Normal people, by Sally Rooney

Conversations with friends, Rooney’s first book, published when she was only 27, was rapturously received when it came out in 2017.  This new novel, set in western Ireland, has also been very well reviewed.  As in her first book, the main characters are very young – by the end of Normal people they’ve barely graduated from college.  Beginning in high school, wealthy but friendless Marianne and popular, working class Connell form an emotional and physical relationship.  Connell’s mother cleans Marianne’s house and Connell begins to take interest in the troubled, bright girl when he picks his mother up from work.  Soon they are sleeping together regularly, but completely avoid each other at school to hide this connection.  When Marianne decides to go to Trinity to college, she convinces Connell, who is also very bright but conceals it, to apply as well.  At college, their roles reverse – suddenly Marianne has a host of friends, boyfriends, and lovers, while Connell struggles to find his place and feels left on the outside.  College seems to consist of boozy parties, hooking up, and smoking.  Somehow course work is fitted in as well.  The book covers four years and during this time Marianne and Connell’s relationship will wax and wane, but always be in the background of each other’s thoughts.  Miss Rooney seems to be a voice of her generation.  Like her first book, this novel will probably speak much more to readers a lot younger than I.  273 pp.