Review: Normal People by Sally Rooney | Beautiful and Multi-layered

Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small town in the west of Ireland, but the similarities end there. In school, Connell is popular and well-liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation – awkward but electrifying – something life-changing begins.

Normal People is a story of mutual fascination, friendship and love. It takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find they can’t.

Spoiler-free thoughts!

My rating: 4.25/5

    Oh god, how do I even start? I cannot even put into thoughts what I feel about this book, let alone words, but I will try.

    Normal People is a story about two people whose lives become permanently entwined and entangled throughout their lives. It's about the sorrows of a life lived with a lot of missteps and regrets. There are happy moments of course, but they pale in comparison to the reality of life; the intricacies of emotions, how miscommunication and hurt and trauma and jarring transitions can accumulate and feel overwhelming.

    At first when reading this book I was comprehending it like a high school romance. Rooney skillfully portrays the alienating feeling of being an outsider, being bullied, and the thrill of being noticed by the popular guy at school. I loved how everything Connell and Marianne felt was an existential crisis because that is how things feel when you're young: everything is mirrored and magnified to 1000 times its significance.

    However, the book quickly moves away from the high school scene and acquires more complexity; this book is not a light read by any means, it is full of depth and even feels heavy at times. Throughout Marianne's and Connell's journey in university and beyond, I was so touched by their stories about malignant friendships, class struggles, the fear of not being good enough and of not knowing where you're going. Rooney also portrays extremely well the spectrum of people that we deal with and how many people can be harmful to us in different ways without us realizing it.

    I loved Sally Rooney's excellent prose in this book, from "sad mouthfuls of food" to comparing cherries on a tree to earrings; I was impressed by her ability to create mood through her imagination and imagery. I also loved her portrayal of social class and money, gender roles, activism, and many other topics which are explored subtly but with nuance and depth. Many people call this book a "modern classic" and I sincerely agree with this distinction; this book encompasses so many aspects of life and is thought-provoking.

    Anyways, as I'm writing this I'm still formulating my thoughts but this is such an interesting read and I feel like I need to read it again to appreciate the intricacies of the writing and the storytelling. Can't wait to check the show out!

What did you think about this book?

Thanks,                                                                                                            Yomna