This is the first book I’ve read by Sally Rooney and I have to say for all the negative reviews I actually thought this was excellent. It’s raw and honest and real life. I loved how she didn’t spare us the messy parts. Romance - especially one that involves a married person are very complicated and never just one thing. For some an affair is a sign of trouble but for others it’s just another rung in the ladder of potential growth together. Depending on your age, how you were raised, your life experiences, intellect, income, social life etc…you could be for it, against it or ambivalent. Being a child of the 70’s I was raised that miserable or not you stay married. I am married and used to think I would never tolerate an affair (my husband would never) but now that I’ve been married for 20 years and I’m older and have life experience I can’t say that I would throw my husband out if he admitted to an affair. I love him so much it’s just not that cut and dry. I’ve learned nothing is all one way or another. We are complicated beings. Ultimately marriage is a commitment and I feel it should be honored but for others they don’t see anything wrong with having an open marriage. I don’t get it but it does work for some couples. Frances is YOUNG. Will she and Nick work out? Pry not but it takes some people longer than others to work things out for themselves. She is young and dealing with mental illness and she’s just been giving a difficult health diagnosis. She doesn’t have money, she’s rudderless…so naturally, she would be drawn to Nick who seems to be established, although not without his own issues. She’s grasping for some thing to land on. She’s not in a good place. If she ever does get to a good place, she might be able to see the relationship for what it is and be able to move on. I know many reviews think Bobbi is not good for Frances but I kind of saw her as someone who was a true friend, who really did love Francis. She took care of her and really listened to her and “saw” her. They were able to forgive each other for slights and move forward. I think this book just opened me up to the idea that people are not one thing or another. We’re so many different things (Francis was the embodiment of that) and there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that. It’s just how life goes. Sometimes we all want things to makes sense. We all want things to be in categories, but it’s interesting to me to think about a world where we don’t have any labels or gender assignments etc…If we just looked at people as people and not with all these preassigned roles. It’ll be interesting to see how the world continues to develop because it seems like it’s going in that direction BUT it’s very hard to turn the ship around when you’ve been headed in the same way for so long. One thing that a lot of people had a problem with is the whole no quotation marks-I thought I would too, as I’ve never read a book before that didn’t have them, but it didn’t seem to be an issue with this book. I’m looking forward to starting her next book Normal People. Hopefully it’s just as good.

A debut novel that doesn’t deliver. After reading normal people, which I loved, from the same author I thought we’d have some sort of character development from our protagonist, but was disappointed. The novel is mostly about the protagonist’s relationship with Bobbi whom I found to be in a toxic, codependent and abusive relationship with her. When I finally thought we got rid of her and our main character would FINALLY be able to find herself and flourish without the tyranny of Bobbi, well that didn’t happen. I understand that at 21 our scope is limited but to see her go back to that toxic codependent environment was just awful…perhaps a second novel about these characters where we see her find new friends and mature in her romantic relationships would salvage this. I doubt it will happen though because this author seems to love these weird no resolution endings.

Incredibly surprised at some of these reviews. I was disappointed entirely, from the characters to the writing itself. It was difficult to follow and I found myself racing to finish purely because I wanted to be done with it. Absolutely would not recommend and now I’m off put from the author all together.

A definite modern day love story. Love.

Amazing!!

First fiction book I’ve read in 20 years. Slow start. HOOKED at the end!

This is the author’s first book and it feels like one. I desperately wanted to enjoy this book but nothing really happens.

I didn’t like a single character in this book. They were all super woke, annoying, selfish, and self important. I would never want to be friends with any of them. But I was so interested to read what would happen next! Sally Rooney is a beautiful and talented writer and I was so impressed with this book. How did she make me care what would happen to these characters when I found them all to be horrible people? She has a way of making the characters feel alive. Wonderful storytelling.

Rooney is a brilliant writer in many respects. Her ability to capture conversations - partly as they are, mostly how we wish they were - is breathtaking at times. But her naive and ultimately tiresome view of politics and related topics ultimately undermines her story telling. Unlikely to read another of her books.

this was the first book I have read in a while and i couldn’t put it down. I wish it were 1 million pages long. I love the characters.