Conversations with Friends

I had originally typecast Sally Rooney into a particular brand of light bestseller fiction for Karens. I feel like this book does fit into that genre, but there is definite perspicacity and depth to the observational skill of her writing and its ability to communicate layered depths in her protagonist. There were parts that didn't sit comfortably, particularly the way the power dynamics between the male and female characters where left in a dangerously ambivalent space. I think the story would have benefited from including perspective of the older male character or an older female character.
I wanted the characters to make better choices and others to face some culpability.
No-one, however, can deny the utterly original voice with which Rooney writes, and the engaging compulsive readability of her writing.

I really don't like these kinds of books. 

Oikein mainio kirja hipsterinuorten elämästä ja dramaattisesti neloisdraamasta: ystävykset tutustuvat vähän vanhempaan pariskuntaan ja tuttavuus syvenee ihastukseksi ja seurauksena on paljon draamaa ja epätoivoa. Rooney kirjoittaa napakkaa, melko vähäpuheista tekstiä, tuloksena on tiivis ja mielenkiintoinen romaani.

To begin with, I am not a big fan of slice of life or slow burn books, but Sally managed to make me hooked with the book. I personally like her writing style. She writes in a very descriptive manner, hence it feels straightforward.

For the story, I think it's average. Firstly, I pity the main character. Why does she have to suffer throughout the plot. Secondly, I can't be appreciative with the story because it feels too far from me, my life. In hindsight, I take it as a learning. One good thing is, Sally did a really good job in portraying the complexities of relationships.

Endometriosis rep was infuriating

it was fine. first half really had a grip on me and I read it in one day but then the rest of the book was just like idk dragging and here I am a week later finally done. i think the story just wasn't interesting to me, I didn't care abt a single character and they were all annoying and the only thing that kept me going was the cheating aspect but it wasn't really that interesting after a while. hate to compare it to normal poeple but I highlighted half of that book and think abt it everyday and abt all the beautiful sentences and conversations and this one just didn't have it in my opinion

Berlatar di Dublin, novel ini menyelami kehidupan Frances, seorang mahasiswa cerdas dan introspektif, dan Bobbi, mantan kekasihnya yang kini menjadi sahabat terbaik. Dunia mereka terbalik ketika mereka bertemu Melissa, seorang fotografer karismatik, dan suaminya yang misterius, Nick.Melissa adalah seorang fotografer dan penulis, sedangkan Nick adalah seorang aktor.
Ketika hubungan mereka berkembang, Frances mulai menjalin hubungan rahasia dengan Nick. Hubungan ini mempengaruhi persahabatannya dengan Bobbi, terutama karena mereka sering mengandalkan satu sama lain secara emosional. Sepanjang cerita, Frances bergulat dengan perasaan cemburu, ketidakpastian tentang identitas dirinya, dan dinamika kekuasaan dalam hubungan mereka berempat.
Jujur, aku kurang memahami apa yang ingin disampaikan oleh Sally Rooney disini. Aku pernah membaca literary fiction sebelumnya, dan tidak kesulitan mengikuti. Jadi mungkin memang buku ini bukan untukku.

Se que a muchísima gente le encanta este libro pero a mí me ha parecido horrible. A pesar de que me lo he leído relativamente rápido, he sufrido leyendo porque es que no lo he disfrutado ni un poco.

Todos los personajes se me han hecho extremadamente insufribles, todos son horribles de verdad, sus pensamientos, como actúan, no tiene ningún sentido, todos ellos estaban como super detached de lo que estaba pasando a su alrededor y todo son malas personas, aparte de que son extremadamente pesados, me han disgustado todos demasiado.

Quizás otro factor por el que no me ha gustado el libro es que me lo habían vendido como “un libro para cuando sientes que estás perdido en la vida o detrás que los demás”, como persona que últimamente ha estado pasado por sentirse así, tenía muchas ganas de leer el libro para intentar encontrar un poco de confort, pero es que no me he podido sentir identificada con la protagonista en ningun momento, y no creo que el libro debería seguir publicitandose así, porque en mi opinion le protagonista sabe perfectamente lo que esta haciendo, sí, tiene problemas, pero en ningun momento he encontrado que “estuviera perdida en la vida” y eso también me ha dado mucha rabia y creo que ese ha sido el principal motivo de mi disgusto hacia esta lectura.

Para acabar diciendo algo positivo, me ha gustado la forma en la que está escrito, pero poco más, no lo recomendaría.

there were things i loved about this book and things i didnt love so much. always here for rooney's writing 

First book of Sally Rooney’s I read. She writes very palpable characters. It will feel like you know them, no longer surprised of their actions (good or bad) because you feel their characters would do it, if that makes sense. You just feel bad or good for them about the consequences of their actions.

3.5 // I think my expectations were too high for this book. I liked it, but also disliked it at the same time?

the way i did not want to finish this book because it was so good.....I WANT MOREEEEE. such a moving story

3.5

3,5☆

There are four characters: Bobbi and Frances, along with the married couple Nick and Melissa. The book is written in an interesting way, particularly in depicting the complex relationships among these four individuals. While I found it enjoyable to read, I didn't particularly like the characters. Perhaps it was the elements of cheating and jealousy that didn't resonate with me. However, I must acknowledge that Sally Rooney's writing is truly exceptional. Therefore, I would give the book a rating of 3 stars out of 5, deducting 2 stars due to my dislike for Melissa and Frances. Neither of them can solely be blamed for their actions, as they were both engaged in questionable behavior (actually all of them).

The final in my back-to-back Sally Rooney audiobook binge. Nearly developed an Irish accent

I don't even know how to start this review, because I just finished the book yesterday and still haven't stopped thinking about it. It's one of those books that are simplistic, but emotional and describes the character in detail in a way that somewhat allows you to live through them. I will never stop thinking about Frances and Bobbi's character.

Well, fuck. Thought I could be like the cool kids and hate this book on principle, really try to understand why someone would say “I'm never reading Sally Rooney” (wouldn't work for me anyway since this is the third I've read from her). But no, I had to go and like the damn thing.

But I promise I didn't like all of it. In fact, if I didn't listen to the first half on audio, I think I would have given up long ago. But it was so compulsively readable, I couldn't put it down or forget about it for long. Another story about the complicated nature that we like to twist relationships into when we're young and inexperienced (though it didn't seem experience helped the older “couple” in this one). There were things I didn't enjoy but those things were the things I wasn't supposed to enjoy - in fact, it hurt to read this book. But Rooney did that whole “wrap-up ending by learning a lesson” that left me happy, and oh she's good.

For those who know better than me, forgive me. I couldn't forsake the flawed characters, inept interactions, and fraught relationships, (their relationship with privilege and money was atrocious and made me roll my eyes, though) because it felt natural The writing definitely felt like I was going back and reading her first work but it's not any less compelling for it.

I'm sorry I can't be a cool kid. Truly. All my love -

2.5:

Here's a bunch of god-awful people, and the many expectedly... questionable decisions they made. I almost dropped this, like, 17 different times. I just can't stand the theatrics over their trivial privileged people problems, and the fact that real people don't talk like that was just the cherry on top. It was the whitest thing I ever did read, and I've read Normal People.

Surprisingly, I ended up liking Bobbi the most, even though I metaphorically rolled my eyes every time she opened her mouth at first. And Sally's writing is fairly engaging, even when her dull roster of characters can very much convince you otherwise, and this was shaping up to be a solid 3 star read. But then, that ending... so disappointing, and I didn't even have expectations to begin with. There were aspects of the story in general that I appreciated better here than in Normal People, but absolutely this was a flop for me.

I feel like this book is objectively good. Beautiful writing, realistic characters and dialogue. But I just didn't enjoy it. None of the characters are likable, and not in a fun way. In a way that just makes me feel sad and maybe a little icky. But the story is compelling, and I kept wanting to come back to it.
I don't know, this is a weird one.
I saw a review that simply said “I both hate and love this one” and that's about right.

this was so good but nick and frances are the most insufferable people ever. like shut tf up

Wow, I loved this book so much ! I was so involved in my reading, a real page-turner !
I understand that some people didn't like the writing style of Sally, at the beginning I was a little bit lost and I struggled to understand the dialogue. But let's be honest, Sally know how to write in a good, credible and honest way.
I related to Frances so much and maybe it's the reason why I enjoyed this book. All the shit she's going through, Bobbi who was caring but also mean to her and all that... I was living her sadness.
So yeah for me it was a really good book !

Being my third Rooney book, I'm no stranger to this style of prose. But it's clear why Rooney's debut was so successful - the book was comparably more fascinating. Although with equally damaged characters and macabre internal dialogues, this book's relationships were more complex and hence did a better job of stringing readers along the classic will-they-won't-they. Perhaps it's simply because it involved a four-way relationship rather than the usual two or three that made it such a dizzying success.

Ugh, once again, so good.

Raw and utterly honestly written.
Frances is too relatable

Characters all a bit meh and unlikeable. A bit moralistic and philosophising. Struggled to find the characters believable.