Normal People- Sally Rooney

[mrsseashell]

I've just finished reading this, I really enjoyed it. Has anyone else read it? Would like to discuss and see what people thought. I don't know anyone else who has read it in real life.

[rosybell]

I just started this today! I will come back to discuss it once I have finished but enjoying it and finding it very readable so far..

[Nuffaluff]

No I haven’t, but it’s top of my list of ‘want to read’, so will try to get it out of the library soon.

[southeastdweller]

I adored it, as I did her first book. She's brilliant at writing empathically and incisively about relationships. Her characters seem as 'real' as fictitious characters can ever be.

[jamaisjedors]

I enjoyed it but wasn't blown away - I think seeing it all over Waterstones as book of the year raised my expectations too much!

I did like how subtly the characters were drawn.

[Crimbobimbo]

I read it about a month ago. I thought she described that strange I between time of your life, when you leave school and enter university really well. It's such a strange and confusing time.

[missesschmisses]

I liked that there wasn't anything particularly special about the protagonists, but I really warmed to them.

I do wonder how there were so many moments that were misread between Marianne and Connell though if he is such a genius as described

[JuneFromBethesda]

I haven’t read it but recently read Conversations with Friends for my book group, and found that somewhat irritating and ultimately unrewarding, so would approach Normal People rather warily. My book group didn’t like CWF much either and some of them are far more erudite and literary types than I am! I found her characters so unrelatable and self-obsessed. Suspect I’d feel the same about this new one, although we’re all also somewhat intrigued to see if we like it any better ...

[Youngerthanyesterday]

I loved it. It felt so REAL if that makes sense.

I especially liked the dynamic between the two and the line along the lines of "he wasn't broken like she was. There was just something about her that made him think he was." It reminded me of how I felt once when falling in love with someone with ishoos

[comebacksoonsusan]

Normal People is better than CWF in my opinion.

[elkiedee]

What comebacksusan said - still not sure I would have put it on the Booker longlist but it was a great read.

[AForest]

I've just finished it and loved it. I think because I could relate to Marianne and her issues of self worth and having been in a relationship with someone that didn't work but we still couldn't let go of each other. It's a book I will read again.

[tomhazard]

I finished it recently and really loved it. I found Marianne's character development interesting (and sad) and I was totally engaged by the relationships in the story. Just bought CWF to get stuck into at the weekend

[Ivegotthree]

Quite liked it but not blown away and bemused by all the hype

[Lizzzar]

I'm surprised Mumsnet aren't more pro Sally Rooney. Very left wing, but pro EU remain. Very committed to fair education and health, concerned about prisons etc. Wants a better society - I just think everyone on here would be cheering her. Having said that, maybe she's just the new Rachel Cusk to get at after winning the Costa ( and I read a review of Rachel Cusk by Sally Rooney that commented a lot on Cusk's middle class background and that I thought was slightly bitchy, so it is probably true that she is not perfect; I just thought that Conversations with Friends sort of implies this, and it is anyway true of many writers).

[BaconAndAvocado]

I was underwhelmed by this book and really wanted to like it.

I found both characters unlikeable and the story too low key overall.

I think I'm in the minority!

[Bezalelle]

@Lizzzar she can be as left wing as the next man but she cannot write fer shit so.

[NightFever]

I struggled with all the sexual violence. I sort of understand why she was supposed to be drawn towards it but I found it unconvincing. I'd be very surprised if real life women, who found themselves in those kind of relationships were consciously or unconsciously seeking them out , as this character seemed to be. Maybe I am missing something.

[Lizzzar]

I agree that being left wing isn't necessarily linked with being a talented writer, and actually think it is possible be vote conservative and write well. But I thought for most people Sally Rooney's talent wasn't in question, just having some arguably self absorbed characters and possibly undeveloped plot points. I actually heard a talk by Rooney in which she did imply that Marianne's trauma is pretty deep but only emerges in part of her life, making her appear better adjusted than she is. At times she also appears to be punishing herself when her relationship with Connell is failing.