Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Which character in Tree of Smoke did you find the most appealing and why?

2. Have you read other works by Denis Johnson, such as Jesus’s Son or Train Dreams? Which elements does the Tree of Smoke have in common with them? What makes it different?

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

1. Have you ever faced an impossible choice, as Hao does in the novel? How did you tackle the dilemma?

2. In the novel, a younger Skip has little patience for his ideals being questioned, though he changes by the end. Have you experienced a similar evolution in your life, with your views changing with age and/or experience? How did they change, and why?

3. The novel presents the world as filled with surreal images, suggesting reality is stranger than fiction. Can you think of any real-life absurd situations that produced a similar response in you?

4. Characters in the novel have differing opinions on the definition of patriotism. What does patriotism mean to you?

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

1. Analyze how the text’s depiction of the Vietnam War also applies to later American offshore conflicts. In what ways is American foreign policy different or similar to what it was in the Vietnam War era?

2. The novel exposes and critiques how patriarchal norms become amplified during armed conflicts. How does the novel reflect or contribute to current debates surrounding patriarchal social structures, values, and the idea of “toxic masculinity” in modern cultural discourse?

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

1. Analyze the way violence appears in the text. How does the novel depict and explore different forms of violence? What does it suggest about the nature of violence?

2. Examine the book’s treatment of women. How are the female characters characterized? In what way does the novel subvert gender roles, or reinforce them?

3. Compare and contrast Tree of Smoke to other famous war novels, such as Catch-22 (1961) or Johnny Got His Gun (1938). How is Tree of Smoke different or similar in its approach to and treatment of war?

4. The novel is narrated through multiple rotating perspectives. How does this narrative structure impact characterization, the plot, and/or the novel’s exploration of key themes and ideas?

5. Explore the use of humor and irony in the novel. What function do these elements serve? In what ways do they balance, contradict, or reinforce the more tragic elements of the next?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If Tree of Smoke were adapted into a movie, who would you cast in the roles of the colonel, Skip, Kathy, and James?

2. Create a playlist to accompany Jimmy’s strange journey in the last chapter of the book. Which songs did you choose, and why?