Normal People - Sally Rooney *****

Considering this is the first book that i annotated since i left school, this does deserves a special place in my heart.

Blurb: At school Connell and Marianne pretend not to know each other. He’s popular and well-adjusted, star of the school soccer team while she is lonely, proud, and intensely private. But when Connell comes to pick his mother up from her housekeeping job at Marianne’s house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers - one they are determined to conceal.

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 in college, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. Then, 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.

Sally Rooney brings her brilliant psychological acuity and perfectly spare prose to a story that explores the subtleties of class, the electricity of first love, and the complex entanglements of family and friendship. (Goodreads)

I felt like i was back in my literature class when i first read the ebook, and i even recommended this book to my then literature teacher, Ms. Vyvette, my favorite teacher. I first read the ebook but then i bought the physical copy the moment it became available and only yesterday i finished annotating it.

I don't think my review will do justice for the masterpiece the book is but here i will rant about it, because this is easily one of my best reads in 2022. People say this book is overhyped, but i personally have seen more negative reviews than positive reviews. Most complaining about the lack of quotation marks in the book, which i didn't find problematic at all.

So this is about Marianne and Connell who meets each other in school but gets to know each other because his mom does cleaning for her mom. They were attracted to each other and it was pretty obvious but as Connell was over-conscious of what people thought of him, he avoided Marianne at school because she was an outcast and were disgusted by many.

They had a relationship, more like a friends with benefits, honestly i can't tell about their relationship because, even when they get back together several times, they didn't talk about what kind of a relationship they have and refuses to tell that they were a couple even when they acted like one.

Because Connell didn't take Marianne for Debs, they fell out, because obviously at that point it was obvious that Connell was just using Marianne, as his own mother pointed out and blamed him. Lorraine is definitely an important character because she wasn't afraid to voice and blame her son when he did questionable things and most of the time, it related to his relationship with Marianne.

They went several months without communicating and they met back in University, because they both chose the same place, Trinity. At that time, there was a role reversal, because now Marianne was the popular kid with friends while Connell had no one and struggled to fit in, because he felt like an outcast due to his poor financial status and this becomes a major problem between him and Marianne, because Connell is always aware that he's poor and M is rich.

After several months they got back together again, and when Peggy asked if they were a couple, they said no, clearly not having figured out what exactly their relationship is because it was obvious that they are attracted to each other and they feel comfortable around each other than with anyone else.

Then later because he was told that his work pay will be reduced, Connell realised he can't pay rent and he had to leave. He wished to ask Marianne if he can stay with her, clearly not wanting to ask money, because at that time he already spent most of his time in her place. But he kept putting off the talk and when he finally did bring it up, Marianne asked if he's going back home and Connell couldn't ask whether he can stay with her. When he asked whether she'll be seeing anyone else then, she thought he was breaking up and said yes and soon after he left, Connell got to know that she's dating a rich boy; Jamie. This clearly shows miscommunication between them because Connell didn't ask whether he can stay with her and Marianne thought he was breaking up with her. When they meet again and they brought back on this topic, they clearly understood that they they didn't properly understand each other because if he asked, Marianne would've let him stay with her.

After a while Connell also started dating another girl called Helen, and Marianne was still with Jamie. While Connell didn't approve of her dating Jamie, Marianne was sad when he finally says he's dating someone and that he loves her because, up to that time Connell had never dated anyone else. Although they went a while without talking, when they meet again in their hometown, they became best friends again, although it was clear that they are pretty much attracted to each other.

After a shit show with Jamie, Marianne broke up with him and she had to go abroad for a year of study but she and Connell were still talking and he was still dating Helen, but it was obvious that Helen felt jealous of his relationship with Marianne and felt inferior to her because, after Rob's funeral, Helen points out that he gives special attention to Marianne and so did he, by giving her full attention when he's talking, which she doesn't give anyone else. Then they break up, but at this point, Connell was severely depressed after Rob's death and we get to know that it was Marianne who helped him.

Finally they got together again, but in the end again (might) go separate ways because Connell got an offer for a job abroad and Marianne was sensitive about it, because he didn't tell her that he even applied. At the end, she kept saying that he should go because "i'll always be here, you know that". The book ended as an open ending,

This is the shortest version of the book and honestly it was more frustrating and heart-wrenching than i thought and it was just sad. It was clear that they were meant to be together and that they were attracted to each other, but due to lack of proper communication and financial differences, they always got separated but, no matter how long it took and even if they ended up dating others, they still found each other. I'm not a believer of soulmates but i just can't seem to think of any other word except soulmates to connect Marianne and Connell, because in its strictest sense, they were indeed soulmates.

"Maybe they were curious to observe the chemistry between two people who, over the course of several years, apparently could not leave one another alone."

This book is heart-wrenching because both Marianne and Connell were broken characters and more Marianne because, she constantly suffered because of her own family and although she appeared to be brave, she was too insecure, and constantly thought she was a bad person not deserving love. She completely neglected herself and accepted things without fighting back because she thought she deserved all of the things happening to her. But in the end, if was obvious that Connell changed her. "He brought goodness like a gift and now it belongs to her.... they've done a lot of good for each other. Really, she thinks, really. People can really change one another."

And it was clear that she undoubtedly changed Connell too and he refers to that for several times in the book. "You really have been so supportive of me." They considered themselves to be not normal, but when they were together they were normal because, Marianne and Connell understood each other and shares same interests and opinion. They ended up changing each other and Connell didn't care about what others think of him that much anymore.

In my opinion, if they just had proper conversations and communicated what they want from each other, things would've turned out pretty well for them, because it was obvious that M ended up questioning whether he actually loves her or not because she "doesn't find it obvious what you want." But she knew he loves her and she loves him too because there was no one else for each other and they never felt lonely around each other.

In the end, Connell said that "say you want me to stay and i will", " i'm never going to feel the same way for someone else," but she ended up telling him to go, to go and follow his dreams, because she will always be there. I'm not sure about the exact reason why she's urging him to go, but it might be because she wants to be worthy, and she wants to sort out her life and let Connell follow his dreams, because she knows how much he loves reading. And when she said, "i'll always be here, you know that", i guess it was true, because no matter what happened in their lives they always found each other and she knew even if he goes, one day they'll be together.

"But in the end she has done something for him, she's made a new life possible, and she can always feel good about that."

For me, as a person who doesn't exact like open endings, this felt more like a happy ending, because no matter what happens in their lives, Marianne and Connell will definitely find each other again and end up together, regardless of how long it will take, because they are simply meant to be together and they are soulmates and i'm sure of it.

This book may not be for everyone but only those who likes it will see the absolute beauty in this book. As one youtuber said, if Sally Rooney publishes a shopping list, even i will end up reading it. This novel depicts how beautiful and magical literature honestly is and i'm just sad i never got around to do this for literature because it would've been an absolute heart-warming ride.

And what other way to end this review, than with a quote that perfectly explains Marianne and Connell,

"All these years they've been like two little plants sharing the same plot of soil, growing around one another, contorting to make room, taking certain unlikely positions."