Reading Guide 1
- "Things aren't always as they appear" is the first line in the book and it repeats a few other times throughout the novel. How true is this statement as far as real-life relationships go? Do you think most relationships begin with at least some false assumptions?
- Would you say there is such a thing as a truly bad woman? Is it possible to be good and bad at the same time? Can you think of any women in real life who you would consider to be completely bad?
- Given the violence in American society today, do you think there is more or less reason for thriller fiction, such as HONEYMOON, to be read and discussed?
- At one point in the novel, one of the characters tells a joke: "So this old guy arrives at the Pearly Gates and immediately sees two signs . . . the first reads, MEN WHO WERE CONTROLLED BY THEIR WIVES. The old man looks and sees that this line is, like, ten miles long . . . So the old man looks at the second sign. It reads, MEN WHO WERE NOT CONTROLLED BY THEIR WIVES. Lo and behold, there's only one guy in this line. 'Tell me,' he says, 'why are you standing over here?' The guy looks at him and says, 'I don't know, my wife told me to.'" Do you think this is an accurate statement about men and women's roles in modern marriages? Is it more or less true now than it was for your parents' generation?
- Nora Sinclair obviously has a personal philosophy about marriage that isn't quite normal. In an ideal world, what would you say is the single best reason to get married? What reasons will most get in the way of a marriage's success?
- There's a saying that the hardest part of loving is letting go. What does this mean to you? Does Nora Sinclair show any signs of understanding this concept?
- People talk of a honeymoon period in everything from friendships to a president's first months in office. To what else, besides marriage itself, can the idea of a honeymoon be applied?
- Both Nora Sinclair and John O'Hara get caught in lies they told each other. Are lies between two people ever justified in your opinion? What sort of lies do you think will always destroy a relationship?
- Did you find yourself rooting for Nora at any point in the book? Did you ever find yourself admiring her achievements? If so, what does this say about you?
- Nora Sinclair had an unfortunate experience in her childhood. Do you think it justifies her actions as an adult? Is there any childhood trauma that would make an adult's act of murder understandable?
- HONEYMOON is going to be made into a movie. Can you think of any popular songs that could serve as theme songs for Nora's character?
