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rorky's reviews
319 reviews
Normal People by Sally Rooney
4.0
Conflicted on this one. I absolutely devoured the first half in one sitting, loved it - got so sucked in by the style of writing and the way it chimes so vividly with what it's like growing up and maturing in this current environment. But then I took a break from it for a few days and I couldn't stomach it upon picking it up again, I found the actual dialogue so bland and somehow irritating. Somewhat worthy. Sally Rooney has a penchant for writing characters I find simultaneously thoroughly unlikable and also deeply relatable, worse so in Conversations with Friends but I do suppose that is part of what makes her writing so relatable, no one is a good person, everyone is complex - but god I can't stand pretentious people.
I think if I were to give this book one word it would be 'raw'. I feel pretty empty after finishing it. And a bit like god are we really all just living the exact same cycle of events and thought processes and why does it have to be so depressing.
3.9. Maybe 4.1. I can't tell if I love it or not.
I think if I were to give this book one word it would be 'raw'. I feel pretty empty after finishing it. And a bit like god are we really all just living the exact same cycle of events and thought processes and why does it have to be so depressing.
3.9. Maybe 4.1. I can't tell if I love it or not.
Becoming by Michelle Obama
5.0
A really enjoyable listen - nothing life changing, but just a really well told story of an incredible woman's life. I really enjoyed the pacing, for 19 hours long it felt really succinct. Surprisingly I found her recollections of her childhood and upbringing the most interesting.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
3.0
3.0/5
There was just something about the actual writing that didn’t warm to me - for some reason gave me flackbacks to time spent reading fan fiction written by eager 14 year olds. Not exactly that it was bad, I suppose trying to put across that feeling of disconnected unhumanness... felt out of beat. Somewhat unconvincing - I suppose I need to understand a different perspective of loneliness and other themes from how I experience them. But even like the descriptions of Glasgow felt a bit unsettlingly different from how I experience the city. Like reading a book written in an alternate universe. Unsettling.
I understand why people love this book and I absolutely ate it up - didn’t really put it down, I do look forward to seeing what else the author has written.
There was just something about the actual writing that didn’t warm to me - for some reason gave me flackbacks to time spent reading fan fiction written by eager 14 year olds. Not exactly that it was bad, I suppose trying to put across that feeling of disconnected unhumanness... felt out of beat. Somewhat unconvincing - I suppose I need to understand a different perspective of loneliness and other themes from how I experience them. But even like the descriptions of Glasgow felt a bit unsettlingly different from how I experience the city. Like reading a book written in an alternate universe. Unsettling.
I understand why people love this book and I absolutely ate it up - didn’t really put it down, I do look forward to seeing what else the author has written.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
4.0
Ok maybe not four stars but so THRILLING I literally couldn’t stop listening to the last few hours.