Normal People Book Review

"No two persons ever read the same book." —Edmund Wilson

 

I don't often review books. I find that reviews are subjective. I don't buy books just because they're bestsellers, or have positive reviews, and I'm not concerned about negative reviews. Many of the books that I picked up in the past, and thoroughly enjoyed, were by chance. It's been more than a year that I cannot find a fiction interesting enough for me to want to finish. My mind often wonders off, and I move on to something different. For a writer, this is disheartening. It wasn't that the books I picked weren't good, they just weren't for me until I came across Normal People by the Irish writer, Sally Rooney, suggested by a staff member at the Museum of Literature in Dublin.

The story starts with the odd relationship between Marianne and Connell, two troubled souls who have an on and off relationship. Connell is the son of Marianne's Mom's housekeeper. He is young, insecure, and constantly cares about what the outsiders think of him. Marianne's family is dysfunctional, and don't care whether she is dead or alive. This and the fact no one ever taught Marianne to love herself, pushes her to seek love from abusive men. Throughout the story, the one person who she thinks understands her and she deeply loves in Connell. But even so, there is plenty of miscommunication between the two. Connell's insecurities lead him to break her heart, have temporary relationships with other women, and keep going back to Marianne. Feeling unwanted, Marianne gets involved with other men, but always seeks and accepts Connell's love. (image by Mable Amber)

 

On the surface, this book seems to be a coming-of-age story. However, in real life, many adults battle insecurity, abusive relationships, mental health, and financial issues. The story is interesting as it delves into the psyche of men and women, and how their life experiences effect the way they get along. But this wasn't the only reason why I kept on reading this tale. I continued because it was different. It broke all the writing rules, and yet made sense to me. Oftentimes, there is no set up to introduce a character or a scene. The set up comes later as you read the story, and you realize you're in someone's house or in another city. These sudden shifts in the story pushed me to stay engaged and focused. (image by Iffany)

The ending is bitter sweet. Some Amazon and Goodreads reviewers didn't like this. I can see why the writer took this route. Sometimes you may love someone, but you don't want to stand in their way, and hold them back from reaching their dreams. As for me, I prefer happy endings. When two people love each other so deeply, they should stick it out together. But I wasn't the one who wrote this book, and Rooney has the right to stay true to her characters. (image by Matthew Jackson)

Other reviewers didn't like the editing and the formatting. There are no quotation marks around the dialogue. Two or more people maybe speaking within the same paragraph with their thoughts mixed in, and yet, I had no trouble following it. Some complained about the other characters not being fleshed out. None of these bothered me. I was enjoying the overall quality of the story. I do analyze, but I don't analyze things to death. I either like a book or I don't, and I liked this one. Sally Rooney is talented. Her style is unique, and far from being a carbon copy of other writers. Normal people gripped my attention from the beginning to the end. (image by Michael Richmond)

(image by Martha Mcclure) 

Cliffs of Moher, County Clare

There isn't much that I can say about Cliffs of Moher that hasn't been already said on websites and YouTube channels. I will try to add some insights about my experience. There are several ways to visit the Cliffs—bus tour, a ferry, taking the train, and switching to public transportation, or driving. Each path will give you a different perspective. I took a bus tour which isn't always my thing. But after taking a few of these in various countries, I have to say that they turned out pretty well, and as a bonus, I met people from all over the world.

 

At first, I thought about renting a car, and changed my mind for several reasons. I have never driven on the right side of the road. Some of the roads are quite narrow with buses and trucks passing by. Sometimes, there is nothing around you but fields, and no one on the road for miles and miles. And since I was traveling solo, if something went wrong with my car, I wouldn't even know what to do. If I was traveling with at least one more person, I may have driven. Anyhow, I opted for the tour which was interesting.

Our tour guide liked to sing and had brought his Ukulele. He sang to break the monotony of the long trip—13 hours to be exact. We listened to him talk about the history of Ireland with Irish songs in between. He was entertaining. Meanwhile, I got to know a nice Italian family from Milan. Chiara, who spoke English, sat next to me. Her mom and brother, seated behind us, spoke mostly Italian. They were trying to teach me the recipe for Tiramisu. I'm now Facebook friends with Chiara who is a year older than my niece. Maybe we'll meet up one day in Milan.

Cliffs of Moher is beautiful, but I wouldn't say that it's a must see. Ireland has many lovely cliffs, and if you happen to miss this one, I wouldn't worry about it. It's quite touristy. If my time in Dublin wasn't limited, I may have opted for traveling to other areas in Ireland instead.

O'Brien Tower was built in 1835 by Cornelius O'Brien, a wealthy Irish politician. You can walk up to the top and enjoy views that overlook Aron Islands and the Atlantic. Alternatively, you can take a ferry and look at the points of interests, and the Cliffs from the sea.

Late lunch break in Galway city. I didn't follow the other tourists, and wanted to explore the area on my own. I ran into éan by accident. It was tucked away in a corner, away from the other eateries. I went in because the outside looked intriguing. Inside, I felt at home. There were a lot of regulars who knew the server and engaged her in long conversations. I had a full on chat with a couple from San Diego who were staying in Galway for a few days. My Server was from New York, studying for her masters. She said that Galway was a hip and happening place for students, and she enjoyed living there.

Barack Obama Plaza. Apparently, the former president had Irish blood, and this plaza was named after him. We stopped here on our way back to grab a snack, or use the facilities.

Friendly Donkey—when tour buses slow down, it likes to come over and people watch.

  

So, that's it. Overall, it was a good tour. Both our driver and the guide were super accommodating. I signed up for it through Viator.

 

 

The Museum of Literature

Dublin is a literary city, and before my visit, I knew that there were four things I wanted to do: visit The Writer's Museum, The Oscar Wild House, Marsh's Library, and the Museum of Literature (MoLi). Yeah, I know, this may be boring for others, but as a writer, I wanted to get lost in literary haven. Unfortunately, the Writer's Museum closed during COVID 19, and never reopened, but many of the works and sculptures were transferred to MoLi.

On a cool crisp day, I took an eight minute stroll from my hotel to MoLi, checked in my backpack, bought a ticket, and began my journey to the past among writers such as the Irish writer and poet, Susan Mitchell and Samuel Beckett, the American born Irish author, Mary Lavin, the satirist and essayist Johnathan Swift, the literary critic and poet, James Joyce, Dracula's Bram Stoker, and many other greats who have paved their way through the world of literature.

This place is several stories high, and do take the stairs instead of the elevator to get a feel for the space. Each floor offers something unique, and on the last floor, you can write a message on a notepad, and if they like what you write, the staff will post it on a cork board on a nearby wall.

I asked one of the employees if she would recommend a fiction by a local author. She told me to buy Normal People by Sally Rooney (no, not the TV series, but the actual book). So, I bought it at their bookshop, and after I got into it, I realized it was a story about love and class division. The tale reads fast, and I took it on the plane back to make time go by faster. I never got to finish it because I was too tired to keep my eyes open, and I have been really sick since I got back. My living space is a mess, and my book seems to have been lost among all the clutter. Today was the first day that I feel somewhat normal, and I'm hoping that once I put things away, I will be able to find it. That, or buy a new one, but I really liked the edition I had bought :/

Besides the book shop, the museum has a cafe on the bottom floor. I wanted to sit outside by the tree where James Joyce once stood. They told me that the outside was temporarily closed. Even so, I spent a quiet 45 minutes at the cafe, drinking an incredible cup of Earl Grey tea, gazing outside, and reading my book. Dublin knows how to do tea. It's not like in the U.S where you order tea at a cafe, and they give you lukewarm water which ruins the entire tea experience. The tea in Dublin is super hot and perfectly brewed, just the way I like it, even when I add milk to it.

Even if you're not a writer, this museum is a welcome relief from the crowds, the tourists, and cars. Across the street you will find one of the entrances to St. Stephen's Green, another favorite place of mine. But that experience will be shared in another post. Cheers for now...

 

 

 

It takes a day to make a friend 

I'm getting ready to go to Dublin soon to do research for a new book. So, my life has been a bit hectic for the past month as I try to get some things out of the way, leaving me little time for social media and blogging. My mom used to be my travel buddy because we got along well on trips, but since she passed away, I travel on my own, and meet people along the way. (Photo credit: Diogo Palhais)

It's hard to keep in touch with those who live abroad. In my lifetime, I have met hundreds of people all over the world. Good-hearted people, fun to hangout with. But at the end of the day, you know that once you leave the country, life kicks in, and you lose touch. Except that once in a while, there comes a person you befriend for a day or two, and you may not talk for years, but you may still reconnect. That happened to me in Hong Kong when I met my friend Dominika. (photo credit: Robert Anasch)

 

We met on a tour with Danny. I wasn't sure if she would even remember me because it has been six years since we last spoke. She lives in London, not too far away from Dublin. She told me long ago that if I ever wanted to travel again, to let her know. So, I texted her, and to my surprise she not only remembered me, but she wanted to meet up for two days. We're both really excited to hangout again. (photo credit: Michal Pokorny)

 

We already made plans for what we're going to do on the first day when we meet. I know that it's just two days, but still...Obviously, I'll be in Dublin for longer than two days. I don't think I'll be doing all the touristy stuff. My main goal is to learn about the Dubliners, their city, and their culture, and to figure out the logistic of where everything is located. It should be an interesting trip. (photo credit: Karsten Winegeart) 

(Photo Credit: Valerie)