To read Normal People by Sally Rooney or not to read Normal People by Sally Rooney? That is the question
Irish star crossed lovers
I remember when I first laid eyes on Normal People, the second novel from Irish author Sally Rooney. It’s cover first attracted me, the couple squashed inside a sardine tin. The block color. I flipped it over and read the blurb – a pair of star crossed lovers from rural Ireland who head to Trinity reminded me instantly the numerous Maeve Binchy novels I read as a teen. Put off by this I returned it to the shelf and moved on.
The book went on to be phenomenally popular. You couldn’t move for people talking about it. Normal People won the Costa Award for best novel, it was a best seller across the pond and Sally Rooney was hailed as ‘the first great millennial novelist’. This resulted in MORE people reading it. Except me, who was somehow put off by its success.
The inevitable adaptation
In an era where anything in paper form seems to get snapped up by TV, it was no surprise when the BBC announced Normal People would be made in to a series. It’s debut, one of the last things to be filmed before lock down, landed on our screens on 27th April to phenomenal success. ‘It authentically captures modern love’. ‘It’s beautifully accurate to the book’, it even has realistic sex scenes complete with a very pc ‘intimacy co-ordinator’. Everyone loved it, so I avoided it. As with books, I’m strangely put off by successful, trendy TV series: Killing Eve, Bird Box, Line of Duty, if it’s trendy I avoid it. I don’t know why, I just don’t like feeling like a sheep watching something just because everyone else is. I also (obviously) hadn’t read the book and for me, TV before book is a big no no.
Sucked in
Fast forward to week 8 of lock down. Husband was in the middle of a virtual ale club and I was stuck for stuff to watch whilst ironing. Flicking through IPlayer I stumbled upon Normal People. It was that or Mrs Brown’s Boys. It was an easy choice. Before I even realised it I had watched 4 episodes back to back. Nothing much happens, there is a lot of sex, I’m not sure why Connell and Marianne are so attracted to each other and Connell is a bit of a dick at the start unable to hold anything near a proper conversation. Yet there is something strangely compulsive about it. It helps that each episode is only half an hour long. It helps that Connell and Marianne are both very easy on the eye. Yet with 8 episodes to go you get the feeling there is still a lot of break up/make up still to come. Yet despite this inevitableness the next episode is on my planner and will probably be watched.
Do I buy the book?
So the question remains, do I buy and read the book? If I watch the series is there any need for me to read the book? Should I stop watching the series and read the book immediately? Do I abandon ship altogether knowing I have been sucked in due to extenuating circumstances? I’m leaving it to you to decide. Head over to Twitter (@booksocialuk) and press the voting button. If you vote yes I will buy it from my favorite indie book shop and read. If no I will return to my ironing pile and IPlayer.
