Hidden Pictures

1. General Impressions

 Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• Were you surprised about the revelation of the Maxwells’ secret? Looking back, what clues might have tipped you to the truth of Ted and Caroline’s relationship to Teddy/Flora?
• Draw comparisons between Hidden Pictures and the classic Gothic horror novel The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. Where do these books overlap and where do they diverge from another?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

 Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Have you ever participated in a séance? What was the experience like? If you haven’t tried it yet, discuss whether or not you are open to the possibility of trying it.
• Have you ever had a hobby that you had to distance yourself from for any particular reason? Discuss this experience to understand Mallory’s complex relationship with running. 
• The novel begins with a scene that comments on women’s relationship to the male gaze. How does the experiment that Mallory participates in make you feel? If you are a woman, do you think you would be able to achieve the same result of accuracy as Mallory?
• What is your relationship to religion, whether organized or not? Do you reject religion as the Maxwells do or do you, like Mallory, maintain a loose relationship with religion to support your ability to engage with the world around you?

3. Societal and Cultural Context

 Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• What is the novel’s stance on the relationship between the soul and the body? How might this relate to current discussions about gender identity, especially in light of Teddy/Flora’s character arc?
• How does Mallory’s relationship to religion illuminate modern attitudes about faith and the ways it could be meaningfully practiced in a post-Enlightenment world?
• Mallory’s addictive behaviors not only manifest through her access to drugs, but also through her running hobby. What does this say about the way addiction functions as a coping mechanism for the modern world? What is Mallory trying to cope with when she becomes addicted to running?

4. Literary Analysis

 Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• Though the novel uses the story of Annie Barrett as a red herring for Mallory’s investigation into Teddy’s haunting, how might the real story of Annie’s persecution support the novel’s themes about the body and identity?
• The characters make use of fantastical names like “the Enchanted Forest” and “The Flower Palace” to enrich the novel’s setting. How do these allusions to fantasy lean into the dichotomy between the natural and the uncanny? Why do these characters bother bestowing these names on places when it clashes with the Maxwell’s loyalty to realism?
• Explore the way the relationship between Mallory and Teddy/Flora evolves throughout the novel. Do you think that when Teddy reclaims her relationship as Flora, the novel erases the progress of their relationship by the end? Why or why not?
• How might the Maxwells’ strict rules for Mallory be read as an agnostic reversal of divine law? Could you draw comparisons between their house rules and God’s imperative for Adam and Eve to stay away from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? How does Mallory transgress this law and what effect does this have on her?

5. Creative Engagement

 Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• Write a list of house rules, as though each of your book club members are going to stay over. Take note of the rules you prioritize first. What does this suggest about what you value and how your home embodies those values?
• Do you think Flora will read the book Mallory has written for her? What reasons might she have to read it? What reasons might she have to avoid it?

Need more inspiration for your next meeting? Browse all of our Book Club Resources.