1. Many of the characters in the book are portrayed though one characteristic — grateful Annie, death-obsessed Enid. How does David Nobbs manage to make these people three-dimensional, without reducing them to stereotypes?
2. Much of the humour comes from the incongruousness of the situations. Kate relives her night of passion with Gwyn while the ward around her farts, snores and screams its way through the night. What other examples are there of this in the book?
3. The theme of the book is love and the different ways in which it manifests itself. What are the ways in which Kate is drawn to her family, her wildly differing husbands and her children? Is it true that Kate is ultimately not very fond of her children?
4. In a radio interview David Nobbs said that unlike his other work this was specifically devised not to work on television. Why do you think this is, and do you agree? Who could play the part of Kate?
5. The descriptions in the book fix the settings firmly in the reader's mind. How does Nobbs help the reader to imagine Swansea, the Cornish commune where Kate meets her first husband, and finally the hospital where she lies paralysed?
6. Do you agree that Kate's life is a picture of the 20th century? Can you give examples of where events have a direct impact on her life?
