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A review by joanaprneves
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
My rating of 2.35 is mainly for the writing talent of the author.
Rooney has a knack for finding an original and poignant way of describing banal things, such as a uterine ultra-sound without a pregnancy as taking a photograph of a house in ruins, among other compelling descriptions.
However, the plot revolves mainly around the main character, who speaks in the first person, Frances, and whose view of life is either completely cold or over-emotional to the point of self-harm, both literally and metaphorically. The story is so focused on Frances' inner life that the other characters hardly come to life, with the exception of one love interest (but one wonders if it's not just because this character is submissive and waiting for a partner to tell them what to feel and what to do).
This story is a case of a completely lifeless and uncaring character being the centre of attention - to the point of having their first short story, written in a feverish haze, published in a flash! The self-centeredness of the main character extends to the others (with one exception), allowing for the perspectives to shift suddenly because the characters are so enthralled with themselves (either as perfect speakers, too handsome or too talented) that they don't seem to notice anything other than their own feelings - even if they describe themselves as "not special" to value the main character. Ugh.
Moreover, there is positively no other relation with anything else (nature, history (apart from silly references to events as "we talked about refugees"), urban life, academic life etc. Nothing other than what a character wears (especially in rapturous scenes "I was wearing a faux-fur hat"), looks like (handsome or expressing focus such as wearing an "oversized sweater"), either eats or forgets to eat, and a vague relation with family that is never completely explored.
I hate to say this, but the people in this books feel self-indulgent and spoiled, a small community of people where a notion of being "poor" is living in a free apartment belonging to the family and not receiving an "allowance" for a month.
On a positive note, the sexual relationship between the characters is almost described with graceful lust, and is positively beautiful and expressive in its projected analysis of their psychological state. I wish the book had other passages where the mental states and issues arising in the character's lives were described through what they did, where they went and other forms of exterior behaviour, and relationships with nature, literature, art, theatre, whatever else than clothes and banalities such as the discovery that you can't judge people on niceness (!).
Rooney has a knack for finding an original and poignant way of describing banal things, such as a uterine ultra-sound without a pregnancy as taking a photograph of a house in ruins, among other compelling descriptions.
However, the plot revolves mainly around the main character, who speaks in the first person, Frances, and whose view of life is either completely cold or over-emotional to the point of self-harm, both literally and metaphorically. The story is so focused on Frances' inner life that the other characters hardly come to life, with the exception of one love interest (but one wonders if it's not just because this character is submissive and waiting for a partner to tell them what to feel and what to do).
This story is a case of a completely lifeless and uncaring character being the centre of attention - to the point of having their first short story, written in a feverish haze, published in a flash! The self-centeredness of the main character extends to the others (with one exception), allowing for the perspectives to shift suddenly because the characters are so enthralled with themselves (either as perfect speakers, too handsome or too talented) that they don't seem to notice anything other than their own feelings - even if they describe themselves as "not special" to value the main character. Ugh.
Moreover, there is positively no other relation with anything else (nature, history (apart from silly references to events as "we talked about refugees"), urban life, academic life etc. Nothing other than what a character wears (especially in rapturous scenes "I was wearing a faux-fur hat"), looks like (handsome or expressing focus such as wearing an "oversized sweater"), either eats or forgets to eat, and a vague relation with family that is never completely explored.
I hate to say this, but the people in this books feel self-indulgent and spoiled, a small community of people where a notion of being "poor" is living in a free apartment belonging to the family and not receiving an "allowance" for a month.
On a positive note, the sexual relationship between the characters is almost described with graceful lust, and is positively beautiful and expressive in its projected analysis of their psychological state. I wish the book had other passages where the mental states and issues arising in the character's lives were described through what they did, where they went and other forms of exterior behaviour, and relationships with nature, literature, art, theatre, whatever else than clothes and banalities such as the discovery that you can't judge people on niceness (!).