Normal People by Sally Rooney

[HappydaysArehere]

Not that far into above and can’t make my mind up as to whether it is going to be a crashing bore or a book I will enjoy.....in the end. Anyone reading it? Would appreciate any input.

It’s a bit like when White Teeth came out. You had to rave about Zadie Smith. Had to. I thought it was rubbish, so bad I have never been able to bring myself to pick up any of her other work. So she may have improved. I hope so.

This is so absolutely hilarious because I have just been at a vair, vair, worthy/intellectual literary fest with A LOT of Irish writers/editors/publishers and it is like the LAW that you have to have her as your favourite read, main inspiration, name on your lips etc.

Were you in Bantry, @Blitheringheights? I can assure you that at least two of those present were being, if not actually critical, then at least less than whole-heartedly admiring of SR.

I’m another who struggled to understand all the hype about this book. I felt compelled to keep reading in case anything happened.
It didn’t.

I'm so pleased to read this thread so I can take Normal People out of contention for my holiday reading.
Currently have a pile of 16 "potential" books to whittle down...

Oh, it's worth a read, @mumsie -- and there are some very good things about it. But if you don't care for unplotty, dialogue-heavy novels detailing the on and off relationship of two deeply self-absorbed students, it may not be for you.

I enjoyed it, it was an easy read, but it hasn’t really stayed with me, and I also found this with Conversations With Friends. The characters in both seemed interchangeable, especially the female protagonists. I think she writes very insightfully about a certain type (intellectual, self absorbed millennials) and her analysis of unconscious and often destructive motivations is pretty impressive. But I found the characters (with exception of Connell maybe) infuriating and unlikeable - in both books there is a section where a character reflects on the pointlessness of having a job (erm, to earn money maybe..?) which I found quite telling!

Yes, SR's female leads pride themselves on thinking that it's a bit much to be expected to exchange your valuable time for money and wondering why everyone doesn't agree, and I think Frances in CWF has an extended pose about not ever wanting to earn more than some arbitrary sum arrived at by dividing the planet's financial resources by the number of inhabitants -- $16000 or something? And I think we're supposed to think that her lack of interest in becoming a literary agent is cool, whereas her friend Philip, who's an intern at the same agency, is regarded as mildly pathetic (even by their boss) because he is ambitious.

Again, she's encompassing the worldview of a certain type of millennial, but the air of edgy self-congratulation occasionally grates.

I have also heard her compared to Jane Austen - I guess in that she writes exquisitely on quite a small canvas, reflecting the conventions and social mores of a tiny group of the elite. Her characters don’t seem to have to worry about money, even Connell was elevated above this consideration by his intellect, while his mother (past it at age about 36) slaves away uncomplainingly as a cleaner to support her brilliant son!

I've just finished this and agree with the consensus that it's an entertaining enough novel but nothing I would particularly recommend to friends, let alone nominate for the sodding Booker Prize!

The characters are so self-absorbed as to be utterly unsympathetic by the end and the various issues surrounding abuse are touched upon without ever really being satisfactorily developed at all.

I find the above comparison with Jane Austen frustrating and depressing. This author shares nothing of Austen,s humour, her lightness of touch or her ascerbic, sharp observations of her own society. I could go on but need to stop and find a new novel to read now...

Austen definitely didn’t come to my mind. Perhaps helen Schlegel, in the contemptuous dismissal of tedious people who work and earn. But helen has charm and principles, these characters are just vacuous.

I didn't see any resemblance to Austen, really. Austen writes as an amused onlooker, whereas Rooney seems to be navel-gazing; and the quality of prose just isn't there.

I thought it was very average. Six months after reading it I can barely remember it.

No idea how it got such great reviews but maybe she had a clever publisher/publicist.

I’ve just finished it and could not understand how it attracted such glowing reviews. It was like something written by a sixth former.

This

Ha ha, was not me who made the comparison to Austen, but a (more) erudite acquaintance who moves in literary circles. Points taken about that, especially yes Austen writes as an acerbic observer with a bit of distance while I definitely had the impression that Rooney’s characters are a bit like her. (Disclaimer: I really did not enjoy Jane Austen at school, realise this is not a popular opinion!)

I read Conversations with Friends about two months ago and I barely remember it. I read a Tana French mystery since and I think she's a better writer. There are a few excellent book on this list.
www.rte.ie/culture/2018/0802/982597-21-books-that-define-21st-century-irish-literature/

I quite enjoyed it - think it reminded me a bit about a time/place/relationships of my younger days - but found the ending very frustrating. Did anyone else think that?

Just finished and thank you for your input. I agree with most posts. And found the characters underwhelming especially the boy who just seemed massively immature and self centred. The girl was complex and a more sympathetic case. Their situation was not enthralling and I kept reading as I expected the end to justify the hype. When it didn’t I thought it was largely a waste of time and money. Commercialism is a driving force and I have been disappointed before and will again.

I should have put SPOILER ALERT !

Should I ask for that to be deleted,?

Reported.

Asked for first paragraph to be removed .

I thought there were some places that the book could have explored.
I thought the internal thoughts of Connel and Marianne were interesting , especially when they thought about the same events from their point of view and assumed what , why , etc on each other's behalf.

What spoilers could there be though? Literally nothing happens!

PLOT TWIST: A bleak, one-dimensional character says something that ISN'T utterly self-absorbed.

My spoilers were about what did not happen

But it really did do so, so, SO well.