If I can say one thing, it is that Normal People, written by Sally Rooney, deserves all the recognition and praise it has and continues to receive. It is one of the best books that I have read this year because I could connect to it on a level that I have not been able to since reading my favourite book of all time, I’ll Give You the Sun, by Jandy Nelson when I was 12. Normal People follows the story of Connell and Marianne as they navigate their way through life and find that no matter how hard they try, they always find their way back into each other’s lives. It perfectly encapsulates that feeling of being in that confusing, grey area between a relationship and a friendship or “situationship” as some people refer to it. It also highlights the “right person, wrong time” trope. At its core, Normal People is a beautiful story about love, loss and two Irish people who do not know how to communicate.
It was not necessarily the plot that drew me in but rather the characters themselves. I see this book as a character analysis of Marianne and Connell. The plotlines were simplistic and mundane: growing up in a small town, going to school, going to college, making friends, travelling, just simply life and growing up. However, it is through this very simplicity that the reader sees the complexity of the characters and their internal turmoil. This openness reveals their vulnerability and breathes life into the characters, something that is incredibly difficult to do. What I admire most about Sally Rooney’s writing is how in tune with the audience she is. She gives in-depth descriptions of both Connell and Marianne’s every thought: the types of thoughts that go through people’s minds when falling in love. This gives the illusion that there are no questions about how they feel about one another, but they never actually say it out loud.
As omniscient audience members, we are almost frustrated with Connell and Marianne because we know how they truly feel but they will not vocalize it. So, when they inevitably separate from one another, it’s irritating to the reader. I think that is what draws us in: the uncertainty of whether they will articulate their feelings – that is something I found myself relating to. Until recently, I have been a horrible communicator in relationships, and it has caused me to miss out. I was suppressing feelings in fear that the other person may not feel the same. I refused to say anything out of embarrassment but never asked how the other person felt. It made me feel empty. Miscommunication is terrible because if you find out later that these feelings were reciprocated, you are left with a million questions about missed potential with that person. However, there is a beauty in those relationships: an unspoken connection and uncertainty that Sally Rooney perfectly conveys.
The end of the novel is open-ended, which many people find unsatisfying. You wonder what happens to Marianne and Connell once they separate for the final time to pursue their dreams. It is up to the reader’s interpretation. I did not find the ending unsatisfying; I found it mimicked real life. Relationships that end like this lack closure. It leaves that sense of longing for the other person, indigently knowing that they will enter each other’s lives again when the time is right. Sally Rooney’s writing is thought-provoking, intelligent and simplistic. She articulates the human condition in such an effortless, but beautiful way. I would recommend reading Normal People if you get the chance.