Dominance by Will Lavender: book notes
A literature class taught from prison becomes a murder puzzle. What Dominance is about, who it may suit, and where to find the book.
Sections4
Will Lavender's Dominance makes a reading assignment part of a murder mystery. The question is not simply who committed a crime. It is also why a teacher's way of interpreting a book has such a hold on his students.
These notes cover the premise and opening excerpt. They keep the later solution out of view.
What the book is about
Richard Aldiss is a literature professor and convicted murderer who teaches a small college class by video from prison. His students have to identify a secretive novelist. Alex Shipley participates in the class, helps secure Aldiss's freedom and becomes a professor herself. When a classmate is murdered, she faces another puzzle involving the people who studied together. Simon & Schuster's book page sets out the premise.
The publisher's opening excerpt places a television at the front of a lecture hall. The students wait for Aldiss to appear. The scene gives him two kinds of power: the authority of a teacher and the unease attached to a prisoner. That is a useful tension to watch for as you read.
Who it may suit
Consider this novel if you like mysteries about books, secretive teachers and closed circles of suspects. The reading assignment is part of the attraction. A reader seeking a straightforward police case may prefer a different kind of thriller.
The premise includes murder and manipulation. It is a suspense choice rather than a gentle campus story. Try the lawful opening sample before choosing it for a reading group.
Questions to keep beside your bookmark
- What makes the students trust Aldiss's instructions?
- Does knowing how to read a difficult text also mean knowing whom to trust?
- When does a shared intellectual game become pressure to obey?
These are starting questions, not clues to the ending. For another story about the power of a storyteller, see our notes on The Map of Time.
Find the book and author
Simon & Schuster lists an ebook published July 5, 2011 and a paperback published September 11, 2012. The paperback record includes the opening excerpt and ISBN 9781451617306; search WorldCat for that edition. Will Lavender's publisher profile also lists Obedience.
If you alternate a chapter with a few rows, our triangle scarf guide helps you plan a separate knitting project. The beginner needle selections cover the tools for starting one. Choose your project by its pattern, not by the novel's setting.
Return to the reading list for the other book notes and named titles.