Melanie Joosten

Normal People by Sally Rooney

Sally Rooney

Teenagers Connell and Marianne pretend not to know each other. He's popular and well-adjusted, star of the school football team, while she is lonely, proud and intensely private. But when Connell comes to pick his mother up from her job at Marianne's house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers - one they are determined to conceal. A year later, they're both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world, while Connell hangs on the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their time at university, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities. And as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other...

Normal People

sie llave

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the celebrated author of Conversations with Friends comes "a stunning novel about the transformative power of relationships" (People), hailed as "a masterpiece, pure and simple" (Minneapolis Star Tribune). "Among the vast cohort of new millennial novelists, none are connecting with readers as intimately, or generating as much excitement, as Sally Rooney."--Entertainment Weekly WINNER OF THE AN POST IRISH BOOK AWARD * WINNER OF THE COSTA NOVEL AWARD * LONGLISTED FOR: THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE * THE DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE * THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION * THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE * THE KERRY GROUP IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD At school Connell and Marianne pretend not to know each other. He's popular and well-adjusted, star of the school football team, while she is lonely, proud, and intensely private. But when Connell comes to pick his mother up from her job at Marianne's house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers--one they are determined to conceal. A year later, they're both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years at university, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. And as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other. Sally Rooney brings her brilliant psychological acuity and perfectly spare prose to a story that explores the subtleties of class, the electricity of first love, and the complex entanglements of family and friendship. Praise for Normal People "[Rooney] has been hailed as the first great millennial novelist for her stories of love and late capitalism . . . [she writes] some of the best dialogue I've read."--The New Yorker "Arguably the buzziest novel of the season, Sally Rooney's elegant sophomore effort . . . is a worthy successor to Conversations With Friends. Here, again, she unflinchingly explores class dynamics and young love with wit and nuance."--The Wall Street Journal, "12 Best Books of Spring" "Keenly observed, deeply perceptive, and psychologically acute, Normal People brims with disarming insights into how men and women wrestle with sex, class, popularity, and young love."--Esquire, "Best Books to Read This Spring"

A Novel

kayla 

Marianne had the sense that her real life was happening somewhere very far away, happening without her, and she didn’t know if she would ever find out where it was and become part of it. She had that feeling in school often, but it wasn’t accompanied by any specific images of what the real life might look or feel like. All she knew was that when it started, she wouldn’t need to imagine it anymore.

She has no friends and spends her lunchtimes alone reading novels. A lot of people really hate her.

Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small town in the west of Ireland, but the similarities end there. In school, Connell is popular and well-liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation - awkward but electrifying - something life-changing begins. Normal People is a story of mutual fascination, friendship and love. It takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find they can't.

Marta

Connell always gets what he wants, and then feels sorry for himself when what he wants doesn't make him happy.

OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES AND TOP FIVE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER THE BBC THREE ADAPTATION OF NORMAL PEOPLE WILL PREMIERE ON APRIL 26 WINNER OF THE COSTA NOVEL AWARD 2018 WINNER OF THE AN POST IRISH BOOK AWARDS NOVEL OF THE YEAR WINNER OF NOVEL OF THE YEAR AND BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS WINNER OF THE SPECSAVERS NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS INTERNATIONAL AUTHOR OF THE YEAR LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2018 LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2019 Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small town in the west of Ireland, but the similarities end there. In school, Connell is popular and well-liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation - awkward but electrifying - something life-changing begins. Normal People is a story of mutual fascination, friendship and love. It takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find they can't. 'The literary phenomenon of the decade.' - Guardian SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD 2019 SHORTLISTED FOR THE RSL ENCORE PRIZE 2019 LONGLISTED FOR THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE 2019

llikaditoo 

From a young age her life has been abnormal, she knows that. But so much is covered over in time now, the way leaves fall and cover a piece of earth, and eventually mingle with the soil. Things that happened to her then are buried in the earth of her body.

You learn nothing very profound about yourself simply by being bullied; but by bullying someone else you learn something you can never forget.

It was culture as class performance, literature fetishised for its ability to take educated people on false emotional journeys, so that they might afterwards feel superior to the uneducated people whose emotional journeys they liked to read about.

Life is the thing you bring with you inside your own head.

It feels powerful to him to put an experience down in words, like he's trapping it in a jar and it can never fully leave him.

So why should you waste time on something you don't like?

Time consists of physics, money is just a social construct.

In just a few weeks' time Marianne will live with different people, and life will be different. But she herself will not be different. She'll be the same person, trapped inside her own body. There's nowhere she can go that would free her from this.

Connel wished he knew how other people conducted their private lives, so that he could copy from example. 

Marianne had the sense that her real life was happening somewhere far away, happening without her, and she didn't know if she would ever find our where it was and become part of it.

“Marianne,” he said, “I’m not a religious person but I do sometimes think God made you for me.”

Keira Ostrosser

No one can be independent of other people completely, so why not give up the attempt, she thought, go running in the other direction, depend on people for everything, allow them to depend on you, why not.

nidsy

Marianne sometimes sees herself at the very bottom of the ladder, but at other times she pictures herself off the ladder completely, not affected by its mechanics, since she does not actually desire popularity or do anything to make it belong to her. 

Marianne had the sense that her real life was happening somewhere very far away, happening without her, and she didn't know if she would ever find out where it was and become part of it.

Marianne has never been with anyone in school, no one has ever seen her undressed, no one even knows if she likes boys or girls, she won't tell anyone. People resent that about her, and Connell thinks that's why they tell the story, as a way of gawking at something they're not allowed to see.

Now, you see, you think I’m a bad girlfriend. I’m being disloyal. Who wouldn’t want to beat me up?

She covers her eyes with her hand. She’s smiling, a tired and self- hating smile. 

It’s not that I get off on being degraded as such, she says. I just like to know that I would degrade myself for someone if they wanted me to.

 He was sad for Marianne after that, sad that nothing in her life had ever truly seemed healthy, and sad that he’d had to turn away from her. He knew that it had caused her pain.

Anlo Dumalaog

“Marianne had the sense that her real life was happening somewhere very far away, happening without her, and she didn’t know if she would ever find out where it was or become part of it.”

juana de arco si estuviera cronicamente online

"How strange to feel herself so completely under the control of another person, but also how ordinary. No one can be independent of other people completely, so why not give up the attempt, she thought, go running in the other direction, depend on people for everything, allow them to depend on you, why not."

Amelia

And you don't think you should have asked her? She says. Seeing as how you fuck her every day after school.

This books is a roller coaster of emotions. I loved the main characters and hated them at the same time. Their actions and lack of communication drove me crazy but it was so painfully realistic. There is a larger look into Connell’s life than Marianne’s until later in the novel when it somewhat switches but I think that is based on when each character is more comfortable in their settings. Connell and Marianne are the poster for complex characters. I see why everyone talks about this book.

Summerlyn Grainger

Sally Rooney describes the brief sound of music from a passing car twice in N

 and both times it epitomises the deftness of her perception. Same with when Connell switches radio stations until a Van Morrison song comes on and then stops, or the multiple times men are described carrying the shopping or luggage; all of the circumstances of normal life that stick out fondly or annoyingly or in an entirely banal fashion: "he needs the WiFi Code for this house". 

Dialogue is treated with the same seeing poise; the initially jarring exclusion of quotations, and occasionally indentation, melds observation and dialogue into a concise and almost persuasive manuscript of how people live with each other. How these two people live with each other. We jump forward from one decisive moment to the next and Rooney then describes all the intervening moments we've missed like justifying references for her upcoming conclusion. It's exceptionally convincing, and 

 is exceedingly easy to keep reading, but it is almost detached in its insightfulness; even when posed as questions Marianne and Connell's self-consciousnesses can be so concise it is almost undue. 

Sally Rooney turns this clarity upon themes of class and trauma, explicitly sometimes, though most rewardingly in the implicit moments when Marianne notices Connell's adidas sneakers again, or an image of Marianne's unwelcoming house is shared, but in a sparing way that may be truthful but does not leave me with a lasting impression of the impact on their dynamic. 

 is vivid and unflinching in a way I thought would have been profound. But although the actions of Marianne and Connell are microscopically dissected, I was prepared for anything to happen in their relationship. Maybe that is it's profundity? Being able to read someone's mind won't explain them to you, but it is gripping. 

Geese Fish

Sally Rooney describes the brief sound of music from a passing car twice in Normal People and both times it epitomises the deftness of her perception. Same with when Connell switches radio stations until a Van Morrison song comes on and then stops, or the multiple times men are described carrying the shopping or luggage; all of the circumstances of normal life that stick out fondly or annoyingly or in an entirely banal fashion: "he needs the WiFi Code for this house". 
 

Dialogue is treated with the same seeing poise; the initially jarring exclusion of quotations, and occasionally indentation, melds observation and dialogue into a concise and almost persuasive manuscript of how people live with each other. How these two people live with each other. We jump forward from one decisive moment to the next and Rooney then describes all the intervening moments we've missed like justifying references for her upcoming conclusion. It's exceptionally convincing, and Normal People is exceedingly easy to keep reading, but it is almost detached in its insightfulness; even when posed as questions Marianne and Connell's self-consciousnesses can be so concise it is almost undue. 

 

Sally Rooney turns this clarity upon themes of class and trauma, explicitly sometimes, though most rewardingly in the implicit moments when Marianne notices Connell's adidas sneakers again, or an image of Marianne's unwelcoming house is shared, but in a sparing way that may be truthful but does not leave me with a lasting impression of the impact on their dynamic. Normal People is vivid and unflinching in a way I thought would have been profound. But although the actions of Marianne and Connell are microscopically dissected, I was prepared for anything to happen in their relationship. Maybe that is it's profundity? Being able to read someone's mind won't explain them to you, but it is gripping. 

Beautiful book. Favourite book of all time

Iben engeseth

probably the best book i’ve ever read. Explored something so universal and made it seem so strange. Found it so astonishing the perspective it gave on normal things like anxiety, overthinking, relationship problems. It comes with vivid details used to make a normal situation look so alien. Book made me realize that we are normal, precisely because we all live equally as strange lives. 

angel abad cesa 

Ernest Riera i Arbussà

Gent normal

I don't really know how to rate this book. It's certainly a very well written book, and I realized halfway that the reason why there are no quotation marks is probably because there's not a straight line dividing what's said from what remains unsaid. The characters both understand each other really well without having to actually express what they're thinking or feeling, but sometimes they don't, and that's just how it works. Sometimes we just misunderstand each other for various reasons, and I realized that speaking doesn't always make things right. Sometimes we just say the wrongs things. Sometimes we misinterpret what people are saying because of our past. And that’s just how relationships are. 

This is a very well written book that made me realize I understand nothing (and probably never will) of human relationships. It’s not that I don’t understand, it’s the fact that it has to be this way that just doesn’t make sense to me. This book made me more cynical than I already am. Emotions just don’t make real sense to me. And that’s probably why I’m studying psychology. There HAS to be a reason why we act and think and feel in some kind of way, and sometimes there is, but sometimes there’s not. And that’s what confuses me the most. 

Does it always has to be this complicated? What do we have to do to make things easier? Do people realize that relationships like this are not healthy? What was the reason for the author to entitle this book “normal people”? 

I don’t think I’ll ever understand how this book affected all the readers around the world, but it’s certainly a book that makes you think. 

mirta <3

I don't really know how to rate this book. It's certainly a very well written book, and I realized halfway that the reason why there are no quotation marks is probably because there's not a straight line dividing what's said from what remains unsaid. The characters both understand each other really well without having to actually express what they're thinking or feeling, but sometimes they don't, and that's just how it works. Sometimes we just misunderstand each other for various reasons, and I realized that speaking doesn't always make things right. Sometimes we just say the wrongs things. Sometimes we misinterpret what people are saying because of our past. And that’s just how relationships are. 

This is a very well written book that made me realize I understand nothing (and probably never will) of human relationships. It’s not that I don’t understand, it’s the fact that it has to be this way that just doesn’t make sense to me. This book made me more cynical than I already am. Emotions just don’t make real sense to me. And that’s probably why I’m studying psychology. There HAS to be a reason why we act and think and feel in some kind of way, and sometimes there is, but sometimes there’s not. And that’s what confuses me the most. 

Does it always has to be this complicated? What do we have to do to make things easier? Do people realize that relationships like this are not healthy? What was the reason for the author to entitle this book “normal people”? 

I don’t think I’ll ever understand how this book affected all the readers around the world, but it’s certainly a book that makes you think. 

tbh i don’t remember much of the book just that i wanted to curb stomp both of them at different points and also maybe sing them a lullaby

felicity hu

Normalni ludzie

Maja

Sama nie wiem co powiedzieć. 
Serial był zdecydowanie lepszy, bez niego chyba nie dałabym rady przebrnąć przez tę książkę.

elephant in the room, the lack of punctuation marks was. a Choice!

regardless, an absolutely gut-wrenching narrative stands behind it, and something so often real and likely that makes it all the more devastating. 

one of the rare instances i would’ve preferred watching this unfold than to read (or maybe i just adore paul mescal)

elephant in the room, the lack of punctuation marks was. a Choice!

regardless, an absolutely gut-wrenching narrative stands behind it, and something so often real and likely that makes it all the more devastating. 

one of the rare instances i would’ve preferred watching this unfold than to read (or maybe i just adore paul mescal)

ang 

this book take your soul out of your body, it reads it, it analyses it, and it will never back to you as it was before.

Maureen

"He had just wanted to be normal, to conceal the parts of himself that he found shameful and confusing.”

***

It was such a page-turner that it can be read in one sitting. The narratives were easy to follow and I like how it was a back and forth between Connell and Marianne. I can’t say it’s predictable just because the time-skips were so random. I felt frustrated a lot of times while reading this book—but overall it’s an honest account of two broken people who can’t help but come back to each other even after much time has passed. I don’t think it’s the type of book that you’d want to reread though.

emmy 

** spoiler alert **
           Sally Rooney's portrayal of the characters and their relationships felt incredibly realistic, almost uncomfortably so. I found myself relating to them in ways that were both comforting and concerning, as if peering into a mirror reflecting my own insecurities and desires. 
The desire to be "normal" is a theme that resonated with me deeply throughout the novel. Connell and Marianne's struggle to fit in and find their place in the world, despite their differences and internal turmoil, mirrored my own experiences of grappling with societal expectations and the pressure to conform. 
Rooney's exploration of identity and belonging is both thought-provoking and poignant, as she delves into the complexities of human relationships and the search for authenticity in a world that often demands conformity.
While I found the book to be incredibly relatable and thought-provoking, I was left somewhat disappointed by the rushed ending. 
It's a book that captures the essence of what it means to be human – flawed, vulnerable, and yearning for connection – and for that reason, it's both nothing and everything at the same time.

Нормални хора

Katerina

Where do I start with this one... 

To be honest, I am surprised that I liked this book as much as I did. I was putting it off for so long because of the presumption that it is yet another young adult novel. Well, it’s not. Not at all, not even close. (And thank you, my dear friend and colleague, for telling me to get over myself and read this one!)

“Normal People” is about life, the ugly one we live in as we face society’s expectations of us. In its core it’s about two people who can’t give up their feelings for one another as they go through their lives, which are headed in completely opposite directions... but! explained in the most normal way possible - explained in the way things happen for real. It’s no fairytale and that’s what I loved about it. It’s as depressing as life can be sometimes and as cruel as it usually is. It explores the boundaries we set for ourselves and their impact on our own unhappiness. It explores unsaid things and the beast they can create in our own relationships with friends, family and loved ones. It explores the journey to finding who you are or at least to finding that one personality you can live with.

I was absolutely stunned by the style of writing - so simple. And yet the more simple the sentences were, the heavier and deeper the meaning. And the conversations... heavy with conversations this one. Something that I usually find shallow in books, here I found genius. The book is full of conversations as normal as they are in real life and as painful as they can be sometimes. Nothing hidden, no fairytales, just the plain truth about what life is once you go out of your hometown bubble and encounter the real world.

And as much as I try to explain why I loved this book as much as I did with countless of “smart” words, perhaps the only truth out there is that I loved it because it brutally ripped out my heart and then stomped it into the ground as I basked in eternal sorrow for the characters’ lives I’ve experienced as if my own. Any fiction that has this kind of power over emotions is fiction that has done its job as best as it can. Read it. You won’t regret the emotions it will bring.

Kirsten Kim

honestly i prefer the show
not a huge fan of rooneys writing

a frustating yet comforting read. the imperfect characters made this book feels so relatable for those who read it. i’m not used to rooney’s writing style but as the story goes on, i’m okay with it. i’m a slow reader but the plot was good enough for me to keep reading and finished it in a pretty short time!

almeera

Time surely can create different versions of someone. But so is a human capable of adjusting to that version and still be able to move forward , together. Sometimes separately. 

Keziah Duldulao

Sajiya Chaudhary

It's one of those books which makes you think and introspect your thoughts. It made me think so much about my anxiety, my thoughts about myself, my thoughts about other people. It's a beautiful book, deep and easy flowing. I like how it's divided in time. Like, you can feel that time is passing, tangibly. And it's definitely worth a read twice, maybe thrice.

LOVED IT!!!!!! PROBABLY MY FAVORITE CONTEMPORARY/ROMANCE BOOK!!!!! Whenever I read this, I felt like this was not a romance. The chemistry between the characters was showed so carefully and beautifully. The only problem was, sometimes, I felt like Marianne was a bit two-dimensional. However, both of the characters were well-done. Rooney gave me this miserable feeling while reading this book. This is not a bad thing because the writing and the atmosphere was written so tragically and exceptionally. I loved this.

Second read through: even better than first time I read it. Felt so enthralled. I noticed the themes of navigating love through capitalism, social class, and gender stereotypes much more this time. Incredibly good and equally heartbreaking.

(1) the miscommunication between connell and marianne was so frustrating, (2) the abuse and trauma was handled poorly or wasn't resolved at all. (3) the ending was underwhelming and so dramatic like okay he's going to new york, so what? why is marianne's acting like it's the end of the world? why is she already thinking of the worsts?

2.75 ⭐

reason why I didn't like this book:

(1) the miscommunication between connell and marianne was so frustrating, (2) the abuse and trauma was handled poorly or wasn't resolved at all. (3) the ending was underwhelming and so dramatic like okay he's going to new york, so what? why is marianne's acting like it's the end of the world? why is she already thinking of the worsts?

Camilla

Anna 

3,5*

people who don't know how to love each other gotta be one of my favorite genders

Wow this novel had me hooked from the beginning. I love how the characters feel real and almost relatable, even if it's pushed to the extreme. 

"I'm not religious but sometimes I think god made you for me." Enough said.

Brynn Sklar

Wow this novel had me hooked from the beginning. I love how the characters feel real and almost relatable, even if it's pushed to the extreme. 

"I'm not religious but sometimes I think god made you for me." Enough said.

Normal People by Sally Rooney

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