Normal People

For me, Normal People is a novel easily forgotten. There's some wonderful writing and characterization, some good scenes throughout, but there really isn't a whole lot to the story or even to the depth of our protagonists. This could work if the journey were really powerful, or the characters really grew into something quite special, or—something...anything—but I felt no impact. Ask me in two weeks what this novel was about and I'll say, “a relationship,” and that's all I'll have.

The story is simple enough. Connell and Marianne like one another. In high school, Marianne doesn't fit in and Connell does, so he doesn't exactly broadcast their relationship to others. In college, Marianne finds her tribe, and their respective roles are reversed. I liked the story up to this point. But then the novel drags the reader through countless breakups and hookups. It's a seemingly never-ending roller coaster of on-again-off-again, breakup, hookup, breakup-hookup, every time you exit the ride, you're put right back on. Sadly, despite many good qualities and an excellent start, Normal People grew tedious.

In the realm of relationship stories, Normal People reminded me some of Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies. BUT, to be clear, I hated Fates and Furies. While Normal People desperately needed to pull out and add some lubrication now and then, it was a well-written story overall with several redeeming qualities. I'd be open to reading another story from Rooney, but based on this one book, it's not a relationship I'd draw out for too long.

It just dawned on me that I now have zero recollection of any characters outside of Connell and Marianne. See—the story is already fading from my memory. This is probably a flaw in part of my own faulty memory, but certainly a stronger story would've planted more of a seed.