Reviews tagging 'Classism'

Normal People by Sally Rooney

259 reviews

jessicabearbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative 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

4.0

"She was attuned to the presence of his body in a microscopic way, as if the ordinary motion of his breathing was powerful enough to make her ill"

Although I didn't love every second, this book is a masterpiece. Sally Rooney's writing style does take some getting used to and I was wary coming into reading this due to the drama about the lack of quotation marks in her writing. But I found by the end of the first chapter I wasn't bothered at all and actually liked how not even the reader knows exactly what it being said - thus reflecting the miscommunication between characters. Whether this was Sally Rooney's intent, it works, and I liked it. Please if you're put off reading this because of the style, just try. And use your own mind to decide if it works for you or not, do not let TikTok and others decide for you!

The romance is raw and frustrating. It's definitely there and it's challenging and it's sort of cute. Marianne and Connell are definitely difficult to like, as are all the characters, apart from Lorraine. The characters all had depth and I was actually frustrated not to have more backstory as to the 'why' and intentions for a lot of character's actions. Which again, was annoying but adds to the overall confusion and miscommunication. Could I justify everything Sally Rooney has chosen to do in this book? Absolutely. But that's real life and this is a story about real experiences and real people - Normal people if you will. 

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't know why I can't be like normal people."

The quotes are beautiful and heartbreaking, mainly because I saw myself a lot more than I expected to throughout this story. This book definitely makes the reader feel as though they are looking in a mirror, or stood on a stage infant of everyone else. I felt exposed but safe at the same time as I could read about these dramas and heartaches happening to characters that I could see around me in the real world. I chose to annotate and used a tab for "Human Condition" which got its fair share. Sally Rooney exposes humanity and the thoughts that a lot of us choose to hide, believing foolishly that we are individual and alone in thinking them. 

Part of me feels even more lost after reading this, and part of me feels found.

"But it wasn't accompanied by any specific images of what real life might look like or feel like. All she knew was that when it started, she wouldn't need to imagine it anymore".

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol

Minor: Rape, Self harm, and Blood

venetiana's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is such a beautiful book. Very human, very realistic, melancholy.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

aileen_macalister's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Rooney's writing reflects the everyday struggles in a time in life when everything seems chaotic set against the backdrop of a traumatic childhood and complex interpersonal relationships. While I couldn't bring myself to like the characters, due to their horrible decision making skills, I found myself completely wrapped up in their story. 

The writing is fast paced and I enjoyed the flow of the book. Overall it is a story that leaves you wanting more and complex characters that explore the depths of human emotions.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Suicide, Death of parent, and Classism

kylasmv15's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, Eating disorder, Racism, Self harm, Blood, Vomit, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

samanthaleereads's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment

cnannery19's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I have no idea what I was meant to take away from this book. The characters were uninteresting and shallow, I strongly dislike the writing style, and the relationship dynamic feels so overtly problematic with no self awareness that it was boring. I also know this was likely intentional but the understanding of BDSM was so rudimentary that it was virtually absent and that grated on me.

I really struggle to understand why people love this book so much. It just didn't connect at all for me, and I feel like I was missing something.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, and Classism

Minor: Racism

gdulecki's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I’m giving this a begrudging three stars - I did not like the characters, there were no quotation marks, and the writing style felt weird, but I also couldn’t put this down and read it in just a couple of hours because it was so captivating. I am so angry at the ending, Marianne needs some damn therapy, and the self sabotage and self degradation was so potent that I feel it in my bones after finishing the book. The way BDSM was portrayed was horrendous, and I think it was supposed to be??? I don’t know man I see why people really liked this but I don’t know if it was for me

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Classism

errie's review against another edition

reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

nickysbookcorner's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

 A low-stakes book about the bond between your first love. Connel (MMC) and Marianne (FMC). Connel and Marianne keep coming back to each other at different stages of their lives and it doesn’t quite stick each time. They are terrible at communicating with each other, but this is also what makes it realistic. There is an imbalance as they come from different socio-economic classes. I was rooting for them. I loved that this book didn’t really have a plot and it was just snippets of interpersonal relationships. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism