Sorrow and Bliss

In the opening scene, Martha thinks about “explaining the drawbacks of being married to somebody who everybody thinks is nice” to a woman she meets at a wedding. Although Patrick is presented as a loving and patient husband, does he bear any responsible for his wife’s suffering or the failure of their marriage?

Did you have a favorite character? How does Mason distinguish and humanize some of the more minor characters in the book?

Because of the decisions she makes and the way she treats those around her, Martha is not always “likeable.” How did your sympathy towards her change over the course of the narrative?

Although Martha finally receives a diagnosis, the name of her condition isn’t revealed in the text. Why do you think the author chose to present it with a dash? How did it impact your experience as a reader?

How do Martha’s homes throughout the novel—including her childhood home, the apartment she shares with Jonathan, her place in Paris, and the Executive House— affect and mirror her psychological states? Which of these living situations appeals to you the most? The least?

Martha’s parents both experience some later-in-life artistic success. What might have allowed them to achieve this after so many years of creative struggles?

Would you describe Sorrow and Bliss as having a “happy ending?” Why or why not?

What do you think might come next for Martha? What about the other characters?