NOW AN EMMY-NOMINATED HULU ORIGINAL SERIES • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE • “A stunning novel about the transformative power of relationships” (People) from the author of Conversations with Friends, “a master of the literary page-turner” (J. Courtney Sullivan).
“[A] novel that demands to be read compulsively, in one sitting.”—The Washington Post
ONE OF ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY’S TEN BEST NOVELS OF THE DECADE
TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: People, Slate, The New York Public Library, Harvard Crimson
Connell and Marianne grew up in the same small town, but the similarities end there. At school, Connell is popular and well liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation—awkward but electrifying—something life changing begins.
A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years at university, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. And as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other.
Normal People is the story of mutual fascination, friendship, and love. It takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find that they can’t.
WINNER: The British Book Award, The Costa Book Award, The An Post Irish Novel of the Year, Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award
BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, Oprah Daily, Time, NPR, The Washington Post, Vogue, Esquire, Glamour, Elle, Marie Claire, Vox, The Paris Review, Good Housekeeping, Town & Country
★★★★ // This story has a special way of creeping into your mind and heart without you realizing it. In a world that emphasizes individuality and the need to find your own self within a relationship (whatever it may be), this one talks about needing somebody. I am not a fan of co-dependence, but I like the arguments presented here about leaning onto the only person who actually understands your soul. I would have wanted to see more of Marianne and Connell’s history and relationships with other people, especially with their family. But I suppose the glimpses are enough to give us an idea as to what makes them gravitate toward each other.
For a few seconds, they just stood there in stillness, his arms around her, his breath on her ear. Most people go through their whole lives, Marianne thought, without ever really feeling that close to anyone.
Above everything, this is a great love story despite being quite depressing. It does not trivialize the mental and emotional turmoil that both of its main characters go through just to pack it into something romantic. It tries to let us understand both of their personalities so we can cheer on for their eventual happiness. I also loved the time jumps in between because it helps portray their growing familiarity. It was easy to understand and accept why both of them care about each other because you get a sense of how much their relationship changed through the years.
No one can be independent of other people completely, so why not give up the attempt, she thought, go running in the other direction, depend on other people for everything, allow them to depend on you, why not. She knows he loves her, she doesn’t wonder about that anymore.
And what about that ending though? So good. I think I’m making a trifecta with this, Summer Skin, and The Sea of Tranquility.
Favourite chapter: Four Months Later (January 2013)
