Key themes
- Domestic violence hidden by wealth and social performance
- Female friendship as a source of protection and revelation
- The perfect life as a cover story
About this book
Three women in a wealthy Sydney suburb are connected by a school-gate friendship and a secret that culminates in a death at a trivia night. Moriarty's novel investigates domestic violence concealed by privilege, the performance of perfect motherhood and the surprising loyalties of female friendship. The mystery structure is the delivery mechanism for the real subject.
Published in 2014, Big Little Lies won the ABIA Award for General Fiction in Australia. The HBO adaptation made it an international phenomenon, raising the novel's profile considerably after publication.
Discussion questions
- The novel opens knowing that a death occurred at trivia night — but not whose or why. How does this structure affect your reading of everything that precedes the climax?
- The three women — Madeline, Celeste and Jane — each carry secrets. How does Moriarty develop their friendship as a site where these secrets might be shared?
- Celeste's situation is the novel's most serious thread. How does Moriarty show the psychology of a woman in an abusive relationship — the love alongside the fear, the reasons for staying?
- Perry's presentation as a devoted husband is so convincing that many characters don't believe Celeste. What is Moriarty saying about how domestic abuse is concealed in privileged communities?
- Big Little Lies is both a serious novel about domestic violence and an extremely entertaining read. Is this combination coherent — and does the entertainment format serve or dilute the serious content?
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