WellRead’s April 2021 selection was Love Objects by Emily Maguire. In her own words, the author says, “Love Objects was always going to be a novel about someone who has so much stuff it nearly kills her. In the writing, it also became an intensely personal story about family, forgiveness and what we owe to those we love”.
Use these discussion questions to engage with the book further, whether in a book club with friends, or just on your own as you digest the story.
Reading questions for Love Objects by Emily Maguire:
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How did reading this novel change the way you perceive hoarding behaviour?
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An article published in the Sydney Morning Herald asked the question if the difference between a hoarder and an eccentric collector was a matter of relative affluence and class. How might this story have been different if Nic was of a different social class and economic status?
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In her letter to subscribers, Maguire wrote that the first draft of the novel was all about “exploring whether it’s ever okay to force help on someone who doesn’t want it” and if, as families and communities, we are each other’s business or not? Consider these questions in relation to both the book and your own life.
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This wouldn’t be an Emily Maguire novel without a good dose of feminism inserted into it. In what ways does the author's knowledge of cultural theory on sex, identity and power shine through?
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Lena’s encounters with misogyny, male entitlement and sexual exploitation at the Sydney university she attends, result in her brother questioning her judgement skills and announcing that “girls need to be more careful about this stuff...I’m not saying it’s fair, but it’s reality.” Deep breath! How would you like to have responded to Will in that moment?
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Most of the early reviews we’ve read describe Love Objects as a deeply compassionate book and we wholeheartedly agree. Maguire has a knack for writing complicated, flawed characters that her readers truly feel for. Was this your experience too? How do you think Maguire achieves this?
Please note, these questions were written and distributed in April, 2021.