Scan barcode
A review by madbet
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5 ⭐️
As per usual, Sally Rooney can do no wrong in my eyes. I read Normal People two years ago and loved it so I decided to read her debut ahead of the Hulu show and it did not disappoint!
There's a guarantee that with any Sally Rooney book, you're gonna get some complicated, complex characters and that it certainly the case with this book as well. All of these characters are flawed and complicated and it plays a huge part in their relationships with each other, although I did find that there was more focus on Frances and Nick. These characters are definitely pretentious which you can feel while reading, but I felt they sounded more pretentious when speaking to each other rather than when speaking to the reader. She also does not use quotation marks on the dialogue which I love as an added layer of complication in the book. I think this device portrays miscommunication well, and miscommunication between her characters is a big theme.
Another guarantee with a Sally Rooney book is not much of a plot. This was definitely a character driven novel for sure, which I really enjoyed. I think that since this book is so character heavy that I was not bothered by the lack of plot. This book is definitely a character study. I also found this book subject matter and these characters to be darker and grittier than Normal People. This book examines adultery and open relationships in a realistic way that I found very interesting and engaging.
This next part gives away a little.I was under the impression this book was going to be more of a ménage à quatre. I know Bobbi and Melissa kissed, but I was hoping for more. I did enjoy the focus on Nick and Frances and I suppose it makes sense given that the book is told from Frances' POV, but I was hoping for a little more scandal between Bobbi and Melissa, especially since I found both of them very intimidating as characters.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. I would only recommend this if you're a fan of Normal People though as this book is in a very similar vein! Very much looking forward to the show!
⚠️ TW: adultery, self-harm, suicide.
As per usual, Sally Rooney can do no wrong in my eyes. I read Normal People two years ago and loved it so I decided to read her debut ahead of the Hulu show and it did not disappoint!
There's a guarantee that with any Sally Rooney book, you're gonna get some complicated, complex characters and that it certainly the case with this book as well. All of these characters are flawed and complicated and it plays a huge part in their relationships with each other, although I did find that there was more focus on Frances and Nick. These characters are definitely pretentious which you can feel while reading, but I felt they sounded more pretentious when speaking to each other rather than when speaking to the reader. She also does not use quotation marks on the dialogue which I love as an added layer of complication in the book. I think this device portrays miscommunication well, and miscommunication between her characters is a big theme.
Another guarantee with a Sally Rooney book is not much of a plot. This was definitely a character driven novel for sure, which I really enjoyed. I think that since this book is so character heavy that I was not bothered by the lack of plot. This book is definitely a character study. I also found this book subject matter and these characters to be darker and grittier than Normal People. This book examines adultery and open relationships in a realistic way that I found very interesting and engaging.
This next part gives away a little.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. I would only recommend this if you're a fan of Normal People though as this book is in a very similar vein! Very much looking forward to the show!
⚠️ TW: adultery, self-harm, suicide.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Self harm
Minor: Suicide