Review: Normal People

I had the urge to reread "Normal People" by Sally Rooney again. 

While the book had very polarising views – to some, it’s a comfort book, one that was deserving of its many praises while to others, the lack of communication between the characters is just too frustrating to read. Oh, and not to mention the absence of quotation marks can be appalling. To me, I actually enjoyed it.

I bought the book simply because I’m a sheeple when it comes to what is trending on the internet. People on TikTok, Instagram and just about every other social media platform were raving about the book so I was curious to know what’s so good and what’s so bad about "Normal People". Honestly, I was just having major reading FOMO. Little did I know that the book would be one of my favourite reads this year.

Its synopsis on GoodReads goes like this: At school, Connell and Marianne pretend not to know each other. He’s popular and well-adjusted, star of the school soccer team while she is lonely, proud and intensely private. But when Connell comes to pick his mother up from her housekeeping job at Marianne’s house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers - one they are determined to conceal.

So it makes sense that I thought this would just be another strangers-to-lovers type book. Something light, something that I could just stash away on my shelf once I’m done. Boy was I wrong. It’s been about 5 months since I read the book and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. 

One thing that I really liked about "Normal People" is how real the characters were to me. Marianne is not the perfect “main character energy” girl that we’ve become so accustomed to – she’s lonely, socially awkward, and spoke every thought that came into her mind without thinking twice about it. Connell on the other hand, was a boy torn between two worlds – he’s popular in school but deep down feels isolated, he has a hard time expressing his emotions and constantly feared what people thought of him. It was refreshing to finally read a book and find pieces of yourself in the characters because of how human they are. 

But I think the reason this book stuck with me was because of how relatable Connell’s experience in university was, especially in dealing with a new environment, imposter syndrome and the loneliness that comes with being away from home. He moved from Carricklea to Dublin, I moved from Kuala Lumpur to Adelaide. He got the “oh, you’re from ____? I know someone from there” – a phrase I’m not a stranger to as an international student. He struggled with feeling like he belonged. I did too.

In one of the paragraphs, Sally describes how Connell’s classmates were able to express their opinions and engage in seminars while he couldn’t so he feels “as though he has upgraded himself accidentally to an intellectual level far above his own”. I had to close the book for a second after reading that and stare into oblivion because of how well she articulated my experience in one sentence. Then I felt comforted because for the first time ever, I was able to truly relate to a character. 

So, I understand why "Normal People" isn’t for everyone. I think it’s one of those books that you have to experience in real life to enjoy it. Nonetheless, I think it’s worth the read!