Fleishman Is in Trouble

Fleishman is in Trouble is a divisive book for many clubs. Where did you fall on the spectrum: did you find it relatable or alienating? Enjoyable or aggravating? A masterpiece or a disappointment? A mix of all of the above?

Did you like any of the main characters in this book? If so, who? If not, how—if at all—did that affect your enjoyment of the novel?

Do you think this is a satire of affluent New Yorkers, or do you think we are meant to truly care about the class anxieties of the characters? Did you care? Should Libby (and the other characters) be content given all of the financial and other resources that they have access to?

The characters in Fleishman is in Trouble come from a very narrow and elite section of society. Despite this, did you find any universality in their struggles?

What did you think about Libby as a narrator? How long did it take you to figure out who the "I" was at the beginning of the novel?

Libby states that “the only way to get someone to listen to a woman [is] to tell her story through a man.” Do you agree with her? Did you think this "Trojan Horse" conceit worked?

Did you sympathize with Rachel's breakdown and disappearance? Were they excusable or only explainable?

Which Fleishman do you think is really the titular one in trouble, Toby or Rachel? (Or could it actually be Solly and Hannah?

Would you describe this book as feminist? What is the book trying to say about power roles and the intersection of gender, success/ambition, and heterosexual relationships?

Do you think Rachel goes back to Toby in the end? In your opinion, do you think they should get back together?