Everything I've heard about her books makes me never want to read them. Even the quotes people used to post as examples of her brilliant prose read like GCSE English 'This Is Proper Writing!' writing.
Belatedly read a Rooney this summer (Normal People) as part of a policy to challenge myself/abject laziness. I took no books and only read what other people chose or was in the villa (no pretensions to radical redistribution there). It was...fine? But I didn't get the fuss. My daughter's choice of The Invisible Life of Addy LaRue was much more fun.
Having read both of those books recently, I agree with you (although Addy really could have done more outrageous things with her time IMO but that’s a separate conversation). I really enjoyed Gallant by Schwab too. I listened to Julian Rhine Tutt read it to me via Libby. (Although my goodness that woman likes a metaphor (both incredibly impressive and sometimes a bit suffocating)).
I only read BWWAY? recently so I still remember the character names. I feel like they're beautifully written but in a distanced, alienating way which is probably why Sarah's brain hasn't felt the need to retain them.
OK but are they actually *characters*, is my question? The smartest observation I got into my BWWAY? review was that both the female leads are Rooney stand-ins, so we're really just reading her sending emails to herself. This great bit by Ann Manov in the TLS reminds me that one of the male leads in BWWAY? is a warehouse worker... and that too I had mind-purged, probably because it was unbearably cringe https://www.the-tls.co.uk/literature/fiction/intermezzo-sally-rooney-book-review-ann-manov
I read Conversations With Friends when it was first published and couldn't fathom the hype. 'They're not having conversations and they're not friends!' I thought. But it was memorable, because I reacted so strongly to it, so maybe that counts for something.
I loved the TV adaptation of Normal People (so I feel I should get round to reading it). But the TV adaptation of Conversations only confirmed what I hadn't liked about that book.
I enjoyed this essay by Courtenay Schembri Gray last month, in anticipation of Intermezzo, and realised it's not just me!
I can’t help feeling a bit of schadenfreude about this. I read Normal People and thought she was massively overrated, while acknowledging that I was not her target audience (too old). Such dull prose.
The footnote about Rooney's "luxurious subtle knitwear": I don't begrudge anyone wearing a highbrow knit but, yep, it feels an all too important part of her celeb persona and definitely at odds with poor Darren, for sure. I hadn't seen the owl & lonely rowboat shoot before and it's genius. Reminds me of those Lana del Rey video clips where she's smiling and laughing and being cute but then suddenly remembers her brand values and quickly puts on her usual sad, stone-faced expression.
That Atlantic article has reminded me that I am SO tired of seeing generational stereotypes rolled out by the “Diversity & Inclusion” types. An old guy being publicly grumpy used to be regarded as a curmudgeon, not a typical representative of his generation.
My daughter toldme to read 'Normal People' because 'it's brilliant'. I ordered the audiobook and whilst finding it readable (listenable), didn't really like any of the characters in it. As for the two main characters, I wanted to clash their heads together. I think it's my age - I have a 30 year old daughter and sometimes I just don't 'get' the world they live in. As for Irish authors, I prefer John Boyne and Marian Keyes who both smile when photographed.
Everything I've heard about her books makes me never want to read them. Even the quotes people used to post as examples of her brilliant prose read like GCSE English 'This Is Proper Writing!' writing.
The luhg
Interview her and keep asking her about Wagatha and is she still in touch with Wayne?
I think she would enjoy that nearly as much as she enjoys the owl picture.
Belatedly read a Rooney this summer (Normal People) as part of a policy to challenge myself/abject laziness. I took no books and only read what other people chose or was in the villa (no pretensions to radical redistribution there). It was...fine? But I didn't get the fuss. My daughter's choice of The Invisible Life of Addy LaRue was much more fun.
Having read both of those books recently, I agree with you (although Addy really could have done more outrageous things with her time IMO but that’s a separate conversation). I really enjoyed Gallant by Schwab too. I listened to Julian Rhine Tutt read it to me via Libby. (Although my goodness that woman likes a metaphor (both incredibly impressive and sometimes a bit suffocating)).
The owl pic made me properly LOL.
I only read BWWAY? recently so I still remember the character names. I feel like they're beautifully written but in a distanced, alienating way which is probably why Sarah's brain hasn't felt the need to retain them.
OK but are they actually *characters*, is my question? The smartest observation I got into my BWWAY? review was that both the female leads are Rooney stand-ins, so we're really just reading her sending emails to herself. This great bit by Ann Manov in the TLS reminds me that one of the male leads in BWWAY? is a warehouse worker... and that too I had mind-purged, probably because it was unbearably cringe https://www.the-tls.co.uk/literature/fiction/intermezzo-sally-rooney-book-review-ann-manov
I read Conversations With Friends when it was first published and couldn't fathom the hype. 'They're not having conversations and they're not friends!' I thought. But it was memorable, because I reacted so strongly to it, so maybe that counts for something.
I loved the TV adaptation of Normal People (so I feel I should get round to reading it). But the TV adaptation of Conversations only confirmed what I hadn't liked about that book.
I enjoyed this essay by Courtenay Schembri Gray last month, in anticipation of Intermezzo, and realised it's not just me!
https://substack.com/@courtenaywrites/p-148180687
I can’t help feeling a bit of schadenfreude about this. I read Normal People and thought she was massively overrated, while acknowledging that I was not her target audience (too old). Such dull prose.
The footnote about Rooney's "luxurious subtle knitwear": I don't begrudge anyone wearing a highbrow knit but, yep, it feels an all too important part of her celeb persona and definitely at odds with poor Darren, for sure. I hadn't seen the owl & lonely rowboat shoot before and it's genius. Reminds me of those Lana del Rey video clips where she's smiling and laughing and being cute but then suddenly remembers her brand values and quickly puts on her usual sad, stone-faced expression.
That Atlantic article has reminded me that I am SO tired of seeing generational stereotypes rolled out by the “Diversity & Inclusion” types. An old guy being publicly grumpy used to be regarded as a curmudgeon, not a typical representative of his generation.
My daughter toldme to read 'Normal People' because 'it's brilliant'. I ordered the audiobook and whilst finding it readable (listenable), didn't really like any of the characters in it. As for the two main characters, I wanted to clash their heads together. I think it's my age - I have a 30 year old daughter and sometimes I just don't 'get' the world they live in. As for Irish authors, I prefer John Boyne and Marian Keyes who both smile when photographed.