The Great Believers

The title of the novel, The Great Believers, comes from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “My Generation.” Makkai includes a quote from Fitzgerald’s work in the opening of the novel. Why do you think Makkai used this particular quote for the book’s title? How does this quote reflect the perspectives of Yale, Fiona, and Nora?

The Great Believers features many objects that contain complex histories, including Nora’s art collection, Fiona’s thrift store, and the left-behind belongings of Nico, Terrence, and Julian. Choose at least three different objects and track their development over the course of the novel. What do these objects reveal about both their original and adoptive owners? 

In a “Conversation with Rebecca Makkai,” featured at the back of The Great Believers, Makkai reflects that “Legislation of health care is still based on subconscious (or even conscious) prejudices about who deserves to die and who doesn’t.” How does The Great Believers use Yale’s experiences to examine these prejudices about “who deserves to die and who doesn’t”? What are some of the parallels between politics, healthcare, and homophobia in the 1980s and the present day? Have you observed any connections between the AIDS crisis and the more recent COVID-19 pandemic?

Even though Charlie, Teddy, Asher, and Julian are friends, they have very different stances on “safe sex” practices and the efficacy of testing for AIDS. How do their philosophies differ from each other? How does Yale’s own perspective and sex and relationships evolve over the course of the novel? 

Shame is a recurring theme throughout The Great Believers. Analyze at least three different instances wherein characters’ choices are motivated by shame. What message does this novel offer about shame (and the consequences of acting on shame)? 

Activism and allyship are also major themes in The Great Believers. While the novel prominently features gay rights journalism and gay rights protests, caring gestures from non-gay allies such as Fiona, Cecily, and the Sharps are also narratively centered. What message does the novel send about the meaning of activism and allyship? How do activism and allyship overlap (and blend together)? 

Throughout the novel, Yale moves between several liminal homes: his apartment with Charlie, the hotel in Wisconsin, Terrence’s apartment, Cecily’s apartment, the condo owned by the Sharps, a charming house in his neighborhood, and, eventually, the hospital where he spends the final days of his life. What message does The Great Believers send about home (and the search for home)? 

In very different ways, both Nora and Richard attempt to preserve the memory of their friends through art. How does the role of art evolve throughout The Great Believers? Do you believe that art offers a kind of transcendence and redemption? Why or why not?