Normal People by Sally Rooney

Marianne has always known that she is different from the other kids at school. She is used to being by herself, reading books alone through her lunch periods, and being somewhat anonymous. So when Connell, of all people, begins to show her attention, albeit in private, she is quite shocked. Of course they have known each other forever, as his mother has worked for years as a cleaner for her family, but they’ve never spoken before now. But the attention he now shows her and the relationship that has now developed, even though they do not acknowledge it in public, will come to change both of their lives forever.

I feel as if this is another example of a good idea that is just poorly executed. Marianne and Connell form a connection but it is not clear how deep that connection actually goes. Connell, begins as a typical, awkward, adolescent male, living mostly in his own head and for the purpose of creating an outwardly “cool” persona. On the other hand, Marianne starts out as a fairly mature adolescent with much self-awareness and respect for the social stratification in her school, keeping herself virtually outside it. But as they come together, we see how Marianne is forever being used and considers herself unworthy of being treated better than someone who should just be used. Connell is not ever brave enough to fully change this.

Why do I think it is poorly executed? While some frustration in the reader can create tension and can be a fine literary tool, I felt that the entire story here was frustrating, and that is not ok. We never fully get Marianne’s story, her family’s history, the full picture. We get glimpses of what she has endured, through scenes with her older brother, but we never really know what has occurred. We never really know why Marianne and Connell keep missing each other’s signals, why they can never fully communicate. And although we understand Marianne’s compulsion to be mistreated, that she feels she does not deserve to be treated better, we never know why it is Connell who gets psychological treatment and Marianne who does not. I felt stranded with more questions than answers by the end – and that was much more frustrating than satisfying. And, as you may know if you’ve read any of my prior entries, while I do not like everything in a story wrapped up with a perfectly tied bow, I also don’t think that the polar opposite needs to be the case.

In a word, I wouldn’t bother…