The Five Year Lie

What function does Ariel’s glass-blowing hobby play in the novel? How does it characterize her?

Why does Ariel’s mother remain unnamed? How does this affect the way readers understand the character and how other characters relate to her?

How accurate is the comparison of Ray to Claudius from Shakespeare’s play Hamlet? Does Ray liken himself to this villain in an aspirational way? Why or why not?

Why does Bowen reference the light, upbeat Toy Story in a novel about abandonment, sexual assault, and suicide?

Does the ending resolve the issues the novel raises? Why or why not?

Discuss red herrings in the novel. How does the novel cast doubt on Jay and Zain? What other false leads does Bowen include, and why?

Which technological intrusions into personal life are the most insidious in The Five Year Lie? Why?

Explore the novel’s treatment of families: the dysfunctional Cafferties both before and after Edward’s death, the found family of Ernie Miller, and the family that Jay and Ariel form at the end. How are successful families different from failing ones?