A review by leosmile
Normal People, by Sally Rooney
emotional
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Review 1: I enjoyed the act of reading the book, very easy read in one sitting, but I really didn't like the ending felt like there wasn't much character development throughout the story so that affects rating greatly.
Review 2: I can’t see a way to write a review for a book again so I’m just going to edit this one. I don’t exactly know what compelled me to pick up this book again, it’s a pretty upsetting read (I have genuinely rejected the idea of watching this show on the basis of how awful I can imagine it would make me feel), but I do think I appreciated the book more on the second read, both times I felt the relationship between connell and marianne very strongly, but this time it felt a little more fluid then it did the first time.
This book is very good at capturing the existentialism and emptiness that I imagine could accompany college life and moving away from home relatively easily. The relationship was frustrating, and I understand that that was the point, but I still don’t have to agree with the book entirely because I understand its message/idea. So insane how bad the communication in the relationship is.. like my fucking god.
I hated the ending the first time I read this, which is why I gave it a rating possibly below what it deserved, I just wanted a happy ending where they got together full stop. But this time around I was actually a fan of the ending, even if they’re perfectly compatible and get each other entirely, within the relationship there’s a lot of maturing to be done and like healthy practices to learn, and I genuinely think that like him moving away for a bit would be best. As in every other situation where they’ve been away from each other, there’s been an obvious outside force in their life making it worse, but that isn’t yet the case at the end, so it’s a little hopeful ykno? They’ve both improved a bit, and hopefully can improve more idk.
It was very hard to read the sections on marianne’s ‘submissiveness’, it was just truly awful, and of course I understand that it was due to her childhood trauma and consistent mistreatment up to that point, it just made it hard to see it get worse and worse, like due to them both holding such fear within the relationship, seemingly unfounded, it just led them both down pretty negative paths.
When I first read the book I wanted to believe that connall’s other girlfriend was the better choice, and a healthy option and something that could’ve been good for him, and it could’ve been, if he wasn’t just in love with marianne and seemingly could never escape her, also the fact that he didn’t seem to truly love the girlfriend didn’t help either.
Funny to have read the entire book in one sitting again, just something about it I guess. I think the feelings within the relationship are nice and universal, and nice to read about because it’s like yeah that’s cool I’ve experienced that, nice to know that this crazy intense thing described in the book is a real world experience too (except I’m not even in college yet so who knows what’s coming down the road).
Still a little conflicted on this book overall, definitely getting docked marks for emotional damage but also like good to know I’m in a good place judged by the fact this didn’t completely destroy me. I know I had more things to say while I was actually reading the book, but those thoughts are lost to time I think. I do feel (and I remember this the first time I read the book) that the interrailing/visiting her in Italy section was a low point of the book, it dragged on a bit and I agree with my past self that their relationship felt stagnant/ like an inevitable cycle at that point specifically.
Overall like a solid 8 or 8.5 out of 10 I think. Leaving you with this quote:
Review 2: I can’t see a way to write a review for a book again so I’m just going to edit this one. I don’t exactly know what compelled me to pick up this book again, it’s a pretty upsetting read (I have genuinely rejected the idea of watching this show on the basis of how awful I can imagine it would make me feel), but I do think I appreciated the book more on the second read, both times I felt the relationship between connell and marianne very strongly, but this time it felt a little more fluid then it did the first time.
This book is very good at capturing the existentialism and emptiness that I imagine could accompany college life and moving away from home relatively easily. The relationship was frustrating, and I understand that that was the point, but I still don’t have to agree with the book entirely because I understand its message/idea. So insane how bad the communication in the relationship is.. like my fucking god.
I hated the ending the first time I read this, which is why I gave it a rating possibly below what it deserved, I just wanted a happy ending where they got together full stop. But this time around I was actually a fan of the ending, even if they’re perfectly compatible and get each other entirely, within the relationship there’s a lot of maturing to be done and like healthy practices to learn, and I genuinely think that like him moving away for a bit would be best. As in every other situation where they’ve been away from each other, there’s been an obvious outside force in their life making it worse, but that isn’t yet the case at the end, so it’s a little hopeful ykno? They’ve both improved a bit, and hopefully can improve more idk.
It was very hard to read the sections on marianne’s ‘submissiveness’, it was just truly awful, and of course I understand that it was due to her childhood trauma and consistent mistreatment up to that point, it just made it hard to see it get worse and worse, like due to them both holding such fear within the relationship, seemingly unfounded, it just led them both down pretty negative paths.
When I first read the book I wanted to believe that connall’s other girlfriend was the better choice, and a healthy option and something that could’ve been good for him, and it could’ve been, if he wasn’t just in love with marianne and seemingly could never escape her, also the fact that he didn’t seem to truly love the girlfriend didn’t help either.
Funny to have read the entire book in one sitting again, just something about it I guess. I think the feelings within the relationship are nice and universal, and nice to read about because it’s like yeah that’s cool I’ve experienced that, nice to know that this crazy intense thing described in the book is a real world experience too (except I’m not even in college yet so who knows what’s coming down the road).
Still a little conflicted on this book overall, definitely getting docked marks for emotional damage but also like good to know I’m in a good place judged by the fact this didn’t completely destroy me. I know I had more things to say while I was actually reading the book, but those thoughts are lost to time I think. I do feel (and I remember this the first time I read the book) that the interrailing/visiting her in Italy section was a low point of the book, it dragged on a bit and I agree with my past self that their relationship felt stagnant/ like an inevitable cycle at that point specifically.
Overall like a solid 8 or 8.5 out of 10 I think. Leaving you with this quote:
I did used to think I could read your mind at times, Connell says.
In bed, you mean……
Yeah, Connell says. And afterwards. But maybe that’s normal.
It’s not.
Just because like yes it is definitely a real thing, like I’ve felt this before for sure, but at the same time love isn’t normal! But I know that the ‘that’s not normal’ is talking about relationships in general and I can’t attest to that.
Oh shit I just released! ‘Maybe that’s normal’ ‘it’s not’ ….. normal people…..