Normal People by Sally RooneyMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Gosh, Sally got me here.
Honestly, my comfort read is a novel spanning years, detailing the lives between two people, their on-and-off dynamics, their respective interactions with themselves and with other people. My first encounter of this great read was David Nicholl's One Day; Paolo Giordano's Solitude of Prime Numbers coming in close second. This book was the third.
I saw this book from a youtube teaser of Hulu's miniseries Normal People and its twitter raves of "thirst traps" between Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal, and how the actress looked like Dakota Johnson, only British. With their ASMRs of kissing scenes, that got me intrigued. Sorry not sorry lol.
All the while I thought this novel is how the author encapsulate a young millenial life: sex and cigarettes during high school, facebooking, messenger apps, college applications and scholarships. But then this also gives a glimpse of what the millenials also ignore (view spoiler) in the early days — depression, anxiety, and sado-masochism. Yes, sorry for the spoiler, but it is Marianne who is into this kink. You will learn the hugot as you dwell into her domestic life, her school life, and her love life, Connell or no Connell.
Imagine tackling these difficult topics in a literary form that is not supposed to be preachy! I know that talking about sex or mental health is difficult, and if you want to have an imposing tone, you can go to the self-help section of the bookstore. Sally Rooney did not offer that. She wanted you to come and sit in the corner and read. And listen (or I guess in this novel, have a look). Added in a splash of social class, and how one feels in a world of meritocracy, mediocrity, and how everything seems to be a business, that even the art of writing is not spared. It is not as heavy as the Communist Manifesto, but Sally made a point that some things are tough because of some systemic issues, and its repercussions of one's interaction with the other.
I don't know, just try this book. This is my Sally Rooney's second book and I am entertained. You should try it. (view spoiler).
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