by Simon Lelic
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
Who do you think is the “liar” in this story?
How do the points of view in the story complement each other? Do they work together successfully?
What is the importance of truth throughout the novel? Can there be one side of a story that’s right and another that’s wrong?
Can you discuss Adam’s resentment toward Susanna?
Does the ending of the book work for you? Would you have liked to see it resolved differently?
How well does the story explore mental health?
What connections can you draw between Jake as a child and Adam as an adult?
Can you comment on the way in which the story explores the relationships between mothers and sons?
Where do you think Jake’s obsession with Ms. Birch comes from, and what do you make of it?
What purpose do Emily’s diary entries serve? How do they add layers and nuance to the other characters in the novel?
How do you feel about Susanna as a person and as a mother? Is she an unforgivable character or a victim herself? Does she redeem herself in the end?
Can you discuss Neil’s presence, or lack thereof, in the novel? Does his character shed light on the dynamics between fathers and children?
A number of novels deal with the strain that a troubled child can put on parents—how well do you think this idea is handled in The Liar’s Room?
FURTHER READING
If you enjoyed The Liar’s Room, here are a few suggestions from me about where you might decide to go next—in your reading mainly, with a little bit of watching thrown in.
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, LIONEL SHRIVER
I recall devouring this book when it was first published. I’ve been holding off on rereading it since embarking on work on The Liar’s Room, because I was wary of cross-contamination. And, actually, of deciding Shriver had already said all there was to say about the relationships between mothers and their damaged sons. The film of Shriver’s book, in my opinion, was a travesty, but the book itself is a masterpiece.
THE GOOD FATHER, NOAH HAWLEY
Does Hawley out-Kevin Kevin? Despite the inevitable comparisons that were made by reviewers when The Good Father was published (some favorable, some less so), it is in fact a very different book from Shriver’s novel, and to my mind a devastating portrait of a father’s grief, guilt and love for his son. Compulsive reading, and easily as good as Hawley’s excellent screenwriting for the television series Fargo, for which he is perhaps more widely known.
ROPE, ALFRED HITCHCOCK
If my previous novel, The New Neighbors, was my Rear Window, The Liar’s Room is my Rope—which, incidentally, remains my favorite of all of Hitchcock’s films (Rear Window comes a very close second). And that, for me, is saying something. Based on a play written by Patrick Hamilton, this 1948 film is famously one continuous shot, giving the impression it was filmed in a single take (it wasn’t, but only because technical limitations at the time prevented it). For me, the astonishing thing about Rope is that so much drama is contained in one setting. Hitchcock did it with Lifeboat too, but less successfully in my opinion. I adore stories that are so contained, and have been wanting to write one all my life. I cheat (a bit) in The Liar’s Room, but it remains my tribute to the Master of Suspense.
THE DINNER, HERMAN KOCH
Another closed setting and another tale of parental responsibility, and of fraught relationships between mothers and fathers and their errant children. The tension in this thoroughly addictive tale is all the more palpable because it is held in check by the social mores and notional civility of the dinner that gives the book its title. You’ll gobble it down as though it were fast food, but really it is a literary thriller of the highest order, worthy of a Michelin star.
THE COMPLETE POEMS, PHILIP LARKIN
Larkin is perhaps most famous for the line that Adam throws in Susanna’s face in The Liar’s Room: “They fuck you up, your mum and dad.” And the more novels I write (and the longer I spend being a parent!), the more I come to understand how distressingly accurate this deceptively pithy statement really is. As readers and writers of crime novels, we travel to some dark places, exploring dark motivations, and more often than not, Larkin’s insight seems to explain everything. That said, there is another line of Larkin’s, from “An Arundel Tomb,” which to my mind is even more powerful. I read once in an interview with someone close to Larkin that this was the line he would have most liked to be remembered by. I quote it at the end of the novel, but it’s so good, and so important a sentiment, I reckon it’s worth finishing on twice: “What will survive of us is love.”
Photo © Justine Stoddart
Simon Lelic is a former journalist and the author of the award-winning A Thousand Cuts, the critically acclaimed The Facility and The Child Who, and The New Neighbors, his first psychological thriller, inspired by a love of Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King. Simon lives with his wife and three children.
CONNECT ONLINE
simonlelic.com
twitter.com/Simon_Lelic
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