Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - Normal People

A quote that comes to mind which I find really captures how I felt while reading this book is :

"Art is to comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable."

This book is extremely thought-provoking to say the least, I have bullet points on all the topics mentioned in this book I'd like to write essays on, which is quite an effect this book has on me. I think it talks about topics like abuse, mental health, self-love, social hierarchy and class really well. One of the things that really stood out to me is the idea of a hierarchy of pain; because although Connell belongs in working-class and is considerably struggling financially, he has a loving mother who cares for him above all. Meanwhile, Marianne born extremely well-off and arguably has less to worry about is treated disgustingly by her family, whether in the sense of verbal abuse or physical abuse.

Which begs the question of is she allowed to feel sadness towards such pain when there are others suffering worse conditions than her?

The answer is easy, yes, she's allowed to feel anger and sadness towards her predicament because her feelings are valid; this is a struggle constantly demonstrated by Marianne as she constantly gets looped into a horrible partner again and again.

Although I really do appreciate the themes and topics the book approaches and the way it is handled, I can't bring myself to give it a higher rating due to the amount of smut scenes described in here.

It's nothing insane or extremely detailed but it appears pretty consistently which kept rubbing me off the wrong way.

Which is to say it's nothing inherently wrong with the writing, merely a difference in preference where I don't find it quite my cup of tea.

Overall, I really do appreciate this book and the topics it discusses. Recommend to anyone looking to read about something very introspective on the lives of two miserable college students.

I would advise those who dislike open endings, pretty flawed-characters or descriptions of smut to pick a different book that might suit your preferences better!

Content Warnings

drjoannehill's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny sad 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

3.75

Picked up because it is hyped and famous.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book right now - the abrupt ending has frustrated me.

It's both funny and sad at different times. We hear a micro level of detail about the ins and outs of the relationship between two people, Marianne and Connell, who are variously good for each other, bad for other, horrible, caring, loved, abused, unsure of themselves. Micro level detail about what they say and how they say it (gestures, paused, intonation) that is meant to convey a meaning and then is received potentially in a different way. So it's well observed.

I did not like how Marianne is represented in romantic relationships and in her relationship with her brother. And really Marianne and Connell are so incompetent at loving each other and the same with dealing with other people ... There should be some kind of opportunity for Marianne to come out of the experiences she's having - this is not a feminist book ... Ok it doesn't have to be, but I hope she is not a model for younger women readers.

Content Warnings

kylasmv15's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

Content Warnings

loslibrosdemale's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

star101's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

cnannery19's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

Content Warnings

rynaissanceenby's review against another edition

Go to review page

reflective relaxing 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

2.75

This book was just okay. It really felt like it was lacking a purpose, like I didn't really get the point of telling this story. And it kind of felt like nothing important happened.

Content Warnings

gdulecki's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

Content Warnings

More...