Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Before reading Wild Thing, what was your impression of Paul Gauguin, and how did this biography change it?

2. Prideaux’s biography is built on forensic and archival evidence, which contrasts with more romanticized portraits of artists. Have you read any portrayals of Gauguin’s contemporaries, like Irving Stone’s fictionalized account of Van Gogh in Lust for Life (1934)? How did Prideaux’s fact-based method affect you as a reader?

3. What aspect of Gauguin’s life, from his Peruvian childhood to his final days as a “barefoot lawyer” in the Marquesas, did you find most memorable or surprising?

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

1. Gauguin often defined himself as a “savage” when he felt cornered or misunderstood. Have you ever used a part of your own background or identity to set yourself apart in a challenging situation?

2. Think about a time you’ve faced a pull between a conventional path and a more passionate one. What factors influenced your decision, and how do they compare to the pressures Gauguin faced in pursuing art full-time?

3. Can you think of a mentor or experience that fundamentally shaped your own approach to established ideas, similar to how Bishop Dupanloup’s teaching influenced Gauguin?

4. The painful breakdown of Gauguin’s relationship with his wife, Mette, is detailed throughout the book. Could you relate to this depiction of estrangement driven less by lack of affection than by incompatible life goals?

5. What does the idea of an “authentic” or “wild” place mean to you in a modern context?

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

1. How does Gauguin’s role as both a critic and a participant in colonialism complicate our understanding of that era?

2. Prideaux opens by debunking the long-held myth that Gauguin had syphilis, a story that profoundly shaped his reputation. Why do you think this particular myth was so powerful and persistent, and what does it suggest about how society often views artistic genius?

3. What are your thoughts on the romantic idea of the suffering or exiled artist? Do you believe an artist’s personal story, like the one cultivated by Gauguin and his supporters, should influence how we value their work? Conversely, to what extent do you think that more problematic biographical details, like Gauguin’s relationships with teenage girls, matter in terms of aesthetic appreciation?

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

1. How did Prideaux’s choice to open with forensic evidence shape your reading experience?

2. What expectations did the biography’s title create for you? How does the meaning of the word “wild” evolve over the course of the text?

3. Did you find Prideaux’s descriptions of Gauguin’s paintings effective in capturing their effect? Why or why not?

4. How does a major work like Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? serve as a visual testament to Gauguin’s project of blending personal history, philosophy, and cross-cultural symbols?

5. Sue Prideaux has also written a biography of Edvard Munch, another artist who explored intense psychological states. If you’re familiar with Munch’s work, what parallels or contrasts do you see in how these two artists used their lives and personal suffering as raw material for their art?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were curating a museum exhibit titled “Unmaking the Gauguin Myth,” what three objects from his life, besides his paintings, would you choose to display? What story would each object tell about the man behind the art?

2. Gauguin used his self-published newspaper, Le Sourire, for political satire and social commentary. If he were alive today, what modern medium do you think he would use, and who or what might be the targets of his sharp-witted commentary?

3. If you were to name a personal space to reflect your core values or creative spirit, what would you call it, and why?