Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt

Brainstorm some adjectives to describe Travis, Dalia, Layla, Solomon, and Nick, and then think about how they would describe one another. How are they different? How are they similar? Which characters resonate most strongly with you?

In what ways does the British small-town setting contribute to the mood of Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt? How would this book feel if it took place in London, or in another country entirely?

What effect does the structure and style of Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt have on your reading experience? For example, how would your reading experience change if Reeves solely focused on the human elements of life, or if the entire book was told from Travis’s first-person point of view?

Does it resonate with you that Death might manifest as a man like Travis? If you were to conceive your own embodiment of Death, what or how would it look, act, and sound like?

What are some turning points in Travis’s relationship to the living? What is it about Dalia and her daughters that has such a strong effect on him?

How did your feelings toward Dalia evolve over the course of the novel? Can you think of characters in other books or media who face similar profound grief?

Of the minor characters Travis mentions throughout the book—some in longer devoted sections, some in less than a sentence—who stood out to you? Why?

Why did Reeves choose the mayfly as a recurring symbol? What does it represent?

Using the book as evidence, how do you think Reeves conceives of the relationship between life and death? Did Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt inform your own thoughts about this dynamic?

How did learning the identity of the very old woman affect your understanding of the book? Were you surprised by the twist?

What were your favorite lines or moments from the novel? Did any of them move or inspire you? What feelings did Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt leave you with?

What would you do with your twenty-minute gift?