I’m currently reading this book, coming to the end. It’s the first book of Rooney’s that have read (don’t know how I have managed to go this long without reading the other two, especially Normal People) and I don’t really know I feel about it. As a writing style you do kind of get used to it, but I find that I have to be really switched on to it every time that I go to read the book or I find myself getting overwhelmed by the pages and pages of unbroken text (I do love me a paragraph break). I find parts of it brilliant, but I also find myself wondering whether I think Rooney is worth the hype. Obviously can’t judge her on just one book and so that will probably be the thing that gets me to read another one of her books!
Thanks for your comment, Sophie. Interesting observation about getting overwhelmed by the length of paragraphs/ writing style. I suppose she can come across as pretentious, but not as much as, say, Naoise Dolan's "Exciting times" (she was dubbed as "the next Sally Rooney" which, of course, is a ridiculous label to have). I didn't read "Conversations with Friends", but I read "Normal People" and I liked it – truthfully, that came at a time when I felt I needed to read that type of book, so I might have been more indulgent in my critique. Also, imagine the pressure she must have had when writing this novel, given the success of "Normal People". I think she's become a tad too "mainstream" but if this means more people will pick up a book and read (contemporary) literature, then by no means, long live Sally Rooney
I’m currently reading this book, coming to the end. It’s the first book of Rooney’s that have read (don’t know how I have managed to go this long without reading the other two, especially Normal People) and I don’t really know I feel about it. As a writing style you do kind of get used to it, but I find that I have to be really switched on to it every time that I go to read the book or I find myself getting overwhelmed by the pages and pages of unbroken text (I do love me a paragraph break). I find parts of it brilliant, but I also find myself wondering whether I think Rooney is worth the hype. Obviously can’t judge her on just one book and so that will probably be the thing that gets me to read another one of her books!
Thanks for your comment, Sophie. Interesting observation about getting overwhelmed by the length of paragraphs/ writing style. I suppose she can come across as pretentious, but not as much as, say, Naoise Dolan's "Exciting times" (she was dubbed as "the next Sally Rooney" which, of course, is a ridiculous label to have). I didn't read "Conversations with Friends", but I read "Normal People" and I liked it – truthfully, that came at a time when I felt I needed to read that type of book, so I might have been more indulgent in my critique. Also, imagine the pressure she must have had when writing this novel, given the success of "Normal People". I think she's become a tad too "mainstream" but if this means more people will pick up a book and read (contemporary) literature, then by no means, long live Sally Rooney