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charliereadsalot's review against another edition
1.0
1 STAR
CW: cancer, mention of death (of parents), mention of addiction, paedophilia
I haven't read anything by Sally Rooney so this was my first encounter with her writing. I enjoyed the style, very easy to read but dear God, every time authors don't use quotation marks to indicate direct speech I want to jump out the window.
Didn't really think anything in this story was romantic, it was just weird. Both main characters weren't likable to me and if I'm honest, I was hoping that what turned out to be a sleeping bag in the river was Nathan who had somehow driven into the river.
The story was fine but not particularly memorable to me. This type of story isn't really for me, either, but apart from absolutely hating the age difference and that fact making all the interactions between Sukie and Nathan in this story weird, I didn't totally hate the story.
* Edit: Reflecting on this and thinking about it some more, I realized that most of the rating was because the writing style isn't terrible but other than that I absolutely hated this story.
CW: cancer, mention of death (of parents), mention of addiction, paedophilia
I haven't read anything by Sally Rooney so this was my first encounter with her writing. I enjoyed the style, very easy to read but dear God, every time authors don't use quotation marks to indicate direct speech I want to jump out the window.
Didn't really think anything in this story was romantic, it was just weird. Both main characters weren't likable to me and if I'm honest, I was hoping that what turned out to be a sleeping bag in the river was Nathan who had somehow driven into the river.
The story was fine but not particularly memorable to me. This type of story isn't really for me, either, but apart from absolutely hating the age difference and that fact making all the interactions between Sukie and Nathan in this story weird, I didn't totally hate the story.
* Edit: Reflecting on this and thinking about it some more, I realized that most of the rating was because the writing style isn't terrible but other than that I absolutely hated this story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction
james1star's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I read this short story in one sitting and like Rooney’s other books it’s very much character-focused. Being very short I won’t talk about the plot and there’s nothing much to say anyway. It’s written well, in her similar style that’s easy to follow but makes you think. I sort of liked this story, it flows and I guess is well rounded but personally I feel Rooney should stick to novels - there’s a lot to be desired and we’re supposed to understand the characters, getting inside their head, but it’s length didn’t allow for this. This could’ve been a bigger success if it had been longer which Rooney does so well exploring the relationships and comments on human nature better and in more depth that was clearly lacking. Any messages that she liked to put forward would have benefited greatly too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Death of parent
samarakroeger's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I’m glad I finally read this! It became a mashed potato book because I didn’t want to exhaust my Sally Rooney supply or read it in the wrong mood or something.
Sukie, the narrator of Mr. Salary, is a classic Rooney protagonist. She has the same darkly cynical self-deprecating sense of humor as Frances. Lots of insecure attachment style present, as well as the expected parental issues (Marianne) and predilection for older men (Sukie and Nathan are by far the most similar to Eileen and Simon).
Like all of her work, this principally examines the intersection of money and class with sex and relationships, all of which have to do with power dynamics.
Knowing that this predates all of her published novels gives some insight on how Rooney has evolved as a writer, too. This is written in a style very similar to Convos with Friends (first person with more figurative language use). The similes in here were odd and unique.
I wish this was a lot longer - there’s a lot packed into a small story but Rooney could have explored it all in a lot more depth given a longer page count.
Sukie, the narrator of Mr. Salary, is a classic Rooney protagonist. She has the same darkly cynical self-deprecating sense of humor as Frances. Lots of insecure attachment style present, as well as the expected parental issues (Marianne) and predilection for older men (Sukie and Nathan are by far the most similar to Eileen and Simon).
Like all of her work, this principally examines the intersection of money and class with sex and relationships, all of which have to do with power dynamics.
Knowing that this predates all of her published novels gives some insight on how Rooney has evolved as a writer, too. This is written in a style very similar to Convos with Friends (first person with more figurative language use). The similes in here were odd and unique.
I wish this was a lot longer - there’s a lot packed into a small story but Rooney could have explored it all in a lot more depth given a longer page count.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Medical content, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Suicide
pookiee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Terminal illness
Minor: Sexual content, Addiction, Death of parent, and Alcohol
reads_eats_explores's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Cancer, Terminal illness, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content
nzmerchant's review against another edition
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, and Medical content
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Drug use and Sexual content
venetiana's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Medical content, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Cancer, Dementia, Abandonment, and Death of parent
jadziaaudrey's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
norrell's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
It was in my nature to absorb large volumes of information during times of distress, like I could master the distress through intellectual dominance.
Girl, me too.
Girl, me too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Death of parent
vixenreader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
It is quiet, but devastating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Grief, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Medical content
Minor: Classism
There is sexual tension between a twenty-four year old and a thirty-eight year old, as well as a theme is nihilism permeating throughout the story.