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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
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Violence
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
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wish I could read this for the first time again and again!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
What a crushing way to explain that relationships of any kind are not in fact always easy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent
challenging
emotional
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved previous books of Sally Rooney but this one was a flop. Somehow in this narrative I couldn’t get to know the characters, and the only thing I can say, they are all very messed up, most of them are bad people with terrible communication skills. The book hyperbolizes the public perception of a relationship with a large age gap but somehow living in a three person relationship or dating an adult photos model/illegal substances dealer is completely normal.
It was very weird and unpleasant to read about all the people hating each other, somehow loving but hurting each other.
It was very weird and unpleasant to read about all the people hating each other, somehow loving but hurting each other.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Alcohol
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This is hard to put into words if I am being honest. This book is so far out of the realm of what I would normally read, but I truly loved listening to this book. I am very glad I chose to listen instead of trying to read, and I feel like I got a deeper understanding this way.
"Help, my girlfriend's are unionizing!" - Peter Kubeck
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sally Rooney brings in something new for me: thoughts of the main characters to be finished by the readers themselves. To me that means a good chance of taking sides with the two quite different brothers.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Dysphoria
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Moderate: Suicide attempt