Society of Lies: A Novel

Describe how Maya’s role changes over the course of the narrative. What are the events that change her, and what effect do they have on her and the story’s moral message?

Discuss the characters of Lila Jones and Amy Chen. Why do you think the novel has Lila die and Amy live? What does this say about their circumstances, characters, and motivations?

In the novel, four critical characters die: Lila, Naomi, DuPont, and Cecily. Analyze the narrative timing of these deaths in terms of the overall plot structure and suspense.

The discussion of theme The Pressure to Preserve Elite Status identifies greed, power, and love as motivations behind this pressure. What other motivations can you find in the book, and how do these affect the novel’s depiction of elite society?

The book contains depictions of or references to wider immoral or criminal behavior, outside the specific fraudulent aims of Greystone. These include sexism, racism, grooming and abuse, and sexual exploitation. Examine these examples in the text to discuss how they support the book’s wider exploration of moral corruption.

The book includes references to many literary works. Read the two relevant Fitzgerald novels, Poe’s “Annabel Lee” or Eliot’s Four Quartets. How does Society of Lies draw on and adapt this material?

In Curtis Sittenfeld’s novel Prep (2005), Lee Fiora attends a prestigious New England prep school. Read Prep and discuss the similarities between Lee’s experiences at prep school and Maya’s and Naomi’s experiences at Princeton. What makes all three characters outsiders? What role does The New York Times play in both books?

Focus on the fictional Princeton created in the novel and explore its role as a satirical construct.