Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - Gdzie jesteś, piękny świecie

it definitely would appear that i give 5 stars out left right and centre, maybe because i honestly get emotionally attached to almost every book i read - but this one was truly a million out of ten. i’m concerned that sally rooney may actually be able to see into my brain, because particularly eileen was one of the most relatable characters i’ve ever experienced. i loved seeing the relationships of the two couples develop - i really rooted for them and the realistic way the progression of their relationships was detailed. felix and simon were also two ends of a spectrum of men that any young woman can relate to - i saw them in my own friends and partners visually and mentally. i also think alice and eileen’s friendship is one of the first time i’ve truly seen a long distance friendship accurately portrayed in a new adult book. it made me think of my own best friend, and sparked a two hour phone call when we hadn’t spoken in weeks. the email chapters were some of my favourites, and their discussion of society, history and religion really furthered the plot while providing an interesting and attention-holding intermission. it made me think on a lot of subjects more deeply, such as what it is to be a young woman in the current times and the priorities i have in my life. it showed me that prioritising loving and spending time with others is not a bad thing, but is rather something to aspire to. this book means a lot to me, and to think of a world without sally rooneys writing is something i’m not prepared to do. as always adore adore adore.

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risemini's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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gaygothiccowboy's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-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

4.0

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jadziaaudrey's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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sharkemoji's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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? Yes

3.25

I'm not quite sure how exactly I felt about this book. I found the characters hard to like and annoying and the relationships and plot to be very predictable and boring. The quasi-intellectualism in the emails between Alice and Eileen was a bit annoying and I found myself zoning out during some of the more obnoxious moments. But, it felt true to character.

The relationship between Felix and Alice was not only more compelling but more charged than whatever happened between Simon and Eileen. The subtle dynamics of power and control were very interesting, but I did find myself more interested in Felix than Alice for many of those moments. Simon, I found to be grating and annoying and I disliked nearly everything about his character. Maybe if we had had some moments with his interiority I would have felt differently but I really wanted to shake Eileen so hard and say she can do better than this weirdo loser creep.
I HATED the fact that the epilogue is about COVID. Maybe if I had read this book during the height of the pandemic I would have felt connected to the characters' feelings but so soon after I was just annoyed and tired of it.

Some things I would have wanted to see more of was Alice's mental health struggles which are constantly mentioned by other characters but not obvious within her internal dialogue.

The moment where she says she wants to kill herself felt a bit out of nowhere and the fact that she has been on anti-depressants apparently the whole time without Felix or the reader or anyone knowing was just... I was confused by where any of this was coming from. Actually, that whole final fight between Alice and Eileen was a bit much for me. I would have been more interested in having that moment earlier in the novel and then seeing how they actually work through that instead of the jump to so SO far later. and once again I was just annoyed by Simon the whole time.

I also would have loved to see some more actual rumination on class differences, with the whole Alice being a millionaire and Felix working at a package facility. It gets close but Alice, Eileen, and Simon never recognize the differences between themselves and the working class. (Besides a moment of Eileen arguing that technically she is working class because she has a job... which... is certainly A Take...)
So ok maybe I actually didn't like it. Maybe that is what I am realizing right now. But it was still a GOOD book with some really amazing lines about desire and love and depression and relationships and despite the pretentiousness of Alice and Eileen's emails, there were many moments of really impactful reflections on life and the human experience that I enjoyed. Rooney is really a great writer in terms of actual quality this was fantastic. But just not for me.

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