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A review by ps_stillreading
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Rereading Beautiful World, Where Are You in January put me in a reflective mood, which honestly was a perfect fit for the headspace I was in at the time. These characters were navigating their lives, and in reading about them I felt less alone.
This book moves slowly, and that’s part of the reason why I love it so much. You get to exist in the quiet moments, in spaces where it seems nothing of consequence is really happening. The writing style was also interesting to me in that I felt like I was dropping in on moments, rather than following everything these characters were up to. Some people may not like it, but I did. It felt like people-watching or eavesdropping on a random conversation in public but in book form. Of course, there are moments when Sally Rooney allows us deeper into the minds of these, but even then there is distance between us and them.
In this book, there is space for the mundane. Waiting for your date to arrive. Buying groceries. The repetitive nature of your work. Scrolling on your phone. Again, there is this sense of detachment here, but these things were neither good nor bad, they just…are. It made me think of all the times I was on auto-pilot and doing things without really registering much. Not that I think we should always connect deeply with every single thing we do, but I think a lot of us (or maybe it’s just me) are guilty of going through the motions most of the time. But hey, our attention, energy, and time are valuable resources so it’s only realistic and sustainable that we choose when to fully engage and connect with other people and the world around us.
As much as Rooney keeps us an arm’s length away from her characters, we also see them come alive. This happens when they are together or in the email exchanges between Alice and Eileen. Surrounded by people who know them, the characters become more real to us too. Suddenly, we are no longer strangers watching them from a distance. We become invited guests into their lives for a few brief moments and we are in on all the jokes until we are once again pushed to the periphery and reduced to onlookers.
Sometimes, the book feels like a script or a screenplay. Maybe it’s the theatre kid in me, but I lived for those moments. They are there for a reason, asking us to slow down, to observe, to take in these little scenes that often go unnoticed. My favorite time that Rooney does this is in chapter 15. The way she begins this chapter, with a single plate and knife in the sink, the noise of the city outside impersonal. Then as the chapter closes there are two bowls, two spoons, and a glass marked by lip balm. Musical laughter and quiet conversations. The empty apartment, Simon alone. Later, Simon and Eileen together. I don’t know how to explain it in a better way other than I found this part so beautiful.
This BWWAY reread has brought me so much comfort. It also gave me a gentle reminder that although life can get messy and sh*tty, there will always be moments of beauty, joy, and love, and there will always be people you can share those moments with.
I gave this book 5 stars when I first read it in 2021, and I still give it 5 stars on my reread 💖
This book moves slowly, and that’s part of the reason why I love it so much. You get to exist in the quiet moments, in spaces where it seems nothing of consequence is really happening. The writing style was also interesting to me in that I felt like I was dropping in on moments, rather than following everything these characters were up to. Some people may not like it, but I did. It felt like people-watching or eavesdropping on a random conversation in public but in book form. Of course, there are moments when Sally Rooney allows us deeper into the minds of these, but even then there is distance between us and them.
In this book, there is space for the mundane. Waiting for your date to arrive. Buying groceries. The repetitive nature of your work. Scrolling on your phone. Again, there is this sense of detachment here, but these things were neither good nor bad, they just…are. It made me think of all the times I was on auto-pilot and doing things without really registering much. Not that I think we should always connect deeply with every single thing we do, but I think a lot of us (or maybe it’s just me) are guilty of going through the motions most of the time. But hey, our attention, energy, and time are valuable resources so it’s only realistic and sustainable that we choose when to fully engage and connect with other people and the world around us.
As much as Rooney keeps us an arm’s length away from her characters, we also see them come alive. This happens when they are together or in the email exchanges between Alice and Eileen. Surrounded by people who know them, the characters become more real to us too. Suddenly, we are no longer strangers watching them from a distance. We become invited guests into their lives for a few brief moments and we are in on all the jokes until we are once again pushed to the periphery and reduced to onlookers.
Sometimes, the book feels like a script or a screenplay. Maybe it’s the theatre kid in me, but I lived for those moments. They are there for a reason, asking us to slow down, to observe, to take in these little scenes that often go unnoticed. My favorite time that Rooney does this is in chapter 15. The way she begins this chapter, with a single plate and knife in the sink, the noise of the city outside impersonal. Then as the chapter closes there are two bowls, two spoons, and a glass marked by lip balm. Musical laughter and quiet conversations. The empty apartment, Simon alone. Later, Simon and Eileen together. I don’t know how to explain it in a better way other than I found this part so beautiful.
This BWWAY reread has brought me so much comfort. It also gave me a gentle reminder that although life can get messy and sh*tty, there will always be moments of beauty, joy, and love, and there will always be people you can share those moments with.
I gave this book 5 stars when I first read it in 2021, and I still give it 5 stars on my reread 💖