Book Review #129: Normal People by Sally Rooney

Marianne and Connell are complete opposites. But when they start talking one day, a connection forms that changes both of their lives forever.

I watched the TV adaptation of this book for the first time last month. And though there were things I liked and didn't like about it, I really wanted to read the book to see if I liked it as much.

The book ended up being so close to the TV show that I liked them both the same amount, and had the same problems with them both.

Weirdly, I love both of the characters overall, but I didn't actually find them likeable. I think they were well-written, interesting and are fundamentally good people. But throughout the book, their actions and some of their conversations highlighted that I wouldn't enjoy being friends with them in real life. I wouldn't want to be around either of them.

Because of this, reading the book wasn't the most enjoyable experience I've ever had, though it probably isn't supposed to be.

The reason I hadn't read this book before was because I heard about the lack of speech marks and thought it would be a bit jarring, but once I started reading I barely noticed. I never got speech confused and got used to it really quickly.

Not much actually happens in the story. We see different points of the character's lives, sometimes during major events, but I think the reason the show was able to stick so closely to the source material is because there are a limited amount of events.

I really liked reading both of the character's points of view. Maybe because I had seen the show, but everything felt really vivid. I could see, hear and feel these characters, and I really felt like I knew them. Rooney has a way of explaining things that make you feel exactly what the characters are feeling. 

Speaking of the characters, for whatever reason, I felt much more connected to Connell than Marianne. Maybe Connell felt like more of a relatable character?

The story never felt frustrating while reading, but looking back now, the back and forth between the characters can be a bit frustrating at points.

The entire story is very beautifully written.

The biggest let-down for me was the ending, which is exactly the same way I felt watching the show. I didn't need everything wrapped up neatly, but I definitely wanted a bit more than what we were given.

Overall this is a beautiful story about the way two people change each other's lives. While I had my own frustrations with it, it's amazingly written and is definitely worth reading.

3.5/5