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Normal People
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Now an Emmy-nominated a Hulu original series • New York Times best seller
"A stunning novel about the transformative power of relationships" (People) from the author of Conversations with Friends, "a master of the literary page-turner" (J. Courtney Sullivan).
One of the 10 best novels of the decade - Entertainment Weekly
Ten best books of the year - People, Slate, the New York Public Library, Harvard Crimson
Best books of the year - The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, O: The Oprah Magazine, Time, NPR, The Washington Post, Vogue, Esquire, Glamour, Elle, Marie Claire, Vox, The Paris Review, Good Housekeeping, Town & Country
Connell and Marianne grew up in the same small town, but the similarities end there. At school, Connell is popular and well liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation - awkward but electrifying - something life changing begins.
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 at university, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. And 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.
Normal People is the story of mutual fascination, friendship, and love. It takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find that they can’t.
Praise for Normal People
"[A] novel that demands to be read compulsively, in one sitting." (The Washington Post)
"Arguably the buzziest novel of the season, Sally Rooney’s elegant sophomore effort...is a worthy successor to Conversations with Friends. Here, again, she unflinchingly explores class dynamics and young love with wit and nuance." (The Wall Street Journal)
"[Rooney] has been hailed as the first great millennial novelist for her stories of love and late capitalism.... [She writes] some of the best dialogue I’ve read." (The New Yorker)
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What the critics say
"[Narrator] Aoife McMahon, a skillful actor with a gorgeous Irish accent, makes each personality idiosyncratic and believable, and perfectly captures their confusion at being young and emotionally innocent, and trying to be decent but with no idea how to manage it. Rooney's subtle writing and engrossing plot work with McMahon's nimble and witty performance to balance your sympathies on a knife edge between these unforgettable characters." (AudioFile Magazine)
“I’m transfixed by the way Rooney works, and I’m hardly the only one...like any confident couturier, she’s slicing the free flow of words into the perfect shape.... She writes about tricky commonplace things (text messages, sex) with a familiarity no one else has.” (The Paris Review)
"This superb book more than lives up to the high expectations set for it by Rooney's lauded first novel.... Showcasing Rooney's focus and ability in building character relationships that are as subtle and infinite as real-life ones, and her perceptive portrayal of class, Normal People gets at the hard work of becoming a person and the near impossibility of knowing if a first love is a true one." (Booklist)
"I went into a tunnel with this book and didn’t want to come out. Absolutely engrossing and surprisingly heart-breaking with more depth, subtlety, and insight than any one novel deserves. Young love is a subject of much scorn, but Rooney understands the cataclysmic effects our youth has on the people we become. She has restored not only love’s dignity, but also its significance." (Stephanie Danler, author of Sweetbitter)
What listeners say about Normal People
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Dmitriy
- 2020-10-08
Great !
Im happy i didnt listen to the reviews as i personally loved everything about this story . I found it clever and touching and quite realistic. Thought the narrator did a great job as well
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1 person found this helpful
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- Krissy
- 2022-12-21
A good read
I really enjoyed this book and I enjoyed the performance of the reader as well. I get it now. I get why this book is popular and I’m really glad that I read it.
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- madison
- 2024-05-08
An imaginatively marvellous representation of relationships
I feel this book vividly expressed the human conditions and conflicts faced by the complexities and faults of interpersonal communication.
Beautiful book
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- Katy
- 2020-06-15
Not quite sure about the hype for this one...
A back and forth love story that alternates between the main characters perspectives. An easy summer read: it doesn't feel like there is much to it. If you're looking for something light to listen to while puttering around, this book is a good fit. There isn't much of a plot, no big revelations, the characters seem to run up against the same obstacles over and over again, but perhaps that is the point of Normal People - a glimpse into the "life altering" yet mundane relationships and circumstances people find themselves in time and time again.
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- Felix Dutcher
- 2024-02-18
Amazing
I felt captivated the entire time, and genuinely cared about the characters. (I need to add more words to be able to submit lmao)
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- missrennyp
- 2020-12-30
probably 3.5
I have no idea how I feel about this book. First off, I thought the narrator was great no issues there. I think it was just a lot of me wanting to rip my hair out at the weird way the communicate with one another - or lack thereof. Overall, I think it was great, touched on a lot of heavy subjects - abuse, mental illness, sexual harassment/assault, suicide. Overall I think 3.5 for the story!
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1 person found this helpful
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- cj
- 2020-06-28
Disturbingly Normal
Extremely well performed. The characters have so much life to share. Appreciated the slow reveal on the impact that home life can have in your ability to try and live a normal life. If such a thing exists. The TV series fills in some gaps but the book stands firmly on its own.
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- cookie
- 2019-11-15
excellent storytelling.
loved the dialogue. felt so connected to these characters and was anguished for them when they misinterpreted each others intentions. very insightful portrayal of a high functioning victim of abuse.
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- David
- 2021-01-13
Read this instead of listen
Maybe it’s just me but I was just really turned off by the narrator in the audiobook. It kind of ruined the book for me to be completely honest - I couldn’t even finish it. The narration on the audiobook was just a little strange when the female narrator would try to mimic a deep masculine voice. It took the escapism of Sally’s writing away from me.
Overall, the story is generally good. However, I’m disappointed I wasted my audible credit on this book.
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2 people found this helpful
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- JillP
- 2023-07-16
Like a long bus ride
Like a long bus ride with pretty scenery. You feel you should stay awake and enjoy it; but, it ends up being repetitive, meandering, and it just induces a good nap.
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