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A review by angel_kiiss
Normal People by Sally Rooney
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Rooney seems to have a reoccurring problem with writing rich kids a her “relatable” characters. These rich kids are also socialists which, I guess is legit, but I can’t get behind “rich kids proposing the communist lifestyle.”
I felt like the story ended up being about Marianne being “saved” by Connell. She finds herself emotionally reliant on him and multiple times throughout the book states that she would do anything for him (heavily implied “anything” as physical).
It all comes off as feelings for no real reason until the last 20 pages. The book goes on and on about how Marianne is the only person who understands Connell but does nothing to show why - and vice versa. There’s no early event that explains why they are so devoted to each other or why they would be so connected in the first place.
I felt like the story ended up being about Marianne being “saved” by Connell. She finds herself emotionally reliant on him and multiple times throughout the book states that she would do anything for him (heavily implied “anything” as physical).
It all comes off as feelings for no real reason until the last 20 pages. The book goes on and on about how Marianne is the only person who understands Connell but does nothing to show why - and vice versa. There’s no early event that explains why they are so devoted to each other or why they would be so connected in the first place.