed?

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

1. Kukafka uses multiple perspectives and timelines to tell her story. What does this structure reveal about perspective and truth? What would have been lost or altered were the novel told from a single point of view?

2. What does the recurring motif of screaming in Ansel’s head represent in the narrative? Does the meaning of this image change as the story goes on?

3. Why does the novel end with vignettes of the lives Ansel’s victims would have led had they survived? How do these counterfactual visions add to the novel’s discussion of what victims are owed?

4. The Blue House photograph represents a glimpse of Ansel’s capacity for goodness. How does this symbol complicate the novel’s moral landscape?

5. How does Ansel’s “Theory” document function as both a character development tool and a critique of how we consume serial killers’ manifestos?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine an alternate ending where Ansel succeeds in his escape plan. Sketch out an alternative epilogue that imagines the consequences for the characters.

2. Write a short vignette about your own life in the style of the novel’s epilogue, highlighting pivotal moments that shaped who you are today.

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