I feel like I was late on the train of reading Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney, but let me tell you, I loved it!! After tearing through Normal People last summer but not really loving it, and then finding a new appreciation for the characters and story in the Hulu adaptation, I was ready to digest more of Rooney’s work.
Conversations with Friends was all that it was hyped up to be, in my opinion. I found the characters so much more likable than Marianne and Connell in Normal People. Although the storyline was not relatable to my life essentially at all, I felt like I could personally relate to each and every character in some way. They were funny, quirky, and shared all of the “normal person” thoughts and anxieties that make us human.
I really liked how in this book, Frances was narrating the story. As a reader you grew close to her quickly. I was rooting for her the whole time. I also liked how Rooney used instant messaging as a means of communication between characters. It felt modern and fresh, like it could have happened last week.
I talked to a friend about this a few weeks ago when I finished it, and she pointed out the near obsession that Rooney’s characters seem to have with being “normal”. I think that’s what drew me into this book as well. The characters were just normal- random people that gave us a glimpse into their every day lives. I like how Rooney’s stories are nothing spectacular or action-packed. They romanticize daily life in a way that I think is special, realistic, and important. She doesn’t write fairytale romances, she writes real ones.
Lastly, if you read Normal People first like me, you may have noticed that Marianne makes a few cameos in Frances and Bobbi’s friend group. Little Easter eggs like this bring me so much joy!
This book was interesting, relatable, funny, steamy, suspenseful, and somehow comforting. If you have read it, I would love to hear what you think about the ending! It felt just right for me but I know other friends were left unsatisfied.
xx, Lauren
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