Normal People

A Novel

By: Sally Rooney

Narrated by: Aoife McMahon

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Now an Emmy-nominated a Hulu original series • New York Times best seller

"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).

One of the 10 best novels of the decade - Entertainment Weekly

Ten best books of the year - People, Slate, the New York Public Library, Harvard Crimson

Best books of the year - The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, O: The Oprah Magazine, Time, NPR, The Washington Post, Vogue, Esquire, Glamour, Elle, Marie Claire, Vox, The Paris Review, Good Housekeeping, Town & Country

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.

Praise for Normal People

"[A] novel that demands to be read compulsively, in one sitting." (The Washington Post)

"Arguably the buzziest novel of the season, Sally Rooney’s elegant sophomore effort...is a worthy successor to Conversations with Friends. Here, again, she unflinchingly explores class dynamics and young love with wit and nuance." (The Wall Street Journal)

"[Rooney] has been hailed as the first great millennial novelist for her stories of love and late capitalism.... [She writes] some of the best dialogue I’ve read." (The New Yorker)

©2019 Sally Rooney (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"[Narrator] Aoife McMahon, a skillful actor with a gorgeous Irish accent, makes each personality idiosyncratic and believable, and perfectly captures their confusion at being young and emotionally innocent, and trying to be decent but with no idea how to manage it. Rooney's subtle writing and engrossing plot work with McMahon's nimble and witty performance to balance your sympathies on a knife edge between these unforgettable characters." (AudioFile Magazine)

“I’m transfixed by the way Rooney works, and I’m hardly the only one...like any confident couturier, she’s slicing the free flow of words into the perfect shape.... She writes about tricky commonplace things (text messages, sex) with a familiarity no one else has.” (The Paris Review)

"This superb book more than lives up to the high expectations set for it by Rooney's lauded first novel.... Showcasing Rooney's focus and ability in building character relationships that are as subtle and infinite as real-life ones, and her perceptive portrayal of class, Normal People gets at the hard work of becoming a person and the near impossibility of knowing if a first love is a true one." (Booklist)

"I went into a tunnel with this book and didn’t want to come out. Absolutely engrossing and surprisingly heart-breaking with more depth, subtlety, and insight than any one novel deserves. Young love is a subject of much scorn, but Rooney understands the cataclysmic effects our youth has on the people we become. She has restored not only love’s dignity, but also its significance." (Stephanie Danler, author of Sweetbitter)

Boring and Insipid

Honestly, I kept waiting for something,,,ANYTHING...to happen.. I have read slice-of-life books before that were entertaining or even riveting.. The characters in this book are one-dimensional and monotonous.. The story meanders here and there but nothing of consequence ever really happens. Don't waste your time.

Esoteric...

A rather esoteric story, and the characters are not fully developed. Additionally, it’s a bit choppy listening to the audible version.

Phenomenal Performance

The book itself is a masterpiece but this review is dedicated towards the audio performance. The narrator was brilliantly skilful in her interpretation of each character/individual voices. I’m especially impressed by her Connell's tone. It really sounds like a male voice! Though at time she struggled to express some of his intense emotions such as anger (mind you this is rather rare for Connell), her overall pace, pitch, intonation, timbre, etc. approach perfection. As I have described to my housemate after reading/listening to the book, the audio performance completed the whole experience. Highly recommend!

It can’t be over!

I read this because I watched the show on Hulu. I watched it all in one day because it sucked me right in! I couldn’t wait to see what happened next so I got the book, only to find out that was it! The end! There needs to be a second book. I don’t go for much romance or books that make me cry, but this book really got me. I just love the main characters. I love that they are broken and that together they feel whole. Beautiful

Normal people with normal problems.

So glad I found author Sally Rooney. I hope she continues to produce these mass market almost literature novels.

Rooney’s work hits the heart with her writing of people with issues they learn to live with.

Narrated by the exceptional Aoife McMahon, the Irish accents are spot on, of course. If you haven’t heard her other narrations I encourage you to check them out.

Well worth the listen.

An entire life in a small book

How rare to get a sharp, emotionally fineedged read from a book without all the bells and whistles. Deeply believable and satisfying. A pitch perfect slice of life ---- a glimpse into lives so new to this experienced reader. Fine writing, dialog so real it was almost alarming.

The performance was perfect too. Yipee!

Finding your normal

Really interesting story about finding love for someone and for yourself. An adventure for sure.

Ending was in line with the plot

I enjoyed the narration. I'm in love with the Irish accent now. I struggled with the plot though. I was hoping there would be more in terms of questions being eventually answered . Unfortunately there wasn't. Just an abrupt ending.

Couldn't Stop

I loved this book on so many levels. The story focusing on the inner lives of these characters was so sweet, painful and most of all, relatable. The narration is fantastic with a range of different Irish accents featured that completely bring the characters to life. I can't wait to listen to the author's other book and hope it's the same narrator!

Amazing

This story is amazing. I read it for a book club where we then were able to discuss the underlying messages that were given throughout. Definitely would recommend to a friend!