Best Offer Wins

Unreliable narration is a common trope within the domestic thriller genre. How and when is Margo’s narration unreliable? What other thriller tropes does the novel employ, and to what effect?

Discuss Ian’s characterization. How is he different or similar to Margo? What is his role and wider significance in the text?

Best Offer Wins satirizes the extreme conditions of the housing market in the USA. How does the novel comment on the state of the housing market and the pitfalls of commodifying human necessities?

How does the novel explore different forms and conceptions of family life? How does Margo’s conception of family life compare to that of the other characters?

Analyze the class dynamics of the novel. How do characters such as Margo, Curtis, and/or Dottie reveal the class tensions in contemporary American society? How does the novel examine the impact of socioeconomic circumstances on individuals more generally?

While Margo, as protagonist and narrator, dominates the story, her self-presentation and self-perception do not always line up with the reality her narrative inadvertently reveals. How does the narrative play with the differences between how Margo presents herself and who she really is? How does the novel explore the gap between appearances and reality in other ways?

How does Fritter function within the narrative? What does he reveal about Margo as a character and how does he help to explore the novel’s key themes?

Analyze how the novel wrestles with the issue of marriage and gender dynamics. How does the novel examine the nature of marriage and intimacy, and some of the complexities associated with these elements?