Reading group questions?

[hmpf]

Lately, a lot of newer books I've read have had a page or two of "Reading group questions" in the back. These kind of baffle me. What's their purpose, exactly? Are there actually people out there who feel a need for these questions? They're usually extremely basic, nothing you wouldn't hit upon when talking about a book in a group of even just moderately active minds. I mean, do we really need what's essentially a set of instructions for talking about books? Really?

Comments

[jazzymegster.livejournal.com]

A lot of my Neil Gaimans have the same sorts of questions in the back. The first time I saw them, I thought they were in there as a joke, but no, it was not to be.

I think people really think we need our hands holding and all the thinking done for us, lest we strain something. Which is really fucking annoying (pardon my French, but I don't want to be babied and I'm fed up of it cropping up everywhere).