Me Before You Re-read discussion

I hope that everyone is enjoying our re-read as much as I am. Wow. If you've been reading along, you will have learned quite a bit about both Lou and Will over the past few chapters.

We finally understand why Lou is content with Patrick and her very quiet life--as well as why Will is still planning to end his own life. If you're like me, you got a bit weepy reading about the young football player. You may also have been shocked by the fact that neither Lou nor Treen thought to report what was done to Lou in the maze.

What's surprised you most so far about Lou and Will?

I think the fact that they have both come to rely on each other to compliment what they have together.

In addition to making Lou finally realize that she did not invite her attack in the maze, Will also gets Lou to consider exploring the wider world. Do you agree that travel is an important part of life or do you think it's perfectly acceptable to be a homebody?

I shall now confess why I am so fixated on the travel element of Lou's transformation. Around the time that Penguin asked me to moderate this group, a good friend extended an invitation to meet her in Mexico City. I don't speak Spanish and hadn't left the United States in more than a decade, but I checked airfare and it was astonishingly cheap. (September is in the rainy season.)

It took a little juggling, but I managed to take a week off of my ordinary life and flew down this past Tuesday. It took me thirteen hours of travel, but as I write this post, I am sitting at a sidewalk café on the Plaza Rio de Janeiro drinking an Americano con leche (with milk) and contemplating my outing for the day.

So far I've seen a real castle--and thought of Will, naturally--and many lovely old perfume shops. (I've only looked because perfume makes me sneeze!) Best of all, I was browsing a local bookstore last night and came upon a copy of Jojo Moyes's ONE PLUS ONE or UNO MAS UNO. Seeing it made me think about how brilliant she is about creating very real, vivid characters whose situations crystallize universal longings.

Apologies for the poor quality of the photo, but the book was wrapped in plastic!


After she was raped, Lou built a wall around herself and hid within a very small world. It took meeting Will--whose own life was diminished by the accident--to break down her walls and free her to roam beyond them. This morning, I am profoundly grateful to Moyes for more than spinning a wonderful story, but also for inspiring me to roam beyond my quiet life. I think I can speak for all of us when I say: Thank you Jojo!

Julie wrote: "In addition to making Lou finally realize that she did not invite her attack in the maze, Will also gets Lou to consider exploring the wider world. Do you agree that travel is an important part of ..."

I think it so oh so very important to travel and see/experience the world. It makes you realize that the world is so much bigger than you could imagine. Meeting new people, experiencing new foods and cultures is so much fun and makes you open your eyes. I am a huge homebody but I LOVE traveling! The everyday mundane scenery/routine starts to get to me sometimes so its nice when I explore new places so that I can day dream about it and think about all the things I had done while on my trip.

I am so excited for you that you got to take a trip to Mexico City, what an opportunity. I am quite jealous that you are sitting at a cafe and visiting castles.

It is quite interesting that they have both been affected by a tragedy and how they both let it define them. With Will encouraging Lou to travel because she could be so much more, and Lou encouraging Will to travel so that he would want to live and do more, I am interested to see how the book ends. Although I have my suspicions and I'm not quite emotionally ready ; )

Julie wrote: "I shall now confess why I am so fixated on the travel element of Lou's transformation. Around the time that Penguin asked me to moderate this group, a good friend extended an invitation to meet her..."

I'm so glad to hear that you were able to go on this trip, Julie!

Travel is a gift that expands our world; and really helps to solidify the feeling that we are all connected on this big, blue planet.

Dara wrote: "Julie wrote: "In addition to making Lou finally realize that she did not invite her attack in the maze, Will also gets Lou to consider exploring the wider world. Do you agree that travel is an impo..."

Oh, Dara. I hope we haven't given anything away. Even though we know the end, the journey is the most essential part of the experience. You will probably cry, but I think it's quite healing. Let us know when you've finished and please share your thoughts on the ending!

Melissa wrote: "Julie wrote: "I shall now confess why I am so fixated on the travel element of Lou's transformation. Around the time that Penguin asked me to moderate this group, a good friend extended an invitati..."

Thank you, Melissa. This trip really is a gift. It's the first time I've done something like this in more than a decade. Somehow thinking about ME BEFORE YOU when the opportunity arose spurred me to make it happen rather than giving in to the numerous reasons I shouldn't be here. In a nutshell, it was serendipity.

Lisa wrote: "Going beyond our comfort zone is so difficult for many. It's like reading a different genre you didn't think you would like but tried it, liked it and want to read more of it.

I think Moyes does ..."

Lisa, I do feel like I've been jolted out of my comfort zone and it's thrilling to know that I'm still okay! Why do you think it so often takes something outside ourselves--like a book--to give us that jolt?

And thank you for the encouragement. Yes, I definitely plan to take on the challenge of learning Spanish!

Yes travel is such a good idea. I am very much a homebody but would love to travel more, there is two very big things that stop that I hate to fly (I didn't mind it before 9/11 but am now terrified), also when I do travel I find that with the disruption to my meal times my stomach plays havoc for a couple of days. Doesn't make for a great start to a trip.
I would love to travel more, I have family and friends in Canada and America whom I haven't seen for years, then there are other countries in Europe I want to see or revisit. I find the different architecture, culture and food really interesting.

Glad you had a great trip Julie, am sure this will not be the one and only.