The Lovely Bones Love

As a vital counter to all the death and violence, The Lovely Bones offers us a tender vision of familial love, and a variety of love affairs and romances. We watch the uncomplicated love of super couple Lindsey (Susie's sister) and Samuel (her beau). And then there is the affair between Abigail (Susie's mom) and Detective Len Fenerman, who's in charge of Susie case. We also the crumbling and then reinvigorated love between Susie's parents. Things get really complicated when we talk about the love triangle of Susie (as a ghost), Ruth Connor, and Ray Singh (Susie's first love). Where Susie and her loved ones experience abundances of love, her killer is loveless and unloved.

Questions About Love

1. Does Abigail ever love Len Fenerman? Does Len love Abigail.
2. Is Lindsey and Samuel's relationship believable? Or is it too good to be true? Does Susie describe their relationship accurately, or is she biased by her own romantic notions?
3. Do you think Ray and Ruth will ever fall in love romantically? How would you describe their friendship?
4. Why does Clarissa lose her love for Susie after Susie dies?
5. Mr. Harvey seems incapable of giving or receiving love. If he hadn't died, would there be a chance to change this? Why or why not?
6. Abigail loves her family, yet she leaves them for eight years. How do we account for this seeming paradox?