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challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Finally a Rooney I like, love even! I really thought I might DNF bc the writing in Peter’s POV drove me crazy at first, but by the middle of the book, it just felt so him and intrinsic to his character. I absolutely loved every messy bit of this
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Dejadme sufrir, por favor. Por amar aunque solo sea a estas personas, por saber que soy capaz de hacerlo, sufriría todos los días de mi vida.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent
Moderate: Chronic illness, Drug use, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Car accident, Alcohol
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Trots att det ofta var mörkt, ville jag hänga länge i Ivans och Peters Dublin. Tur då att boken är lång och låter oss göra det! Jag uppskattar karaktärernas komplexitet och att alla tydligt har bra och dåliga sidor. Margarets perspektiv var behövligt, om inte annat för att hon är en kvinna och inte är lika självcentrerad.
Jag vet inte helt vad jag tycker om stream of consciousness-stilen; ibland var jag lite förvirrad över om det jag läste var en del av en dialog eller monolog, men det gjorde också de vardagliga händelserna och tankarna mer relaterbara.
Jag vet inte helt vad jag tycker om stream of consciousness-stilen; ibland var jag lite förvirrad över om det jag läste var en del av en dialog eller monolog, men det gjorde också de vardagliga händelserna och tankarna mer relaterbara.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Drug use, Sexual content, Grief, Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Death of parent
Minor: Vomit, Religious bigotry, Pandemic/Epidemic
dark
emotional
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Grief
Minor: Death, Death of parent
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sally Rooney’s writing style choices feel more extreme and unconventional here. I almost put it back on the library shelf after the first chapter. I would have really missed out. It is a wonderful novel about characters navigating grief (mainly, the death of a parent; but also, the loss the life they almost had; and the loss of a marriage) while struggling between their desires and what society deems appropriate. Each POV felt very distinct to me, and contributed largely to understanding Peter, Ivan and Margaret.
The stream of consciousness writing is unleashed compared to her other work that I’ve read (Normal People). Combining a rationing of paragraph breaks with her consistent boycott on quotation marks, the narrating voice is a distinct experience. There are many sections that are a first hand account of a character experiencing a memory. The details all blurred together but the feelings, especially uncomfortable ones, coming through in sharp pangs. Absolutely anxiety inducing at times, particularly when following Peter in third-person POV.
Let's talk about the characters. Peter. I hate him and also find him the most relatable. I wanted to scream into the void reading about him continuously walk down self-destructive paths. Two eyes wide open, but blinded by grief. Grief exacerbated by anxiety, self-loathing, depression. Completely hypocritical in the judgements he makes of others, but slightly redeemed by judging and hating himself the most. It was always Peter that had me putting down the book to go touch some grass.
Ivan. Intensely awkward but also hyper-aware of social norms as though he has studied them as a non-participant. Ivan is not the only character steadfastly aware of social norms, but does seem the character least concerned with them. Peter, on the other hand, ties himself up in knots according to what is socially accepted. I only recall four scenes where Peter and Ivan directly interact, yet the characters are so intertwined.
Then the women characters. Naomi, Sylvia, Margaret. We only ever see the POV of one, Margaret, but they are all beautifully fleshed out. There are beautiful snapshots of all of them, in different ways, reckoning with how to survive, and attempt to thrive, within patriarchal conditioning, despite being people who lead very dissimilar lives.
This is in the running for my favorite read this year. Rooney did not give me the character events, ending, or number of paragraph breaks that I wanted. If she had, I probably wouldn't have liked it as much.
The stream of consciousness writing is unleashed compared to her other work that I’ve read (Normal People). Combining a rationing of paragraph breaks with her consistent boycott on quotation marks, the narrating voice is a distinct experience. There are many sections that are a first hand account of a character experiencing a memory. The details all blurred together but the feelings, especially uncomfortable ones, coming through in sharp pangs. Absolutely anxiety inducing at times, particularly when following Peter in third-person POV.
Let's talk about the characters. Peter. I hate him and also find him the most relatable. I wanted to scream into the void reading about him continuously walk down self-destructive paths. Two eyes wide open, but blinded by grief. Grief exacerbated by anxiety, self-loathing, depression. Completely hypocritical in the judgements he makes of others, but slightly redeemed by judging and hating himself the most. It was always Peter that had me putting down the book to go touch some grass.
Ivan. Intensely awkward but also hyper-aware of social norms as though he has studied them as a non-participant. Ivan is not the only character steadfastly aware of social norms, but does seem the character least concerned with them. Peter, on the other hand, ties himself up in knots according to what is socially accepted. I only recall four scenes where Peter and Ivan directly interact, yet the characters are so intertwined.
Then the women characters. Naomi, Sylvia, Margaret. We only ever see the POV of one, Margaret, but they are all beautifully fleshed out. There are beautiful snapshots of all of them, in different ways, reckoning with how to survive, and attempt to thrive, within patriarchal conditioning, despite being people who lead very dissimilar lives.
This is in the running for my favorite read this year. Rooney did not give me the character events, ending, or number of paragraph breaks that I wanted. If she had, I probably wouldn't have liked it as much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual content
Minor: Misogyny, Sexual violence
regarding suicidal thoughts one of the main characters makes up their mind to kill themselves and describes a deep sense of relief associated with this decision. suicide does not occur though
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I would not have been able to get through this if it were not for Éanna Hardwicke's masterful audio narration. Reads like poetry at times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use, Violence, Vomit, Medical trauma
Minor: Infertility