Synopsis
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.
Review
I am one of those people who likes to read the book before watching the film or TV series, so after seeing the drama of Normal People was to begin I decided to liberate the book from my shelf. I was a bit unsure about whether I would like this book as I had seen quite a few negative reviews, but it was a needless worry as I absolutely loved it. Normal People follows Marianne and Connell from the end of their school year and through university. Marianne is a loner, with no friends in or outside of school whereas Connell is popular, with a great social life. There wouldn’t normally come into contact but Connell’s mum is the cleaner for Marianne’s family and when Connell comes to pick his mother up they start a conversation, and realise there is chemistry between them. Friendship and chemistry bring them together but they find themselves apart more than together, as life gets in the way. This book is about love, relationships both toxic and loving and the importance of what is not said in a relationship.
I can’t believe I waited a whole year to read this book, it must have slipped under my radar. I found this to be a fascinating read, that was almost like being a voyeur in both Marianne and Connell’s lives. As characters Marianne and Connell on the outside are complete opposites. Marianne comes from a wealthy background but with very little familial love. Connell has been brought up by his mum Lorraine, who had him at seventeen. They may not have much money but there is plenty of live and respect between them. Marianne is a damaged character, she even described herself like that, suffering physical and mental abuse from her brother and from her deceased father. As expected this colours her relationships, she doesn’t feel worthy of love, picks partners who put her down and can be abusive believing this is what she deserves. I really warmed to Marianne and felt she deserved so much more from life, I wanted her to take charge and accept that she was a beautiful independent woman who deserved to be loved.
Connell goes from being popular at school, where image is everything to the point of asking Marianne not to say anything about their relationship. At University the tables are turned on him, he doesn’t make friends whereas Marianne does, It is compelling to see the change in Connell from popular and self confident to him losing his confidence, which effects his mental health. His relationship with Marianne never seems to be on an even keel; they seems to get together at important points I their lives but one is more vulnerable than the other. Theirs is a relationship where what is not said is more important that what they do say. If they communicated more, admitted how they really felt then the journey would have been a lot smoother; they do seem like two people destined to be together.
Sally Rooney’s writing is beautiful and very insightful. She captures the feelings of teenage angst, the expectations put upon them, the importance of perfect sex as well as the reality of the not so good sex, and those internal feelings fighting against each other. One thing that really stood out to me was the lack of quotation marks. The prose relies very much on conversation, but I have to admit I didn’t miss the quotation marks, I was still very aware of who was talking and what they were saying. Sally Rooney deals with some important and difficult issues in the book, from physical and mental abuse, suicide, mental health and issues around consent, especially when drunk.
I am so glad I picked up Normal People and ignored the negative reviews. This study of the relationship between Marianne and Connell, the time spent apart and together, is perceptive and utterly compelling, if difficult and uncomfortable to read at times. Sally Rooney writes with honesty and compassion, capturing all the nuances of the characters and their many emotions. Intimate and intense this is a spellbinding and original take on a love story, it’s no wonder it won so many awards; a stunning read!
