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A review by paulawind
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I have a lot of complicated feelings about this book and I’ll definitely need as while to properly digest it.
I saw myself in some aspects of Frances, I’m having the world as your oyster but not knowing what to do in life, second guessing every action and word, struggling with defining what really is “me”.
I appreciate that Frances’s relationship with Bobbi was the true drive of the narrative. The ending was a bit open ended with Nick but even though he was important to the story I felt like he was just a plot device, in the same way as romantic interests (but majorly women) are used in media. My dislike of him was probably less motivated by his personality of the soggy toast but not by All Too Well playing at the back of my head all the time when 21 and 32 year olds interacted.
The exploration of friendship is great here, I feel like when Frances and Bobbi interact or even share scenes together, the book comes out the strongest and best fleshed out, whereas the Frances-Nick sequences lack chemistry and ‘flavour’.
It would have been a five star read if Nick got less screen time and Bobbi got more light on her - what we got was enough for me to develop a girlcrush on her - would love to be part of the circle and discuss current affairs and anarchism with her
I saw myself in some aspects of Frances, I’m having the world as your oyster but not knowing what to do in life, second guessing every action and word, struggling with defining what really is “me”.
I appreciate that Frances’s relationship with Bobbi was the true drive of the narrative. The ending was a bit open ended with Nick but even though he was important to the story I felt like he was just a plot device, in the same way as romantic interests (but majorly women) are used in media. My dislike of him was probably less motivated by his personality of the soggy toast but not by All Too Well playing at the back of my head all the time when 21 and 32 year olds interacted.
The exploration of friendship is great here, I feel like when Frances and Bobbi interact or even share scenes together, the book comes out the strongest and best fleshed out, whereas the Frances-Nick sequences lack chemistry and ‘flavour’.
It would have been a five star read if Nick got less screen time and Bobbi got more light on her - what we got was enough for me to develop a girlcrush on her - would love to be part of the circle and discuss current affairs and anarchism with her
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Child abuse