After the accident in which he almost drowns, Fish Lamb starts hearing a voice. He also has conversations with the Lamb's pet pig, and he sees ghostly shadows on the wall of the library. These occurrences are open to interpretation. What do you think they signify, concerning the mysteries of life?

Quick Lamb seems to be very emotionally susceptible to miseries, such as the deaths and injuries of World War II and the murders committed by the Nedlands Monster. He is often depressed, and even when he is in a good frame of mind, he worries that his low mood might return. Why do you think he is like this, and what does it tell you about the way his family lives?

Rose Pickles has a complicated relationship with Oriel Lamb, who becomes her mother-in-law. She resents early attempts by Oriel to clean up...