For Irish Literature, Spring 2026 :)

I did like this, though I didn't love it. I was invested during the first and last thirds but the middle section really slogged. Had to tackle this after limited familiarity with Rooney's work (I DNF'd Normal People a few years ago because I didn't like her stylistic choice to omit quotations), and I do understand the hype- some of Rooney's observations about modern relationships are accurate and her ability to develop effective, believable interiority in her Internet-poisoned characters is commendable. I enjoyed all of the scenes from Margaret's perspective, in particular, and I appreciate that Rooney chose to explore her character.

However, I hated how little depth Sylvia's character was afforded. She essentially functions as a martyr-like figure for Peter, existing only to be good and morally righteous, a foil to Naomi's naivete and sexual deviance. Naomi, though basically a caricature of an e-thot, has some scenes that reveal an intelligence to her (i.e., dinner table convo with Ivan).

I hated to ending too, for what it's worth. Felt like a cop out. As another review I saw said, I think Rooney liked Peter's character too much and couldn't bring herself to make him choose, to make an uncomfortable and difficult decision. The novel would've been so much richer to me had it had a more compelling ending.