Conversations with Friends

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did you feel about the relationship between Frances and Nick? Did you like where the novel was going when they started to flirt with one another, or did you dislike this direction?

2. Discuss the stylistic differences between this novel and Rooney’s next novel, Normal People. How do these differences illustrate Rooney’s evolution as an author?

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

1. What is your personal definition of a “complicated” relationship? Take turns discussing what boundaries you would normally expect from a relationship, whether with friends or with lovers. How might you relate these ideas to the characters’ choices as they navigate their own boundaries throughout the novel?

2. Is it ever possible to live fully in accordance with the ideologies to which you subscribe? How do you deal with lapses in praxis? Does this dynamic between theory and praxis affect your evaluation of Frances’s personal choices and ideologies?

3. Do you have relationships that remind you of the dynamic between Frances and Bobbi? Consider their dynamic as it manifests in all of their interactions with one another, not just their romantic history.