Normal People Book Reviews

AUTHOR
Sally Rooney
SCORE
4
TOTAL RATINGS
5,009

Normal People by Sally Rooney Book Summary

NOW AN EMMY-NOMINATED HULU ORIGINAL SERIES • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A stunning novel about the transformative power of relationships” (People) from the author of Conversations with Friends, “a master of the literary page-turner” (J. Courtney Sullivan).
 
ONE OF THE TEN BEST NOVELS OF THE DECADE—Entertainment Weekly

TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—People, Slate, The New York Public Library, Harvard Crimson

AND BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, O: The Oprah Magazine, Time, NPR, The Washington Post, Vogue, Esquire, Glamour, Elle, Marie Claire, Vox, The Paris Review, Good Housekeeping, Town & Country

Connell and Marianne grew up in the same small town, but the similarities end there. At 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.

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.

Normal People is the 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 that they can’t.
 
Praise for Normal People
 
“[A] novel that demands to be read compulsively, in one sitting.”—The Washington Post

“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

“[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

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Book Name Normal People
Genre Fiction & Literature
Published
Language English
E-Book Size 2.36 MB

Normal People (Sally Rooney) Book Reviews 2024

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Taught me about Real life relationships. I’m 18 and I just came off from reading John green and Harry Potter so this was like my first real adult book. It taught me about real life relationships and how everything isn’t black and white with a damsel in distress and a knight in shining armor coming to save her. It was messy, intense at times, and very depressing; yet it’s also a coming of age story where each person grew up stronger and very different because of each other’s existence in their life. It showed the true gray sides of a modern love story. Sally Rooney taught me that love is not always what you think it might be.

AMAZING BOOK!. I love this book and would read it multiple times if had the time. Seriously, I would do anything to read this book for the first time again. Please read this, and I will recommend watching this Hulu show afterwords.

Great read. Good book, enjoyed it very much

LOVE. I adored this book. It was an honest portrait of human relationships and how your view of yourself and the way you’re treated can affect those relationships.

A superb look at young love.... This novel is a gripping, incredibly intimate look at romantic relationships when you are young and how intense they can be. I was continually having flashbacks to my own youthful romances as I was reading it. Kudos to Sally Rooney for writing such an emotionally honest book!

Wow. I loved this book, with all my heart. I dont think ive ever relateed to characters more about self identification and trying to find love. The ending pisses me off but still a good read.

Not my favorite. It was kind of hard for me to get through this one. Also the fact that the dialogue is written without quotes makes me crazy. I’ll be curious to watch the Hulu series after reading.

I get what it’s trying to do. The book explores relationships in the form of the two main characters. It is well written and the dynamic between the two main characters makes the book work. However at times these same characters that are supposed to keep your interest act annoying and stupidly. So much for two characters that are supposed to be Uber intelligent. Regardless the book is serviceable it is well written and and easy page turner but could’ve used some character polish and more emphasis on its central theme of relationships.

Unraveling and Mending. Not at all what I expected I was getting into. From the opening 50 pages it is clear that you are in for a lightning fast and dramatic read. There is so much cringe worthy drama and youthful social complexity that will have you either nostalgically reminiscing or regretfully remembering your younger years. The chapters play out so many awkward conversations and exchanges. From these various perspectives, you see that no one really is listening to the people crying out for help. The book also asks if anyone truly say what they mean? Not just to other people, but to themselves, unlocking parts of who they are that they would rather keep buried. In that absence of knowing who or what anyone really is, the book challenges the idea of what “normal people” are really like. All of these questions and more play out against a timeline based narrative style that is refreshing. The time in between chapters works like a named character with a lingering influence. I must add a trigger warning. The material covers some very sensitive topics with graphic descriptions that could upset some readers. It’s all done in the interest of character and plot development but it’s heavy all the same. Like many stories, violence plays an complicated part in the narrative. For me, it mirrors the violent forming and collapsing of the social constructs the two main characters struggle against.

Perfect. Beautiful and relatable

kinda dull. the writing style is nice but it isn’t enough to make up for the lackluster story. I was captivated at certain points but really struggled and still haven’t finished the book.

3.5/4. Normal People is a surprisingly emotional book. While the writing seems stiff at times what I loved about this book was how I felt while reading. Rooney succeeds at pulling me into the world of the novel and in a relatively short number of pages makes the characters feel very alive. Both of the main characters are deeply flawed and Rooney wastes no time revealing their painful limitations and exploring the effect they have on one another’s lives. It might not be an instant classic, but it’s an interesting story that moves forward at a startling pace. By the time I got to the end of this book I had a feeling the resolution that I was rooting for would not be the ending. I was still almost compelled to read because I just really loved both of these characters despite their flaws.

4.35/5. He would give up on his dreams for her but sh e wouldn’t let him. I do like the characters. The end was special cause he would stay if she wanted him to but she let him go. Their love was selfless in that way. I liked marianne more than conell because he almost never appreciated marianne the way i thought she deserved between hiding her in hs and having a different gf, while she would always be okay with him coming back to her. She never got fed up. He was truly the only person who showed her kindness consistently so it wasnt like she had other options. The power imbalance in the relationship allowed to act how he did from the beginning to end, which was sad to watch for mariannes sake. I also rlly like the trope of disagreeable women not being loved and provokes an interesting discussion of sexism within the realm of relationships.

Absolutely Stunning. Sally Ronney’s style is something completely apart. This story is one that stays with me. I loved every word.

Absolutely Amazing !. One of the best books I’ve ever read.

Normal People. Exceptional book and an exceptional film. Captured many things…brought on so many feelings. I felt myself wanting to know where the relationship platonic or romantic might go next.

Phenomenal. My title says it all. Read this book please

not worth the money.. absolutely hated the ending. there is literally no closure in any way in this book. so boring.

This quote🥴. “I’m not a religious person, but sometimes I think god made you for me”.

Worst Ending Ever. I loved this book and was totally invested in the characters. I read the last page not realizing it was the last page because there was so much still to be resolved. I turned the page to read the next chapter, but instead it was the Acknowledgments. Talk about a letdown.

Brilliant.. What a brilliant, brilliant way of portraying anxiety and self doubt in an individual that often comes in the way of relationships. Read the book in two days, don’t think I’ll ever come across another book quite like this one.

No closure at all. I can think of 1000 different ways that story could have gone that would have been more satisfying.

I can only read 13 pages???. Has anyone else experienced this?

Wonderful. This was wonderful. I love how deftly Ms. Rooney weaves back and forth between perspectives, how beautifully the story plays out over time, and the honest and authentic the characters feel.

Baffled. I cannot understand for the life of me why this book has such great reviews. The only reason I powered through and finished it was because I thought somehow the experience would improve and because frankly I didn’t want the money I paid for it to be a waste. The dialogue was painful, the “he said” “she said” after every single sentence was actually painful to read. For two people who were so raw with each other, if they’re conversations would’ve lasted longer than a few sentences they might not have misconstrued every single thing the other felt and meant. I hate putting a writing down so badly because I know the author is a real person with real feelings but this was truly an awful read.

I couldn’t finish it. I felt like the book lacked purpose & the story line was too long.

Should’ve been called useless people. I was into this book until the end when it seemed like the author just gave Connell a free pass from all the hurt he inflicted upon Marianne. He used her for sex and was at times kind of repulsed by her but yet he kept going back to her when he needed something emotionally. He was ashamed of her and made her feel bad about herself over and over again. It was a very messed up relationship. He was not a good person. He was weak, wish washy and a coward and just fell into things instead of actively going after things with a goal. And yet the author actually wants us to view him as some kind of savior to Marianne just because he threatened her brother. Sorry you don’t get absolution from YEARS of knowingly outright emotionally abusing someone from one act. Marianne was very mentally unstable (I can only deduce that it was due to sexual abuse from her father which made her mother blame her and treat her terribly. Her brother abused her emotionally and physically but not quite clear if there was also sexual abuse towards her along the way - not sure because the author never explains. The mother is pretty much absent throughout the book and the father has long since died so we are given nothing to work with there and thusly must draw our own conclusions). Marianne feels she deserves to be mistreated in every way by everyone she comes in contact with. This was a tough read due to all those issues. You can only endure so much soul crushing negativity before you feel like you have to save yourself. I wish I could scrub my mind from some of the stuff in this book. This is basically just two damaged people who inflict their extreme dysfunction on one another over and over ad naseum. Finally it appears that Connell may be getting on with his life but next thing you know he and Marianne are living together and everything is perfect (how?! She all of a sudden woke up one day and said ya know I should be useful and get a job and try to function in the world like other people? So ridiculous! She needed a lot of therapy and medication and yet nope! She just fixes herself?! Why then? Why not before then? So bizarre) until the author can’t help herself and she throws these two into another conundrum where they can’t quite get on the same page. At some point you gotta move on and these two just can’t quit one another. If you’re a miserable person with no redeeming qualities this might be the book for you. Everyone else - find something different. This will only leave you infuriatingly frustrated.

Highly recommend!. Amazing book. Very compelling characters and story line. I felt the emotions of the characters so deeply and really related to the story line

(slight spoiler) I think the book was just ok.. i see a little bit of myself in marianne at the end when she starts to question his love for her and how she says she doesn’t understand why people would want to be completely independent when you can lean on 1 person and completely depend on them so i resonate with that part , but the entire book as a whole brought a lot of frustration

Great book!. Great all the way through, ending will stick with me.

I loved the book. I love how deeply into the minds of Connell and Marianne the writer goes but , when it comes towards the end I felt it was a little more to say.. I don’t know. The ending in the show gave me more closure but, again, maybe that’s what the writer wanted, to let the possibly out there for Connell and Marianne to be together one day..

Gutted. This book has left me feeling empty, frustrated, and cheated. Rooney drew me in, had me crying in frustration for Marianne and Connell, and left me that way. I reached the end of the book and thought I must be missing pages..whole chapters even! I didn’t realize I would be left gutted without an ounce of hope.

2 stars bcs i feel bad. Please don't waste your time. I'm not convinced this many people love this book? Don't even know what the 2 stars im giving is for, probably just because I like the main characters. Other than that this was a total failure I had to force myself to finish it.. From the writing style first, it was giving i want to be creative but not sure how. Nothing interesting at all happens? Mental health is barely mentioned like what's even the point of the story? Why mention the main character's struggling while ignoring the important parts lile abuse? Depression? Talked abt in like 5 pages lol. Characters poorly described too , it's like the writer herself doesn't knw what their personalities are. The ending was so badly written and boring!

So many emotions. I love the emotions tied up in this book. Even though I wanted to scream at the communication issues these two had, sometimes that is just reality and some people can’t face it. It was unique to read it all play out. I loved it

Not for me. Apparently I’m in the minority on this one, but nothing about this book appealed to me even a little bit.

I’d give zero stars if I could. Awful.

This book touched my heart. The author shows very expertly how hard it is to overcome childhood emotional abuse, even if you have money and seemingly everything else that you can wish for. You will enjoy the book if you feel that most humans are broken but sometimes we can heal.

Normal People. This book was a great read. I loved diving into the psyche of the characters. Conell uses his love for reading as a way to get closer to other people in his life. It exposes the true evolution of a what makes a writer a great one. From being young and studying your fellow writers works to then using what you’ve learned and writing about your own life experiences. Marianne struggles with insecurities but only with Conell. She presents herself as Marianne with a hard shell to everyone except him. To him, she is vulnerable and open. You watch and see how her life turns and flourishes. You discover with her what it means to be a normal person. I loved the title because throughout the book you ask yourself what defines normal? Rooney’s character choice is brilliant in the sense that both characters are so relatable to anyone who reads the book. It begs the question to me that no one is truly “normal” and isn’t it that we all just live in our own little “abnormal” worlds? The relationship between Marianne and Conell echoes an idealistic yet realistic, amazing, strange, ordinary yet extraordinary relationship. Highly recommend. 🙌

Break my heart again. Heartbreaking but worth the emotional turmoil

I was left frustrated. I read this in 2 days so yes I was drawn in and obsessed. I related to everything, the writing was beautifully done and I loved the characters. And everything was ruined at the very last page. Truly heartbreaking, yes. But not the way you’d want a book heartbreak.. maybe I just love happy endings :/

boring. I felt like I was waiting for something big to happen the entire book.

Better the second time I read it. Something about her writing just speaks to me. I reread it in one night a few months later and liked it even more

It was alright. The characters are relatable, I don’t think the point of the story is to climax I think it is simply to be relatable, which the author does very well.

Raw. Realistic in the sense of how woman can lost in their sexuality. Being an object and not having a real connection with most. Almost drifting through a relationship to the next. Trying to find that feeling you once had. Not sure if it’s you or them. Is love possible again? What does love mean? I wanted there to be a second sappy series but it’s okay not to get closure. It’s realistic and I love that!

it was okay. i hate marianne, i had to say it.

Not terrible. This book wasn’t horrible, but yet it wasn’t that great either. It was just okay

Unique, Enthralling, and Catastrophically Emotional. I have to open with saying that I absolutely loved this book. It was heart-wrenching and heartwarming and interesting and fun and sad. It was everything I wanted it to be. It was a little short but I think I only think that because I wish that there was more of it. I simultaneously believe that it is just the right length for the book and any more content would have stretched the characters and story too thinly. I was first introduced to the concept of this book when browsing YouTube. I found the trailer for the Hulu series based on the book and was instantly sold on the idea. Of course I had to read the book first and I am so glad that I did. The story is deeply psychological and a lot of it takes place in the heads of the characters. No matter how good an actor is they can’t come close to portraying the inner workings of the mind in the same way that Sally Rooney does with her writing. There are two unique quirks of the book that a reader should be aware of. First it uses present tense which isn’t too difficult for most readers to get through but it is a deviation from the norm and it took me a couple of pages before I settled into this style of reading. Over the course of the book Sally Rooney’s use of present tense enhances the book by providing a deep divide between the inner thought of the characters in the moment as they forge their relationship forward and their deep ruminations on the past actions that have been taken. I definitely think it was a good choice and my experience was better for it. The second quirk is a little harder to get past. The dialogue does not use any quotation marks at all. I don’t know why the book is like this and it took me some time to get used to this wild deviation from standard writing practice but eventually I did move past it. I wonder if I missed some nuance and intrigue in the opening of the book as my mind adjusted to the new normal of Normal People but there was enough in the rest of the book to satiate my appetite fully. Once I was used to the dialogue reading through it was totally natural.

Remarkable, Relatable, Absolutely Stunning. I can’t express how much I absolutely adore this book. The TV show on Hulu and the book are lovely companions to one another. As a fellow person who doesn’t know how to be “normal”, this book shines a light on what makes us human and the difficulties and joys of human connection. Please do read.

Sally Rooney does it again. Another book that took my heart and spit it up into pieces. I love her writing. I can understand it isn’t for everyone, but it’s truly my favorite.

😭😭😭😭. I loved it from start to finish. Had some dull moments but I think it still made me love the book more, weirdly. The story is really really relatable- at least for me. I found myself in both characters. The ending is ok, very ambiguous. Still touched and tugged me at the heart strings. Honestly did not want the story to end.

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Summary of Normal People by Sally Rooney

The Normal People book written by Sally Rooney was published on 16 April 2019, Tuesday in the Fiction & Literature category. A total of 5,009 readers of the book gave the book 4 points out of 5.

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