a bit long

a reasonable tale but for me, lacking a string central plot. I will try the author agai ut or a book I will remember

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Unexpected powerful read

Well written insight to the struggle of growing up in with dysfunctional family dynamics and the lasting effects of trying to fit in

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Loved this book, well written and read, would have loved a sequel

Loved this book, well written and read, would have loved a sequel. The characters were complicated and lovable and the story was so relatable and addictive

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5 people found this helpful

immature

Very dull and immature book. There was no real story line just a series of uninteresting happenings. Almost like this was written in a way that someone read out their own diary yet nothing of any interest happened.

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Normal scenes but well done

I felt like this book was made whole by its lack of glamour and the expectations of what the characters ought to be doing, it’s a great read

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2 people found this helpful

Enjoyed the plot

I think this was a charming book. Even with some of the language in the book being a bit rude, it didn’t take away from the interesting story between the two. Enjoyed the book overall

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I loved this book

Incredibly real characters so well written and fleshed out. I just adored it. The reading was great as well. Cannot recommend it enough.

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1 person found this helpful

Normal and boring

I have been hunting for the English version of this for ages. I had seen endless reviews of the TV show which I couldn’t see because I live in a country where it was not available so was excited to finally get my hands on the audio book - and it was so disappointing! A boring story of teenage sex….oh well. The delivery was, for me, also irritating: I can imagine male and female voices in my head when I read, I don’t need a woman to lower her voice for the male parts in an audio book, it’s just sounds ridiculous. Didn’t finish this one. Got about third of the way through and found a more interesting book.

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Good read but live up to the hype (in my opinion!)

Lots of people adore this book and I can see why - the premise is good, the two protagonists are extremely well drawn but to me at times I felt it was far too angsty. I felt the first half to two thirds read like upscale literary Young Adult. Unlike other reviewers here, I have not watched the television series. I wanted to read it because I grew up in Ireland and attended Trinity College Dublin around the same time the early part of the book is set, I was involved in some of the student publications she mentions. The writing is very good but in my opinion Sally Rooney missed a great opportunity to describe Trinity physically. I found that weird because where the main characters would attend their lectures is in a hulking modern building that really contrasts with the rest of the architecture. I don’t know why she didn’t describe it but would describe how a half eaten ice cream looked? I guess you are always going to be a bit more critical when the setting played a big part in your role too. It is fiction but I found the class divide stuff very over blown. Yes, there are wealthy snobs like Peggy and Jamie but the majority of people I knew came from middle of the road backgrounds and there wasn’t snobbery around boys wearing tracksuits - the place was full of them! However, I can imagine it in certain circles. I think what I am trying to say is that this novel describes a very specific social scene in the College. Outside of my personal reservations, I felt a lot was unsaid regarding Marianne’s family and more exposition about why they behaved the way they did would have helped give a better understanding of her complex personality. Yet Connell’s mother Lorraine was a very good supporting character. The issues around mental health were dealt with well and I felt the author did a really good job around how different people cope. A final fault - it would have been nice to have more of Marianne and Connell happy in each other’s company rather than the endless torture - it would have provided in my humble opinion a nice contrast. However, I would recommend this as a coming of age story. I think it also would spark good debate in a book club. Despite my reservations I am curious to watch at least an episode of the television series as I imagine it may translate over better than the book given how popular it was.
Oh - I liked the narrator overall but as an Irish person I found her attempts at the male voices over done and distracting.

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9 people found this helpful

Gets better as it goes along

This is different to how I thought it would be, in that it was a romance between two young college students and the connection they have with each other. Was the first book I have tried by this author and it made easy listening. .

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