Normal People

Novel By: Sally Rooney

Love, death, college, and careers are variables that shape an individual’s life. In Normal People, they are presented through a new, but frighteningly ordinary light. This story follows the unique yet completely realistic relationship between Connell Waldron and Marianne Sheridan; two oddly connected humans that are figuring out their respective places in the world, starting in a small town in west Ireland. The love and friendship the two facilitate helps them understand their ugly pasts, and further guides them towards many uncomfortable life experiences in their futures.  This work of realistic fiction presents the central themes of change and the importance of communication that follows Connell and Marianne through the entirety of the novel, accompanied by thought-provoking ideas and harsh realizations.

I found Normal People to be highly enjoyable, maybe more so than others. The quirky details of both characters and their ever changing environments really resonated with me and my personal interests. It also opened my eyes to Ireland and its unfamiliar culture, an imperative observation that kept me intrigued throughout the course of my reading (which was one day, by the way). The book’s maturity surrounding sexuality and strained relationships forced me to absorb it from an adult’s point of view instead of that of a teenager’s, further heightening its impact on me. This applies to both the general content of the novel and Rooney’s unique prose, in which she deliberately chooses to not use any quotation marks as speech indicators. It results in a deeper connection with the feelings of her characters, as their thoughts are really those of ‘normal people’.  My only negative remark is that as time moved faster, the plot moved slower; years had passed across the expanse of the story, yet our two main characters made very little lasting personal developments. I listened to Elliott Smith’s discography when reading, as it helped me resonate deeper with the melancholy felt by the Irish star-crossed lovers. Nevertheless, all of these small but meaningful elements lead me to believe that the clear message the ending left me with was crucial to fathom, and something I highly enjoyed discovering. I could possibly add more of my opinion, but I think experiencing the story for yourself will explain why I am left slightly speechless after finishing it.