Normal People: A Novel Paperback – February 18, 2020

5/5 ☆☆☆☆☆#andreeareviewsI have finally read Normal People! I watched the show last year and loved the refreshing portrayal of a relationship that is not black and white; it’s complex, both joyful and painful, and follows the growth of the protagonists.Needless to say, I loved the book. I’ve been putting it off because this is the last Rooney novel that I haven’t read, and I am left with a massive book hungover that only another Rooney novel can fix. It’s impossible not to feel with the characters, from the awkwardness of the relationship to the impact of their personal trauma on it. It feels like Rooney reaches into your soul, turns it inside out and says: “Here, deal with this now.”. The writing is deceptively simple yet cuts straight to the heart.We met Marianne and Connell in high school. On the surface, Marianne is an ostracised, weird girl with no friends and an aloof attitude that puts people off. Connell is a popular guy, having lots of friends and being the object of interest of many girls. Connell’s mother works for Marianne’s household as a housekeeper; thus, Connell meets Marianne outside of school whenever he picks up his mom. Their brief interactions give birth first to a form of hidden friendship that turns into lust and then love as they get closer and more intimate.Their relationship is complicated in the true sense of the word and is deeply influenced by their trauma. Marianne was physically abused by her father; upon his death, the abuse continued with both her mother and brother physically and emotionally abusing her; she was ignored at home and at school, growing up without any friends and without being loved; in school, she was bullied and ostracised, becoming an apparently cold person, incapable of healthy attachment or love. She does not think she deserves to be loved, and I don’t think she knows what being loved really means.On the other hand, Connell has grown up with a single mother, never knowing her father. He felt loved and appreciated at home; however, he is an introverted, quiet person; nevertheless, this doesn’t stop him from making friends in school and being easygoing and attractive. Later on, however, in college (they both go to the same college), connecting with people becomes harder, and he feels burdened by his social background, coming from a working-class family and hanging out in a circle of rich individuals (such as Marianne).Their relationship evolves and devolves like a mesmerising dance from youth to young adulthood. They bring complexities into each other’s lives, driven by personal trauma, comfort, and a sense of having found home in that person who knows you and understands you fully. Connell, the quiet, brooding intellect, and Marianne, the sharp, unapologetic force of nature - their dynamic is a study of contrasts.Connell’s internal struggles, the perpetual feeling of not being “enough”, and Marianne’s journey from isolation to self-discovery and perhaps self-love (I am not certain she reached it by the end of the book, but it does feel like she’s on her way) - Rooney peels back the layers, revealing characters so achingly human. And this is what makes Rooney’s writing stand out for me: the incredibly relatable characters, with awkward moments, misunderstandings, and hardship, to communicate feelings and thoughts. The plot becomes, therefore, a canvas where their insecurities, desires, and mistakes point to a poignant picture of love, friendship, and the quest for identity.I said it before: Rooney is a master of dissecting the nuances of human connection. The themes of power, vulnerability, and societal expectations are woven into the narrative's fabric. The on-again-off-again nature of Marianne and Connell’s relationship isn’t just about love; it’s a mirror reflecting the intricacies of self-worth, societal pressures, and the messiness of growing up.The exploration of intimacy, both emotional and physical, is raw and unapologetic. Rooney does not shy away from the uncomfortable, and that’s where the magic happens. The power dynamics at play, the impact of societal expectations on individual choices - it’s a literary feast for readers hungry for substance.Finally, Normal People is not just a book for me; it’s a mirror reflecting the jagged edges of human relationships. Rooney doesn’t hand you answers on a silver platter; she hands you a mirror and says: “Look closely.”. In the end, you’re left with a breathtaking yet heartbreaking portrait of love and the messy, unfiltered journey toward self-acceptance, pondering long after the final page.

Here is one instance in which having seen the series before reading the book was NOT a conflict. The Hulu series almost completely honored the content and format of the book. The advantage of the book was understanding the thoughts going through the characters' minds in their moments of silent examination of one another. I really enjoyed the series, and I enjoyed the book even more. As is nearly always the case, the book offers more depth to the characters, but I think the casting was perfect and it was gratifying to see a book and a series so in line with one another.Anyway, this is a review about the book, not the show. I've seen some unflattering reviews that say the book is meaningless and fluffy drivel, and that the characters are flat and dull. I wholeheartedly disagree. I think that the characters and the story successfully convey what it means to feel isolated and different. They're not lively and bubbly because the book is all about being abnormal and unable to fit in. The whole point is that they are people who don't fall into many of the facets of standard social norms and therefore they cling to each other and keep going back to each other throughout the years.Rooney covers topics of mental, physical and sexual abuse with discretion and respect, and never once makes it exploitative for the sake of conflict and building tension. I love that she doesn't use the standard form of dialogue with breaks and quotation marks. I've seen some complaints about that stylistic choice, but I think it was the perfect choice for a book about people who are so much in their own heads and unable to properly convey themselves to anyone but each other. I've also seen some complaints about Rooney's prose, or lack thereof. I'm flabbergasted by that. There are some bits that are nearly poetic in their beauty, and some bits that so perfectly capture the human condition and the frail psyche of the depressed and downtrodden.It was not a perfect book, but it's one that I would confidently recommend and likely one that I will read again.