Two Nights in Lisbon Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Female "Hysteria" and our BookBrowse Review of Two Nights in Lisbon.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. The novelist Lisa Lutz describes Two Nights in Lisbon as "a total barn burner, with twisty surprises from start to finish." The book ends with a few spectacular twists. Did you see any of these coming? When? Based on what clues? Were you satisfied with the way the author wrapped up the story?
2. The novelist Lee Child says this book is "timely, important, layered with ticking suspense." The plot and characters definitely have a few parallels with recent important events and people in American life. How do you feel about this commentary? Does it enhance the reading experience for you? Do you prefer fiction to be a total escape from reality, or a reflection of it?
3. The novelist Megan Abbott describes Two Nights in Lisbon as having "true moral heft." One of the factual underpinnings of the novel is the American criminal justice system's consistent failure to return guilty verdicts for sexual assaults. What do you think can be done about this societal problem? How do you feel about the morality of the fictional solution presented in this novel? Do you believe that nondisclosure agreements are moral in such cases, or do they present a significant obstacle to justice?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Picador. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.