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A review by janecasasola
Normal People by Sally Rooney
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
4.0
Sally Rooney wrote the book in a consistently sad & almost depressing (??) manner that it sucks you right in to the heaviness of the story. I don't really know how best to explain it, but basically for me, it's like when Marianne was at her most fragile, my body felt fragile, too. I don't think I’ve ever been this restless & frail after reading a novel.
I generally liked it, though quite frankly I feel it's is a book that appeals to a certain niche & I definitely won't be surprised if others felt differently about it than I did.
For the most part I found it intriguing -- later on disappointing -- how Marianne & Connell fixated on each other throughout the years despite their obvious lack of communication. They both clearly have issues, and I'm just going to use that as an excuse. Also, much to my disappointment, the book didn't walk us through Marianne's journey to understanding her issues better just like what it did for Connell, though there's no doubt that Sally did a brilliant job at gradually unraveling the core of it. Until now I feel so much hate for Alan & Denise.
Of course, I also have to point out the absence of quotation marks. At first it was weird, but you get used to it after a while.
***SPOILER***
Cut to the ending, it seems that there's divided opinion on where the book left us, and I'm personally on the "I think it's fitting" side. From where things were at, they're still undeniably far from being able to nurture a healthy relationship yet.
I generally liked it, though quite frankly I feel it's is a book that appeals to a certain niche & I definitely won't be surprised if others felt differently about it than I did.
For the most part I found it intriguing -- later on disappointing -- how Marianne & Connell fixated on each other throughout the years despite their obvious lack of communication. They both clearly have issues, and I'm just going to use that as an excuse. Also, much to my disappointment, the book didn't walk us through Marianne's journey to understanding her issues better just like what it did for Connell, though there's no doubt that Sally did a brilliant job at gradually unraveling the core of it. Until now I feel so much hate for Alan & Denise.
Of course, I also have to point out the absence of quotation marks. At first it was weird, but you get used to it after a while.
***SPOILER***
Cut to the ending, it seems that there's divided opinion on where the book left us, and I'm personally on the "I think it's fitting" side. From where things were at, they're still undeniably far from being able to nurture a healthy relationship yet.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Bullying