Hello book-lovers! Hope you are doing well.✨
In my last book review of normal people, @aleximprovement suggested me to read Conversations with Friends. Being a sally rooney fan, how can I not take it seriously. So, here I am with book review of "Conversations with Friends", which I just finished reading and I can't help but feel mixed emotions. I’ll be honest after reading "Normal People," I went in with high expectations. While "Normal People" still holds the crown as my favorite, Rooney certainly doesn't disappoint with his previous work.
The novel follows Frances, a 21-year-old college student and aspiring writer as she explores intimate relationships with her best friend Bobby and elderly couple Nick and Melissa Since the beginning, it drew me into Frances’ world, her character and underlying tensions.
Again I shout, Rooney knows how to capture the messiness of human relationships. The characters are flawed, almost frustrating, but that’s what makes them feel real. I found myself alternately rooting for Frances and wanting to stop as she stumbled through her affair with Nick and her developing friendship with Bobbi. There is a raw honesty in the way she portrays young adulthood that resonated with me, leading to my own confused attempts to find memories of life and love.
While the story may seem simple on the surface, the emotional complexity is what really drives the story. Rooney delves into issues of intimacy, power dynamics, and identity.
That said, I can see why some readers struggle with the book. Francis isn’t always likable, and the characters’ actions can sometimes be frustrating. But for me, that’s part of what makes the novel so interesting. It is a brutally honest portrait of the sometimes selfish, often depressed young adults. Even I felt like leaving it in between, but somehow I completed it, and that indeed was a good decision
Compared to "normal people" I'd say that "conversations with friends" feels a little rougher, maybe less polished. But that rawness gives it a different kind of energy. While it might not have unseated "Normal People" as my favorite, it's certainly secured Rooney's place as an author whose work I'll eagerly anticipate.
If you enjoyed "Normal People," or if you're a fan of character fiction that doesn't shy away from the messier aspects of human nature, give "Conversations with Friends" a read.
Let me know, what you guys think of itđź’ś
Till then, goodbyeđź’«