Normal People: The multimillion copy bestseller - Cover May Vary

Sally Rooney raises this question in her novel which has deservedly won awards. As I write this the tv series is running. You couldn’t wish for 2 better people to act in the 2 major roles (Marianne & Connell) in the book, they are both excellent. Although the story is about 2 teenagers in Ireland in the 6th form, it can apply to any bright teenager moving towards university. The main theme is the change from a youth into an adult and the changes they go through, male and female. The brutality of teenagers towards each other is very well portrayed and reminded me of the Casual Vacancy by Rowling. It’s no wonder this can lead to self-harm and even suicide. Because of mobile phones/social media there is now no escape from bullies. Marianne is the middle-class teenager who is the loner/outsider in the school, whereas Connell is the working-class teenager who is very popular with the boys and girls. Connell’s ma cleans the house for Marianne’s family which means that the 2 keep bumping into each other at hers due to him picking his mother up in the car from there. Nobody likes to talk to M. in school because she is seen as “unclean”. Thus C. speaks to her at the house but not in school due to peer pressure. They have a secret crush on each other which leads to a secret affair between them. Her family unfortunately is crap, her mother is an useless mother and her brother reminds me of Billy’s brother in KES, a really nasty piece of work. C. on the other hand has a very good relationship with his mother and has no siblings. One thing they have in common is that no father lives with them. C. changes to Trinity Uni. in Dublin and his course just to be with M. However, what happens at Uni. is that her personality/character means she takes to the life like to a duck to water. C. however doesn’t take to it and he is lost and lonely; the reverse of the school situation. Their relationship develops over time and its ups and downs we follow closely hoping for a happy ending. This is because you take to the 2 and want them both to be happy and with each other. Rooney captures the trials and tribulations, the conflicts and closeness, the misunderstandings and certainties between the 2 over several years, from late teenager to early 20s. This is a difficult time for any person, the leaving home with all its support structures, and the responsibilities of becoming an adult. But on top of all this they have the added complication and stress of their complex relationship. Normally with these kind of stories you have 1 going off to Uni. and the other remaining behind. Then the stress on the relationship of 1 growing and of them drifting apart. Thus this is a new twist on a familiar story and brilliantly done by Rooney. The tv series is very close to the book and Rooney must be happy how they develop the book. The sexual stamina of both at that age and the 1000 kisses deep must remind everybody who went through this at Uni. The pregnant pauses in the book and tv series are perfect. The nightmare of the foreign holiday which goes wrong and the fall-out; it’s so reminiscent of what many go through. Barrack Obama lists his 20 fave books each year and I’m delighted that this was 1 of them one year.

I have had this book on my shelf for quite some time now and have previously watched the BBC series, so I wanted to read the book. We follow Marianna and Connell’s relationship from their first interactions at school. At the same time, Marianne is a social pariah, and Connell is a famous star. Both are highly intelligent but from very different backgrounds and families. Marianne is rich, but her family are not particularly lovely. In contrast, Connell is poor, but his single mother is sweet and caring. Connell’s mother cleans for Marianne’s family, where their initial interactions occur as they don’t speak at school. Their relationship is complicated and tangled; it’s not a traditional romance, although that plays its part. It’s a polarising read and one that follows the path of so many before them. Every new chapter is a time jump and alternates between the two main characters as we follow them through university and their young adult lives. The two main characters are very awkward and flawed, making them appear more authentic. The story shows their thoughts and mental health issues. The other characters all play their parts; none of them is just there to add filler which is nice to see. Marianne’s family, her mother and brother, are truly horrible people. My only negative is that some of the conversations between Marianne and Connell are a little stilted and that it doesn’t always portray their true passion. Despite Marianne and Connell’s unwavering love for one another, this book doesn’t offer the happily ever after you may be expecting. Unfortunately, things are never as simple as you may hope, and we are left somewhat guessing the end. This was a quick and compelling read, exhausting and draining in parts. The characters are remarkably persuasive, but their love is so intense that you can feel like you’re experiencing it with them. The on-off style keeps you on your toes, but it’s not a ‘normal’ romance; there are points where they each have a ‘proper’ boyfriend or girlfriend as well as their passion for each other. This book pulls you in and lets you experience this rollercoaster relationship through the brilliant writing of Sally Rooney. I know the reviews for this are very varied, but I really enjoyed this and will probably re-read it later.

Good read

Review of sally Rooney’s normal people. This is not my normal when it comes to reading, but it was part of one of my book club reads. I was dreading it at first, and thought I wouldn’t enjoy it, however I found that I did in the end. I didn’t enjoy the writing style to much, I found it very strange that there were no speech marks when there was dialogue. The first few chapters I struggled with what was speech and what were thoughts.However the more of the book I read, I got used to it. I still feel like it was rather strange but it was also unique in its own way. At the beginning of the book when they are in what I’m assuming is high school or college, I understood the feelings and emotions. They were very similar to what I experienced through my high school life, and to what I assume most people experience at that time of their life. However as the book goes on, I struggled to relate to the characters. They seem to suffer from a lot of depression and to get their feeling across. It frustrated me that a lot of their decisions in life were based on others thoughts of themselves, rather then what they thought or believed. I also felt that they could of made better choices or decisions if they had actually spoken about their feelings and thoughts. I found that the times lines jumped around a bit, but they were easy to follow. On a whole the book wasn’t too bad. Like I said before not my normal, but I wouldn’t say no to another one of Sally Rooney’s books. I would say that it might be seen as a trigger to some people who have suffered with depression or loneliness. This is my personal thoughts of the book and would appreciate no hate. Thank you.

I almost read this book in one-go and I'm not a huge reader. Their relationship is so fragile yet so strong throughout the probably one of the most difficult time: the transition of high school to college year. It felt like I was in it, standing and seeing this couple struggle and grow. Can't wait to see the tv show on bbc now.

The best book ever!! It's lovely and depressing at the same time. It's very different than any romantic books I have read

The book was in good shape when it arrived. The rating does not represent a rating of the story.

Inte läst än och för er som inte vet så finns det inga " eller - för dialoger så ni är förberedda på det

The book arrived clean and carefully packaged. I’ve started reading it. The series is exactly the same as the book.