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A review by mcastello13
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
challenging
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
4.25
I was a bit wary going into this as I loved Sally Rooney’s first two novels but hadn’t heard great reviews of this one. But on finishing this, I’m reminded that you can’t always rely on others’ reviews and sometimes just need to read the book for yourself.
And what can I say now that I’ve finished it, other than that I continue to love her writing? Her characters are never deeply lovable, more just ordinary people of a certain race, class, socioeconomic background, etc, who - for better or worse - I tend to find quite relatable. This is true about all of her books in my experience, although I think I found the characters in this one the least endearing. Not that that affects the quality of the book, however, and I think is actually part of the point. And maybe, in a way, makes them all the more lovable.
There’s so much more I could dive into about all this novel explores, but instead I’ll just note how much I enjoyed it and how much I’m looking forward to another Sally Rooney book later this year.
And what can I say now that I’ve finished it, other than that I continue to love her writing? Her characters are never deeply lovable, more just ordinary people of a certain race, class, socioeconomic background, etc, who - for better or worse - I tend to find quite relatable. This is true about all of her books in my experience, although I think I found the characters in this one the least endearing. Not that that affects the quality of the book, however, and I think is actually part of the point. And maybe, in a way, makes them all the more lovable.
There’s so much more I could dive into about all this novel explores, but instead I’ll just note how much I enjoyed it and how much I’m looking forward to another Sally Rooney book later this year.