About the Author
Ben Sherwood is senior producer of the NBC Nightly News. His nonfiction writing has appeared in many national publications, including
The New York Times,
The Washington Post, and
Los Angeles Times. Educated at Harvard and Oxford, he now lives in New York, where he is at work on his next novel.
From the Hardcover edition.
Reading Group Guide
1. The novels first chapter features a couple trying to break the world record for the longest kiss. What does this episode tell us about J.J.s perspective on love? What is the significance of all the world records in the novel?
2. What drives so many people to go to such lengths to appear in J.J.s Book of Records? What keeps J.J. from possessing their ambition, determination, and optimism?
3. Why does Wally go on eating the plane even when it fails to impress Willa? Does he actually crave the grindings, or is this something he simply endures in the name of love?
4. In her newspaper editorial, Willa asks readers to admire Superior for its everyday accomplishments, not for the fact that one resident is eating a 747. Do you consider Superior to be an apt name and setting?
5. Ben Sherwood writes that the plane gives Wally wings. In what way is this true? How does Wally inspire other characters to take flight? What are the different notions of greatness in the novel?
6. What causes Wallys health scares? What does he teach us about devotion and sacrifice? Why was he unable to recognize Roses love at first?
7. Sherwood worked as a television news producer for many years. Do you detect any journalistic influences in his writing, or do you feel the books magical realism reflects the opposite of a reporters perspective?
8. Discuss Willas little brother, who anonymously brings Wally to J.J.s attention and has his own dreams of setting a record. In what way is he the opposite of his sister? In what way is he a reflection of her?
9. J.J. has a startling ability to recall hundreds of statistics and reduce emotional responses to a litany of neurochemistry. Does his penchant for data mirror our society in any way? Why is J.J. best able to rescue his heart in such a rural locale?
10. Whats the craziest thing youve ever done for love or thats been done for you? What world record would you want to break to prove your devotion?
11. Wally appears to have a special bond with the airplane that has been rejected and abandoned just as he has. What else does the 747 symbolize?
12. What are the competing definitions of love in this novel? What defines a great couple? Is J.J. a better match for Willa than Wally?
13. What inspires the residents of Superior to finish off the 747? Have any similar incidents occurred in your community?
14. In the end, J.J. asks for new submissions to The Book of Wonders. What story from your own life would you submit?
15. What does this novel ultimately say about love and extraordinary behavior? Who are the books real heroes?
How far would you go for love? For Wally Chubb of Superior, Nebraska, the answer is breathtaking, and possibly fatal. Morsel by metallic morsel, hes eating one of the worlds largest airplanes, hoping to win the attention of local newspaper editor Willa Wyatt. Standing by to verify Wallys feat is J. J. Smith, a veteran staffer for
The Book of Records, who has traveled the globe observing the extraordinary achievements of others while leading the most ordinary life himself—so ordinary in fact, that J.J. has never found true love. J.J.s work has taken him to the most romantic spots on earth, from the Taj Mahal to the Eiffel Tower, yet its Americas heartland that holds the unexpected key to his dreams. The trouble is, his dream turns out to be Willa Wyatt, an independent woman who refuses to be wooed; she isnt even impressed by a man willing to consume a airplane to prove his love. But this small town holds big surprises; all of its citizens make a delicious discovery about the wonder of love.
The questions, discussion topics, and author biography that follow are intended to enhance your reading of Ben Sherwoods The Man Who Ate the 747. We hope they will enrich your experience of this unforgettable love story.