Irish writer Sally Rooney is only 30 but is already well-known worldwide for her first two novels, Conversations with Friends and Normal People. And now her latest novel is here, with more thoughtful insight into the lives of millennials who aren’t exactly sure if they can make the world a better place.
Rooney’s combination of philosophical thoughts, authentic dialogue and appealing intimate scenes is a treat.
Alice and Eileen, the two main characters, became friends when they shared a room at the university in Dublin. Eileen won many academic awards, went on to a master’s degree in Irish literature, and got a job with a magazine; Alice, meanwhile, wrote a novel, had it published and ended up in New York for a while. She returned to Ireland after her second novel was published and took over a large house in a village not far from Dublin. She claimed to have earned one million euros from the books. (Since the majority of novelists don’t make that kind of money and Rooney does, is this proof Alice is based on Rooney?)
Eileen and Alice exchange emails regularly — unusually long emails that fill alternating chapters throughout the book. All of the other chapters feature an anonymous narrator who presents the details of what people do, but never tells what anyone is thinking.
In the opening chapter, Alice meets Felix in a pub; he’s a funny, matter-of-fact guy who works in a warehouse. He walks home with her to see the house she’s living in but doesn’t stay.
Eileen, who’s had a few boyfriends, tries to encourage Simon. He’s five years older and has known her since her mid-teens. A little mysterious and not comfortable in expressing himself, most people think he has a prestigious office job, but he says he doesn’t.
Eileen is typical of a lot of women her age: they and their boyfriends often have relationships, break up and stay friends. There’s no hurry to get married. But when she hits 30, Eileen thinks it’s time to work on Simon.
Kalpesh Lathigra photo
Sally Rooney, much like the late Carol Shields, relies on her command of the language rather than an overly inventive plot.
Alice is featured at a literary festival one night, and Felix goes along. Here’s an example of how the narrator handles it: “Alice answers questions about feminism, sexuality, the work of James Joyce, the role of the Catholic Church in Irish cultural life. Did Felix find her answers interesting, or was he bored? Was he thinking about her, or about something else, someone else? And onstage, speaking about her books, was Alice thinking about him? Did he exist for her in that moment, and if so, in what way?”
In their emails, Alice and Eileen often philosophize about the world decline. Eileen writes that modern life has turned ugly; Alice wants to know whether aesthetic experience is important. Eileen answers, “(I’m thinking) about what you wrote in your email about beauty and how difficult it is to believe that beauty could be important or meaningful when it’s just random. But it brings pleasure into life, doesn’t it?”
Alice, Eileen, Felix and Simon spend a lot of time together as the two relationships develop; there are lots of emotional exchanges full of fun or anger or upset. Alice and Felix may seem an odd couple, but they persevere. Eileen becomes impatient with Simon, feeling he doesn’t want to love her.
Wherever they are, Rooney delivers precise descriptive details and natural dialogue. She plays with format, often presenting long passages with no paragraphing, making it essential to keep reading closely.
Rooney’s subject matter and the characters’ discussions of love is reminiscent of the late Carol Shields’ fiction, particularly The Republic of Love — often hilarious, always vivid in its descriptions of surroundings and feelings. Shields relied on her wonderful command of language rather than inventive plot.
Sally Rooney relies on that, too, and she is just as successful.
Dave Williamson is the Winnipeg author of seven works of fiction.
Credit: Source link
