“Normal People” by Sally Rooney: A Story of Two Dull Humans

Normal People by Sally Rooney

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

Pages: 266

Format: Paperback

My Rating: 💩

I remember picking up “Normal People” by Sally Rooney, hoping to find a captivating and meaningful story of love and friendship as it was literally taking the internet by storm, but instead, I found a story of two bland and unlikable characters. I hated this book so much; it was boring, depressing, and pretentious, and I have absolutely no idea why it’s so overhyped.

The book follows the lives of Marianne and Connell, who have a complicated relationship that spans several years. They are both miserable and unhappy, and they treat each other and themselves poorly. Throughout the novel, they talk, they have sex, they break up, they talk again, they get back together again, they have sex again, they break up again; they are unhappy; they are unhappy some more; they are unhappy even more. It just goes like that, and nothing really happens.

The book has no plot, no structure, no climax, and no resolution; it literally has nothing to offer. It’s just a series of scenes that show how Marianne and Connell drift in and out of each other's lives, without ever making any progress. The book is full of clichés and stereotypes, like the popular jock, the outcast girl, the abusive family, the snobbish elite, etc. The book also tries too hard to tackle issues such as class, gender, and mental health, but it does so in a superficial and shallow way that adds nothing to the story or the characters.

In my humble opinion, the book is poorly written. The characters are dull and flat, and the dialogue is unrealistic and annoying. I was struggling while reading this book as the author didn’t make any effort to use quotation marks for dialogue. The absence of speech marks makes it hard to follow who is speaking and what they are saying. Not to mention the detached and emotionless narration.

Instead of being called “Normal People”, this book should have been named “Boring People”. The book is supposed to be a realistic and nuanced portrayal of love, but it's actually a tedious and frustrating read that made me want to throw the book out the window.

Normal People isn't worth reading or praising. It's a waste of paper and ink. It's a hype-driven book that doesn’t live up to its reputation. It's a huge disappointment and I give it 1 star out of 5 out of pity. Do yourself a favor and avoid this book at all costs unless you’d like to suffer.