The Woman Next Door Liz Byrski · The Woman Next Door Liz Byrski BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION POINTS page 2...

TheWomanNextDoor LizByrskiBOOKCLUBDISCUSSIONPOINTS

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ThankyouforchoosingTheWomanNextDoorforyourbookclub.Idohopeyouenjoyreadingit.Herearesomediscussionpointsyoumayliketouse.

WRITINGSTYLEThebookistoldfrommultipleperspectives.Thefourwomentellthemajorityofthestory,butthemen,forexampleMacandLeo,alsohavesectionsoftheirown.Howdothesemultipleperspectivesaffectthereadingexperience?Whydoyouthinktheauthorincludedthemalevoices?CHARACTERSJoyceandHelenseemtobeunlikelybestfriends.Joyceisquiet,aimstopleaseandwillgiveintoavoidconflict.Helenisdirectandcanbeabrasive.Onpage173Joycethinks‘Perhaps…lifeislikethat,peoplechange.I’vechanged.Helenhaschanged.We’vesimplyoutgrownourfriendship.Whateverthecauses,somethingthatwasonceveryprecioushasjudderedtoahaltandrestartingitisoutofthequestion.’Whatdoyouthinkthecausesare?Whyweretheysuchgoodsfriendsinthefirstplace?BothJoyceandHelenarepre-dominantlystay-at-homewivesandmothers.WhydoesJoyceseemtobecomparativelysomuchhappierthanHelenandseeminglybetterequippedtodealwithgrowingolder?LeoandHelenarenotverylikeablecharacters.Doyoufeelanysympathyforthem?Isthereanyonecharacterfromwhomyouwouldhaveliketohaveheardmore?Why?

TheWomanNextDoor LizByrskiBOOKCLUBDISCUSSIONPOINTS

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THEMESCHANGEOnpage35Joyce‘feelsasthoughsheisonthethresholdofsomething:anewwayoflife,anewwayofbeingherself,butshehasnoideahowtostepintothat.’Allofthewomenarestrugglingwithchange:Joyceislookingtodefineherselfoutsideofhermarriage;Pollyisopeningherselfuptoloveforthefirsttimeinyears;Heleniscomingtotermswithherownunhappinessandseparatingfromherpartner;andStella’smentalhealthisdeteriorating.Whatdoeachofthesewomenrelyontohelpthemthroughtheprocessofchange?Whodoesitbetterandwhy?Onpage42,Pollysays‘isn’titstrangethatwe’resoold?’Onthefollowingpageshesays‘Isn’titoddthatinsideyourselfyouknowyou’rethesamepersonbutsuddenlyyouseeyourselfinamirrororreflectedinashopwindowandthink–whoisthatoldpersonthatlooksabitlikeme?’Howdoeachofthecharacters,maleandfemale,dealwiththerealityofgrowingolder?RELATIONSHIPSANDINDEPENDENCEWhateffectdothechangesinthewomen’slives(discussedinthepreviousquestion)haveontheirindependence?Onpage190,Helensays‘it’sdifferentwhenit’sjustwomen…notasimportant,notquitetherealthing.’Towhatextentdoeachofthewomenhavelivesindependentofmeninthenovel?Stellaisafiercelyindependentwoman,stillworkingattheageof80,whichmakesherstrugglewithAlzheimer’sandherlossofindependenceallthemorepoignant.PollyisStella’sclosestfriend.WhencontemplatinghavingtocareforStella,shesaysonpage258‘IsupposeIhadn’trealisedthatIwas–am–suchaselfishperson.’DoyouagreethatPolly,andthewayshecaresforandmanagesStellathroughherillness,isselfish?Onpage293,DorothygivesPollysomeadviceaboutcopingwithStella’sAlzheimer’s.Shesays,‘Thisiswhosheisnow.YoustillseetheoldStellaandyougraspatthatbutyoucan’tmakehercomebackandyoushouldn’ttry.’

TheWomanNextDoor LizByrskiBOOKCLUBDISCUSSIONPOINTS

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WhatdoyouthinkoftheadviceDorothygivesPolly?Leoreflectsonrelationshipsonpage233:‘TheprospectofdomesticblissinretirementhasalwaysappalledLeo,butnow,facedwiththeblackholethatseemsabouttoswallowhim,heisawarethatheisentirelyunpreparedforoldageandunwillingtochangeanyaspectofhislifetoaccommodateit.’ Leo and Polly are both in their sixties and single, yet Polly is not nearly as apprehensive about growing old alone as Leo. Why do you think that is? To the reader, Leo’s flaws are evident from early in the novel. Polly is an intelligent, independent woman: what makes us react negatively to him so quickly and why does it take Polly so long to see what we see? ‘She’llthinkwe’rebeingverygrown-up!Verymodern.’(p8)AlthoughStelladoesindeedcommentonJoyceandMac’srelationshipasbeing‘verymodern’,infactthestoryincludesvariousexamplesof‘modern’families/relationships,forexample,AlistairandSteve,orNickandGemma.Canyoupointtoanyotherexamplesofrelationshipsorfamiliesinthebookwhichmightbeconsidered‘modern’?Doyouthinkthebookisrealisticinitsportrayalofrelationshipsingeneral?Whatdoyouthinktheauthormeansby‘modern’?