Did I finish Normal People last night just to prepare for this video? Yes, yes I did. 4:17 I like how you described Connell and Marianne as "not great people." They are definitely very flawed, but to what extent can we blame them for their behavior? We learn that a lot of Connell's insecurities come from his lower social class and his missing father; that's not something he can control. It's why he's constantly seeking approval of others; it's why he alienated Marianne at the beginning of the book, taking someone else to the Debs that was more socially acceptable. And then we learn that Marianne's insecurities come from her abusive family -- again, something that isn't really able to be controlled. It's why she accepted being in some terribly abusive relationships; because she didn't believe that she deserved anything better. They don't make the best choices, but under their circumstances, I think they are okay. 5:02 I like how you highlighted that Rooney conceives characters in relation to others, and not so much the self. We kind of get to explore both sides to this throughout the novel. We see Connell and Marianne stuggling to find their place in university, and then they realize that they are happiest when they are nobody at all. And throughout the novel, we might be led to believe that Connell and Marianne are logically not good for each other, but in our hearts, we want them to be in love forever. Great video, enjoy your time at Copenhagen. :)
You put that quite a bit more eloquently than me haha. Those are really great points though, I definitely agree that the conditions surrounding them play a huge part in how they act and that, no matter how it might be stressed that they're not good for each other, we still want them to wind up together. Really great input, and thanks for watching!
The best thing about Rooney is she trusts her reader to discern what she's saying without outright saying it. Excited to hear your thoughts on Conversations with Friends once you get to it! & personally, I couldn't be more excited for intermezzo!
What an amazing channel. We love to see such young people actually reading books and you are sharing your passion. Well done. If you are in Ireland, come visit us in our bookshop. All the best.
Ah, I've been waiting to hear your thoughts on Normal People (and Sally Rooney in general)! I've come to realise that I love reading about the human condition and how we interact with and influence one another in all types of relationships, and that's something I feel like Sally Rooney captures really well. As you said, it makes one pause and think about these things. And then to talk about characters, I've also learnt over the years that as long as a character has depth and is written well, it doesn't matter whether I like them or not. In fact, I often enjoy characters that are unlikeable because it's a way of viewing human behaviour and how it affects others and the world around them. I'm not sure if that's making much sense, but basically, I agree, it's good to notice that the characters aren't necessarily good people, but then to look beyond that see what we can learn from it all. In general, I also just love when there are subtle comments made by characters or the author which have deeper meaning (I get frustrated when things are too spelt out and there's not a lot of thinking to be done). Anyway, enjoy Copenhagen! Thanks again for the video and the thoughts. I liked hearing about what you learnt in that dialogue lecture. And good luck with all the reading and work! :)
I completely agree with your point about the characters. Often, characters we don't like can teach us more than ones we do. And those subtle comments are something Sally Rooney does so well! Thanks so much for watching, I really appreciate the good wishes! :)
Writing was SOOOO good, I couldn't stop giggling and thinking of high praise for Ms Rooney. I read this book in March I think and I was going through alota shit and was not in right mind to even pick a book but I saw this one collecting dust on my shelf I always thought that I'll never read it cause one it's a romance (not a big fan) and second there's no quotations so I knew my ADHD could never but I just randomly picked it and started to read and didn't stop for 20 pages straight and I couldn't believe myself, that was the longest I'd read in one sitting in past few months and I just felt so emotional and literally the writing made me feel something, not to be dramatic but it made me feel alive again! I have so much love for this book.
That's so awesome to hear! She makes it so easy on the reader while also hitting on really important subjects, it's quite masterful. I'm with you on the romance books, but when the author is truly exploring what relationships mean, it changes things for me. Sally Rooney most definitely does that.
Normal people is my least favourite Rooney so far. Going into it, I thought I would love it, being in the same age group/life stage as the main characters and whatnot. However, I felt a bit disconnected from both the characters and the prose. It felt like looking through a glass pane at caricatures of ‘normal people’ lol. In contrast, I really loved Beautiful world (one of my all time favourites). I loved the emails between Alice and Eileen. I loved dissecting the relationships and dynamics that exist between Alice, Eileen, Simon and Felix. They felt like real people, with real emotions and real problems. And the writing flowed so seamlessly. It was Rooney at her best imo. I also love Conversations with friends and can’t wait to read Intermezzo
That's super interesting, I can see where you're coming from for sure. I also loved Beautiful World, it's the first one I ever read of hers, and am beyond excited for Intermezzo.
So glad to have had this video come up on my recommends! I just recently finished rereading Normal People and I wholeheartedly agree with the thoughts you’re sharing here. The intense study of and focus on the dynamic itself is so fascinating, I never tire of seeing it in literature and Sally Rooney particularly lays bare some really vulnerable and visceral concepts about the workings of the human mind and human behavior in relation to interpersonal and romantic relationships. Lovely video, thank you for sharing your thoughts!
I loved this, Alex! I got an ARC of Intermezzo and I'm just still a little scared to read it--mostly because of the agonising anticipation. Watching this beautiful talk about my favourite Rooney novel made me want to go and finally pick it up.
Really really like your videos, I've been meaning to read the book ever since I heard abt the tv series but haven't gotten around to it. You make me wanna read more!!! Enjoy Copenhagen:)
I've been really unsure about Normal People so it hasn't made my tbr so far but hearing you talk about it a bit makes me wanna give it a chance. thanks for that! I could really use a book to get me out of my reading slump so maybe I'm gonna check it out sooner rather than later Also, even though you seem to be a bit over essay's right now, I wanna recommend Blueberries by Ellena Savage. I haven't finished it yet tbh but so far it's great and I've only heard good things about it!
I would definitely say it's one that'll get you out of a slump. Best of luck though, those are the worst. Just looked up Blueberries and it sounds really interesting, definitely something I'll get around too. Thanks for the rec!
Lots of good points! It’s been about 4 years since I read Normal People for the first time, but listening to you chat about it makes me think it might be time for a reread. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on Conversations with Friends. I’ve only read those two Sally Rooney novels, but I definitely preferred it to Normal People.
I'll definitely get around to Conversations with Friends, not sure if it'll be before or after her new book though. If you do re-read Normal People, let me know if anything changed for you the second time around!
Funny-I just happened to finish Normal People yesterday, when your video came out. Also, I live in Copenhagen 😂 Anyway, I had a very different reading experience. I did enjoy the book and I agree that the writing really hooks you. I do see your point in that Rooney focuses so much (if not only) in the relationships. However, in my opinion that made the character’s identity fade away. I personally didn’t like that. In my opinion this book lacks character development and depth, I really couldn’t feel that I “knew” any of them. Also, because of the shallowness in which they are described, they all fell very stereotypical and almost Disney-like: the cruel mother, the bully brother, the masochistic Cinderella, the shy and handsome prince, the ugly and dumb boyfriend… Also I felt like after all the turmoil of their relationship though out the years everything falls into place quite suddenly and without much explanation besides -they realised they are good for each other-. And then again, they are not…? I did appreciate the interesting topics that she brings up for debate through the book , like the one you mentioned about the privilege and status of reading . Sorry for the rant, I guess I’m going to turn this into a Goodreadds review 😄
Really interesting thoughts! I definitely agree, there's pros and cons to the lens she chooses to view the world from. And the way time moves is interesting, I can see how it might feel a little sudden. It's always cool for me to hear other perspectives, so thanks for sharing!
Strangely I didn’t love Normal People, maybe I was reading it with the wrong focus. I shall pick it up again some time. I did like the mini series the acting was superb. Just wondering do you like movies/films at all? If so do you have any favourites?
I definitely want to watch the series! As for films, I'm getting more into them than I have been in the past. I watched some really weird but thought-provoking ones this week if you're into that sort of thing: Persona, and The Lighthouse. I'm planning on watching Perfect Days tonight, which I've also heard good things about. As for a favorite, I'd say maybe A River Runs Through It, I could watch that one a million times.
@@agwriting Oh Coo! I've watched Persona and The Lighthouse but have not watched A river runs through it, I shall check that out. I hope you enjoyed Perfect Days!
