View Courtney's video for Book Groups: Quicktime | Windows Media
If your book group is interested in setting up a call-in discussion with Courtney Thorne-Smith, please send an e-mail to BroadwayReads@RandomHouse.com with some background on your group, how many members you have, and why you would like to host a call-in discussion for Outside In.
About this Guide
You’ve loved her as Alison on Melrose Place, Georgia on Ally McBeal, and currently as Cheryl on According to Jim. But Courtney Thorne-Smith is not only a talented actress; she’s also a witty storyteller, and now she makes her debut as a novelist with a wickedly funny romp through the endlessly dishy land of show business.Outside In is the story of Kate Keyes-Morgan, star of a hit television series and wife of a handsome control freak, who also happens to be her manager. Already a Hollywood veteran at age thirty, Kate knows that she must count every calorie and obey every public-relations rule if she’s going to keep pace with her gorgeous co-star, the whiny diva Sapphire Rose. When she discovers that her husband and Sapphire are becoming an item, she realizes it’s time to kick her addiction to obedience and dust off her long-forgotten true self. Joining forces with her tough-as-nails makeup artist, Kate decides it’s time to find out her real value—emotionally and in dollars-and-cents—while turning the entertainment world on its head.
The questions and discussion topics that follow are designed to enhance your reading of Courtney Thorne-Smith’s Outside In. We hope they will enrich your experience as you explore her rollicking debut novel about fame, Hollywood, and beauty (inside and out).
Questions for Discussion
1. Discuss the novel’s title. Do any of the characters let the outside world see their real lives? What determines who the insiders and outsiders are in the Hollywood community?2. What is the source of Hamilton’s control over Kate? Would she have been so submissive if he weren’t involved in her career? What does she see in him?
3. How would you describe the dynamic between Kate’s mother and father? What seems to determine whether they will be fighting or making up? What did growing up in this environment teach Kate about marriage?
4. What, if anything, would make Kate’s mother understand the long-lasting effects of the way she’s treated her daughter? What about Hamilton? Why, or why not?
5. What did you make of Kate’s ignorance of her financial affairs? Why is she so trusting and naïve? Do you understand why she’s chosen to stay in the dark about her financial situation all these years?
6. In your opinion, what determines the way a person reacts to fame? Is it nature or nurture that makes Kate and Sapphire so different from one another? Do you think people are capable of changing from a Sapphire into a Kate and vice versa?
7. What is the root of Kate and Paige’s friendship? What do they have in common, despite their very different lives and personalities? What does their relationship mean to each of them?
8. What are your feelings about the PR machine, as it is portrayed in Outside In? How does Sapphire use publicity to her advantage, and what missteps does she make? What other characters do you see taking advantage of publicity opportunities? Is this always a bad thing?
9. Did your opinion of Michael change throughout the novel? How did you feel about his initial deception of Kate? Would you have been able to forgive him?
10. One of the recurring themes of Outside In is Hollywood’s obsession with thin women and fad diets. To what extent does the entertainment industry encourage unhealthy body images and destructive eating habits in American audiences? Are Kate’s struggles with weight something that you relate to?
11. Outside In weaves together over-the top spoofs with realistic portraits of life in the entertainment industry. Which lines or characters amused you the most? Which scenes reminded you of Hollywood horror stories you have seen in the media? Could you tell how much of the action and dialogue was based in reality and how much was exaggerated?
12. What do you predict Kate and Michael’s future will bring? What about Hamilton and Sapphire’s?
About the Author
Courtney Thorne-Smith is best known for her roles on Melrose Place, the Emmy Award–winning series Ally McBeal, and the current hit sitcom According to Jim. As a writer, she has contributed articles to Self, InStyle, and Allure. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband.A Broadway Books Hardcover
On Sale Now
978-0-7679-2749-9
$23.95/$29.95 in Canada
For free supplementary materials, including information on book groups, suggestions for further reading, chances to win books, phone-in author appearances, and much more, e-mail BroadwayReads@RandomHouse.com.