Name: Beautiful World, Where Are You
ISBN: 9780374602604

Sally Rooney

Beautiful World, Where Are You is a new novel by Sally Rooney, the bestselling author of Normal People and Conversations with Friends. Alice, a novelist, meets Felix, who works in a warehouse, and asks him if he’d like to travel to Rome with her. In Dublin, her best friend, Eileen, is getting over a break-up, and slips back into flirting with Simon, a man she has known since childhood. Alice, Felix, Eileen, and Simon are still young—but life is catching up with them. They desire each other, they delude each other, they get together, they break apart. They have sex, they worry about sex, they worry about their friendships and the world they live in. Are they standing in the last lighted room before the darkness, bearing witness to something? Will they find a way to believe in a beautiful world?

A Novel

Beautiful World, Where Are You

Helen 

Lindy

Srijita Sarkar 

Chiara De Liberti

Tabea Lüth

Alina

Margarida Santos

Miglė

Giovanna da Custodia

And we hate people for making mistakes so much more than we love them for doing good that the easiest way to live is to do nothing, say nothing, and love no one.

clara

Gemma McCarthy

He carried her boxes of books from the back of his car and said proudly: The weight of your brain.

Celina Irena Kuhn

If god wanted me to give you Up, He wouldn't have made me who I am.

What if the meaning of life on earth is not eternal progress toward some unspecified goal - the engineering and production of more and more powerful technologies, the development of more and more complex and abstruse cultural forms? What if these things just rise and recede naturally, like tides, while the meaning of life remains the same always - just to live and be with other people? 

lola

Maryam Rammahi

Muhamad Omarji

david

A new novel by Sally Rooney, the bestselling author of Normal People and Conversations with Friends

Beautiful World, where are You

I’m really just a sucker for books about real life where nothing really happens and yet, you come out of it feeling changed

Nykky

Alice meets Felix and asks him if he'd like to travel to Rome with her. In Dublin, her best friend, Eileen, is getting over a break-up, and slips back into flirting with Simon, a man she has known since childhood. Alice, Felix, Eileen, and Simon are still young - but life is catching up with them. They desire each other, they delude each other, they get together, they break apart. They have sex, they worry about sex, they worry about their friendships and the world they live in. Are they standing in the last lighted room before the darkness, bearing witness to something? Will they find a way to believe in a beautiful world?

To be completely honest, this book was hard for me to get through. I DNFed it last year. I've realized I'm just not built for modern romance, and even reading about hookup culture was a bit much for me.

I do know this book is far more than romance. It really digs into how we connect with people and the world around us, and it questions what life is supposed to mean while dealing with the loneliness and uncertainty of adulthood in a world that feels like it's crumbling.

That said, the heavy focus on hookup culture really stood out to me, and it was a big turn-off.

To be completely honest, this book was hard for me to get through. I DNFed it last year. I've realized I'm just not built for modern romance, and even reading about hookup culture was a bit much for me.

I do know this book is far more than romance. It really digs into how we connect with people and the world around us, and it questions what life is supposed to mean while dealing with the loneliness and uncertainty of adulthood in a world that feels like it's crumbling.

That said, the heavy focus on hookup culture really stood out to me, and it was a big turn-off.

Shrota

naila

Download the first chapter of a new novel by Sally Rooney, the bestselling author of Normal People and Conversations with Friends. Alice, a novelist, meets Felix, who works in a warehouse, and asks him if he’d like to travel to Rome with her. In Dublin, her best friend, Eileen, is getting over a break-up, and slips back into flirting with Simon, a man she has known since childhood. Alice, Felix, Eileen, and Simon are still young—but life is catching up with them. They desire each other, they delude each other, they get together, they break apart. They have sex, they worry about sex, they worry about their friendships and the world they live in. Are they standing in the last lighted room before the darkness, bearing witness to something? Will they find a way to believe in a beautiful world?

Beautiful World, Where Are You Chapter Sampler

a) It was voted as the best book in fiction category in the Goodreads Awards;

b) I needed break from reading back to back fantasy novels.

While the book started on a decent note, it never really went anywhere from there. The characters travelled to different countries, the settings changed, but the story remained the same - boring.

There was nothing interesting in the book. The characters were unlikeable, the story was bland. The relationships that the characters shared and how that is shown in the book is meh.

Adwait Kulkarni

I started reading this book because:
a) It was voted as the best book in fiction category in the Goodreads Awards;
b) I needed break from reading back to back fantasy novels.

While the book started on a decent note, it never really went anywhere from there. The characters travelled to different countries, the settings changed, but the story remained the same - boring.

There was nothing interesting in the book. The characters were unlikeable, the story was bland. The relationships that the characters shared and how that is shown in the book is meh.

Not my favorite of Ms. Rooney's, but still entertaining.

I was also entirely too into the somewhat friends-to-lovers plot line. It was complicated, and I loved it.

Sarah Campbell

Not my favorite of Ms. Rooney's, but still entertaining.
I was also entirely too into the somewhat friends-to-lovers plot line. It was complicated, and I loved it.

A disclaimer in the style of Rooney’s Characters: I am aware this isn’t a deep or intellectual review. It is pure opinion with no evidence to supply it. With that out of the way, I think I felt genuine pain reading the last chapter and not in the good way. Eileen’s chapters in general were painful and as a result her and Simon’s characters were too. I greatly preferred Alice & Felix’s storyline. They felt more relatable, sympathetic and grounded, somehow. Surprisingly for me as I disliked Felix and liked Eileen at the beginning of my read. A smart book with some genuinely profound themes and insight that I felt Rooney approached with a refreshing angle of sensitivity and grace— even though sometimes I wanted to face plant onto the table (let alone face palm.) Overall, it’s fine. 

Phocas

The *new* novel from the internationally bestselling author of Normal People. 'The literary phenomenon of the decade.' - Guardian 'The best novel published this year.' - The Times 'Quite astonishing.' - Independent 'The most enjoyable novel of the year.' - Daily Telegraph 'A spellbinding twenty-first-century love story.' - TLS ***PRE-ORDER NOW*** Alice, a novelist, meets Felix, who works in a warehouse, and asks him if he'd like to travel to Rome with her. In Dublin, her best friend Eileen is getting over a break-up and slips back into flirting with Simon, a man she has known since childhood. Alice, Felix, Eileen and Simon are still young - but life is catching up with them. They desire each other, they delude each other, they get together, they break apart. They worry about sex and friendship and the world they live in. Are they standing in the last lighted room before the darkness, bearing witness to something? Will they find a way to believe in a beautiful world?

from the internationally bestselling author of Normal People

Just as any other book by Sally Rooney, this one made me look into my own feelings and life through the experiences of the main characters. Couldn't have picked this book at a better suited time and place, it matched perfectly the situations and moments I lived through in my life.

Favourite parts of the book are certainly the letters of Eileen and Alice to each other, dissecting the world and society problems, talking about personal issues, philosophising. 

On the side note, it greatly reminded me of the first ever novel I read by Rooney - Conversations with Friends. However, in this one the secondary characters felt a bit more two dimensional, I couldn't shake off the feeling they were just there to interact with the main characters.

llikaditoo 

Just as any other book by Sally Rooney, this one made me look into my own feelings and life through the experiences of the main characters. Couldn't have picked this book at a better suited time and place, it matched perfectly the situations and moments I lived through in my life.

Favourite parts of the book are certainly the letters of Eileen and Alice to each other, dissecting the world and society problems, talking about personal issues, philosophising. 

On the side note, it greatly reminded me of the first ever novel I read by Rooney - Conversations with Friends. However, in this one the secondary characters felt a bit more two dimensional, I couldn't shake off the feeling they were just there to interact with the main characters.

Refreshingly human and down to earth, no forced drama or plot twist or sharp turns, only the very human and realistic drama of living life. I read it all in one sitting (oops), which never happens, because it was such a comfortable and interesting book to read. 

Silje Løvli Lorentsen

1) I found out Sally Rooney was Irish because Dublin was mentioned only about 500 times in this book. 

2) I enjoyed Eileen and Alice's email exchanges, which were a unique way to convey their inner thoughts as well as to progress the story. The real-world problems juxtaposed with seemingly trivial personal struggles were good reflections of existential life crises. 

1) I found out Sally Rooney was Irish because Dublin was mentioned only about 500 times in this book. 

2) I enjoyed Eileen and Alice's email exchanges, which were a unique way to convey their inner thoughts as well as to progress the story. The real-world problems juxtaposed with seemingly trivial personal struggles were good reflections of existential life crises. 

Sehr schönes Buch, sehr ähnlich zu Intermezzo. Das Ende hat mich leider etwas enttäuscht. 

Finia

tore through this. has a way about it that keeps you intertwined and connected to the story she’s telling, whether it’s an aside about world politics or thoughts on christianity. 

all characters harbour a sense of relatability, you can kind of see yourself in each. there are points where you love them and you kind of hate them too. 

Nat Wong

tore through this. has a way about it that keeps you intertwined and connected to the story she’s telling, whether it’s an aside about world politics or thoughts on christianity. 

all characters harbour a sense of relatability, you can kind of see yourself in each. there are points where you love them and you kind of hate them too. 

a really intimate sort of read.

Schön zu lesen, allerdings in meinen Augen ein bisschen oberflächlich...

Marlene 

I do adore sally rooney- yet I feel large portions of this book were self insertions without much purpose in its craft or purpose to the overall work. I also feel there was so much more depth to explore with all the characters and plots introduced, and we only brushed on the surface of them. I’d love to know more about the inner workings of Felix’s mind, for example. Or sentiments brushed on, but not delved in to.  

Yet, the themes were still beautiful, and the characters all had the intricate nuances of the human experience like her other works. I still felt ready at the end. 

I do adore sally rooney- yet I feel large portions of this book were self insertions without much purpose in its craft or purpose to the overall work. I also feel there was so much more depth to explore with all the characters and plots introduced, and we only brushed on the surface of them. I’d love to know more about the inner workings of Felix’s mind, for example. Or sentiments brushed on, but not delved in to.  

Yet, the themes were still beautiful, and the characters all had the intricate nuances of the human experience like her other works. I still felt ready at the end. 

Alice, a novelist, meets Felix, who works in a warehouse, and asks him if he’d like to travel to Rome with her. In Dublin, her best friend, Eileen, is getting over a breakup, and slips back into flirting with Simon, a man she has known since childhood.

Alice, Felix, Eileen, and Simon are still young—but life is catching up with them. They desire each other, they delude each other, they get together, they break apart. They have sex, they worry about sex, they worry about their friendships and the world they live in. Are they standing in the last lighted room before the darkness, bearing witness to something? Will they find a way to believe in a beautiful world?

Once again, Sally Rooney captures the essence of life. Womanhood and figuring everything out and growing older with friends and being depressed and complicated feeling about family. I adore her writing, I only wish the final epilogue chapter didn’t exist. Stop at ch29!!

Brynn Sklar

I dare say this is the most influential fiction book for me in my twenties (still going). It touches so much of my own thought patterns. The main characters feel like my own friends, and I love them for who they are, their quirks and flaws and fear and dreams and insecurities. It also provides a satisfying ending which I need in my own life. 

I have attempted normal people and I didn’t like it. I think it’s a stage of life thing. Although I would still read through all of Sally’s just because I love her writings and the intensity she fills me. Love ya Sally.

Tinnei

I dare say this is the most influential fiction book for me in my twenties (still going). It touches so much of my own thought patterns. The main characters feel like my own friends, and I love them for who they are, their quirks and flaws and fear and dreams and insecurities. It also provides a satisfying ending which I need in my own life. 

I have attempted normal people and I didn’t like it. I think it’s a stage of life thing. Although I would still read through all of Sally’s just because I love her writings and the intensity she fills me. Love ya Sally.

Dare I say her best book , I loved it so so so muchhh

I think the writing is very honest with very interesting perspectives. However, I sort of feel it lacks depth and quite frankly, pretty vague scenarios in most parts where you’d want more, so plenty of ‘take it as you will’ moments. 

Ariariari

Güzel Dünya, Neredesin

cok akillica yazilmis, demodelik tasiyor bu yuzden. 

ceren koc

cok akillica yazilmis, demodelik tasiyor bu yuzden. 

(ve bir normal people degil)

Katherin 

I actually didn't finish this, my ghost did, because when I got to the part where Eileen says "lately I've been thinking about the collapse of the bronze age" I hurled myself off the nearest bridge

Regan Martin

Gdzie jesteś, piękny świecie

Maja

Maureen

"my problem is that I'm annoyed at everyone else for not having all the answers, when I also have none. And who am I to ask for humility and openness from other people? What have I ever given the world to ask so much in return?"

"If God wanted me to give you up, he wouldn't have made
me who I am." (!!!)

***

Her BEST novel yet imo. Toward the end, I had been set on rating this 4 stars... but the last part changed my mind. She definitely poured her heart into writing this bc Alice and Felix; Eileen and Simon >>>> all her other characters. 

Sally Rooney just gets me—realistically speaking, I’ve never related more to a fictional character than I do with all 4 of them 🥹 (adulting-wise). She gathered all my anxieties and put them on paper—hence, the 5 stars.

Katerina

Deep, intellectual, thought-provoking, and mature. 

“Beautiful World, Where Are You?” is about two best friends, who go by their lives physically separated from one another but deeply connected emotionally. Throughout the book, they share email correspondences that let us have a peek into their worldview and their most cherished thoughts. And as they both go by their normal, ordinary lives, we get to witness a portion of it and experience every insight, every pain. 

What always amazes me about Sally Rooney is how she masterfully portrays the silence and things unsaid. Miscommunication seems to be something she always explores in her work. The characters are flawed and real. Much like “Normal People”, this book was extremely raw, cutting to humans’ deepest desires. 

At times I felt I loved this book more than anything else I’ve read from Sally Rooney. Yes, only at times. It often left me staying up and wondering — about the world, about love, about ourselves, about politics and I think, most of all, it left me wondering about friendship. The true one, the one that doesn’t ask or require, the one that waits patiently and never gets old. Perhaps I loved it most because of this.

Because, as much as Rooney explores Marxism, socialism, art, God, past and present, the main subject in “Beautiful World, Where Are You” is relationships. What we always go back to, no matter what happens. Primitive, yes, but most of all - human. 

Masterfully written to the last detail, “Beautiful World, Where Are You” got me in a storm of existential thoughts. What more is there to ask for?

Beautiful World, Where Are You A Novel

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