My Lovely Wife

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of graphic violence and death.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What was your initial reaction to discovering that the unnamed narrator and Millicent were serial killers?

2. My Lovely Wife has been compared to other domestic thrillers like Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. If you’ve read both, what similarities and differences did you notice in their portrayal of marriage and deception?

3. Which aspect of the novel captivated you most: the psychological elements, the murder plot, or the family dynamics?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. The narrator craves feeling “above average” rather than ordinary. When have you experienced similar feelings in your own life?

2. When have you rationalized behaviors you knew were questionable, similar to how the narrator justifies his actions?

3. The issue of privacy and secrecy in relationships is an important component of the novel. How has achieving a balance between openness and honesty and privacy manifested in your own life?

4. Where would you draw your personal line when it comes to protecting loved ones?

5. Parenting is an important focus of the novel. Which aspects of the parenting portrayed in the novel resonated with or disturbed you most?

6. In what ways have you struggled to reconcile different aspects of your identity as the narrator does throughout the story?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. What does the novel reveal about how suburban communities can hide dark secrets beneath polished exteriors?

2. The media’s portrayal of Naomi changes dramatically after details about her personal life emerge. What parallels do you see in real-world media treatment of victims?

3. How does the economic pressure the narrator feels reflect broader societal expectations about success and status?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What effect does the narrator remaining unnamed throughout the novel have on your reading experience?

2. Analyze the role of deception in the novel, both between characters and between the narrator and the reader.

3. What significance does the tennis racket hold as a symbol throughout the story?

4. My Lovely Wife features withheld information balanced with moments of revelation. Were there moments in the novel where you anticipated revelations before they occurred?

5. The novel explores the repercussions of violence by examining several different forms of violence and their relative harm. What message is the novel communicating with this strategy?

6. In what ways does Millicent’s character development challenge or confirm expectations of female characters in thriller novels?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were writing an epilogue set five years after the novel’s conclusion, what would happen to the narrator and his children?

2. Who would you cast as the main characters if My Lovely Wife were adapted for film?

3. Sketch out a plan for a sequel that focuses on the narrator’s new “Quentin” identity. What direction might it take?

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