Normal People, Sally Rooney

Normal People by Sally Rooney showed up on so many top 10 lists for 2019, I added it to mine.  A television series is due based on the book in 2020.

Started: 1/24/2020
Completed: 1/27/2020
Recommendation: Not Recommended
Recommended By:  A top 10 list

Review:

This book has its moments and I did get something from it.  I enjoyed the occasional insight, such as, "...the same imagination needed to be a reader is needed to understand normal people and to relate to them..."  On the whole, however, I left the book uncomfortable.  There is a strong theme of a submissive woman who seems to seek abuse.  It is a sad and disturbing character trait to me.  Everyone gets to have their own sexual thing, but abuse seems just wrong to me.

In many ways I like the female protagonist and found things about her to which I could relate.  At the same time, the vast insecurity of the male protagonist was something I immediately saw in myself, but the cycles of mild abuse between him and the female protagonist made me uncomfortable.  While the book does find a way for a female submissive and a male non-dominant to find a way to make things work, it just left me uncomfortable.  It is not my cup of tea and it was so disconcerting that I can not recommend this book.