46 pages • 1-hour read
Me Before You
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Book Club Questions
General Impressions
Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of death, ableism, and suicidal ideation.
Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.
1. Discuss your overall impressions of Me Before You. What were your favorite and least favorite aspects of the novel, and why?
2. If you’ve watched the 2016 film adaptation of the novel, how did your experience reading Me Before You compare? Which aspects of the novel does the film successfully or unsuccessfully portray? How do Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin’s portrayals of Louisa Clark and Will Traynor compare to how you saw the characters?
3. If you’ve read Moyes’s The Giver of Stars and/or The Last Letter from Your Lover, how would you compare them to this novel? What narrative and thematic overlaps do you notice between the works?
Personal Reflection and Connection
Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.
1. Discuss your responses to the revelation that Will was seeking euthanasia. How did this revelation change your impressions of Will and Louisa’s relationship? Would you have responded the same way as Louisa upon learning this news?
2. Compare and contrast Will’s and Louisa’s characters. Whom did you relate to more, and why? Which character did you find more or less believable?
3. Will and Louisa have an opposites-attract and an enemies-to-lovers dynamic. What is it about their differences that draws them together? How does their unlikely romantic connection compare to your own romantic experiences?
4. Louisa occupies two family realms—her own and Will’s. How do Louisa’s experiences with her and Will’s families compare to your own family culture?
Societal and Cultural Context
Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.
1. Through Will’s pursuit of assisted suicide Moyes explores the idea of a right to die. Discuss Moyes’s representation of assisted suicide on the page. How does she cast the right to die as a form of self-empowerment? Cite specific examples.
2. Consider the novel’s representation of disability. Is it a sensitive and/or realistic portrayal?
Literary Analysis
Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.
1. The novel is told from multiple points of view. Explore the narrative and thematic effect of this formal choice. How do Nathan’s, Camilla’s, and Steven’s perspectives nuance the overarching storyline? How would the novel differ if written from one character’s perspective?
2. Me Before You is a contemporary romance novel that explores love amid adversity. Explore how Moyes uses Will and Louisa’s complex relationship to subvert the parameters of the genre. What makes Me Before You more or less realistic than other works of contemporary romance (e.g., Erin Hilderbrand’s 28 Summers or Abby Jimenez’s Part of Your World), and why?
3. Discuss the evolution of Louisa’s character. What experiences and relationships contribute to her personal growth? How does Moyes imagistically and narratively represent her evolution?
4. Explore Will’s growth throughout the novel. How does his relationship with Louisa fail to or succeed at changing him? Discuss specific examples from the text.
5. The castle is a constant fixture throughout the novel. Discuss the symbolic significance of this motif. How and why does it mean different things to Will and Louisa?
6. Discuss the significance of the striped tights and Louisa’s attire. How do her fashion choices provide insight into her character? Why does Will give her the tights?
Creative Engagement
Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.
1. Imagine an alternate ending to the novel. What do you imagine would happen if Will changed his mind about his assisted suicide? Would he and Louisa get their happily ever after? What obstacles would they face if Will didn’t pass away?
2. Create a playlist that captures the evolution of Will and Louisa’s relationship. As you work, consider which plot points change how they feel about each other. Share your work and discuss the reasoning behind each chosen song.
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