Have always hated Rooney’s books since I read one for a book club, but the arguments against them have never been so well articulated! Fantastic article.
Rather disappointing that this writer failed to put the context of her Marxism, when she censored her books for Jews, preventing them being read in Hebrew. This shouldn’t be forgotten in any discussion about her views.
While people can debate the definition of anti semitism endlessly, a writer stopping a book in the particular language of Jews, is pretty blatant anti semitism – particularly when she hasn’t stopped her book being translated into other languages, where state oppression is far, far worse.
On the other hand, for any Jewish readers, you ain’t missing anything.
Was it for Jews or for Israel? The Jewish novelist Michael Chabon said that “as a proudly Jewish writer who wants Israel to survive and thrive, and (and therefore) supports the Palestinian people in their struggle for equality, justice and human rights, I say yasher koach (Hebrew for ‘Good job’ or ‘More power to you’) to Rooney.” I suppose you will explain that Mr. Chabon is not as all-seeing as you lol
This is not true. She refused to allow them to be printed in Israel (a BDS thing) but she has never said they should not be translated and published in Hebrew.
Adam Young
1 year ago
‘Flat’ is the word. Flat writing, flat characters, flat sex, flat worldview. It is funny how her characters, as in her stand-ins, are perfect beings without fault. It is perfect for people who want to be reassured.
The characters sound like overly-polished FB/Instagram profiles made (literary) flesh. Rather less reassurance than a presentation of what happens when life becomes social media and vice versa.
Katharine Eyre
1 year ago
Technically I am a millennial (a geriatric millennial, if you please). I am also a voracious reader and will read pretty much anything. And yet I cannot bring myself to read a full Rooney book. I’ll think “oh I should try one and see what the fuss is about”, pick one up in the book shop and do my standard “shall I buy it?” test of reading page 69. And every time, I can just feel the highly-styled depression lifting off the page and think: no. Another time.
Current read: Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs, a book I picked up from my local public bookshelf. You see – I really will read anything.
Don’t bother, Katherine. I read Normal People and was extremely underwhelmed. Everything that the author writes in this very perceptive piece is right. I have no urge to read any more of her work. I would only add that Rodney’s work is distinctly unchallenging, absolutely nothing to get one’s teeth into. Like you, I read a lot – just finished Grey Bees by Andrei Kurkov and loved it’s off centre quirkiness. It will stay with me a lot longer than …what were those teenagers called…?
This was my experience after being told I should read Dan Brown several years ago, albeit I only made it to page 2.
Brooke Walford
1 year ago
I’m 69, almost 70, and female, and I never if I can help it, watch a tv dramatisation of a book I have enjoyed. I read Conversations with friends when it first came out, and I was hugely impressed. It’s literary style, as in the use of online communications etc, was a really contemporary device which I found fresh and exciting – though I can see the format could age quite quickly. It was bold. At times it took my breath away. The ending was unexpected but worthy of applause. Every one here seems so pissed off with the book, I felt compelled to redress the imbalance.
Linda Hutchinson
1 year ago
almost pathological degree of highly absorbed self-examination
This is why I couldn’t finish Normal People and couldn’t watch the TV drama either. But she is not alone in this, it appears that any novel, these days, about young people (especially, and I hate to say this, by young women) has this excruciating level of navel gazing, without any actual insight. The characters are so unlikable that if they all expired in a massive explosion … well at least it would end the novel.
Katy Hibbert
1 year ago
Overrated-because-Irish is the new overrated-because-black. Talentless bores get to make a lot of money whingeing about how “oppressed” they are.
Michael 0
1 year ago
Without even reading page or watching a minute of her novels I find her grating. From hearing girls I know speak of her books and general descriptions of her TV shows it does just seem like boring romance novels as this writer alludes to. I’m glad there seems to be a backlash against Rooney now from all the undeserved praise that at one point led to her being called the ‘JD Sallinger of her generation’. Perhaps the person who said that had never read any of his books but I know I don’t need to read hers to know that that comparison is far from true.
The comparison with Salinger is ridiculous (and insulting to Salinger). I think Rooney should be recategorised as Young Adult fiction – it had far greater appeal to my teenage daughter. Rooney doesn’t allow her books to be sold in Israel as it practices apartheid policies. How juvenile.The Israelis are not missing anything.
Salinger wrote 1 seminal book which was obviously auto biographical.Noone would read his few other published books if they did not have the Salinger name.It will not be difficult for Rooney to deliver a greater body of work than Salinger
Exactly when I first read Catcher in the Rye (set as a school text) it gave this English adolescent female an insight into the thinking of an American adolescent male. A rather strange male, admittedly, but it allowed some empathy, which is what a good novel should do, and what Ms Rooney’s books do not do.
Kencathedrus
1 year ago
My wife and I watched the first two episodes of Normal People and couldn’t summon the willpower to watch any more. The characters were supposed to be school children yet looked and talked like they were in their early thirties. They were even driving cars which is highly unlikely for GCSE level students. The dialogue sounded painfully American albeit with an Irish accent. I felt like I was experiencing an Apple TV show in that it seemed to tick a lot of boxes, but I wasn’t sure whose.
Frances Killian
1 year ago
Frances not Francis. Not a pedant, just a Frances. Even my O level certificates (age give away) are wrong. Spent years saying ‘with an e not an i’.
Frances Killian
1 year ago
Frances not Francis. Not a pedant, just a Frances. Even my O level certificates (age give away) are wrong. Spent years saying ‘with an e not an i’.
SIMON WOLF
1 year ago
Not read the books but have seen the 2 televised series and the acting could not be any better.Long time since i was 19 but they really make alive young arty students or the ones who stay in that mindest well into their 20’s
Have always hated Rooney’s books since I read one for a book club, but the arguments against them have never been so well articulated! Fantastic article.
Rather disappointing that this writer failed to put the context of her Marxism, when she censored her books for Jews, preventing them being read in Hebrew. This shouldn’t be forgotten in any discussion about her views.
While people can debate the definition of anti semitism endlessly, a writer stopping a book in the particular language of Jews, is pretty blatant anti semitism – particularly when she hasn’t stopped her book being translated into other languages, where state oppression is far, far worse.
On the other hand, for any Jewish readers, you ain’t missing anything.
Was it for Jews or for Israel? The Jewish novelist Michael Chabon said that “as a proudly Jewish writer who wants Israel to survive and thrive, and (and therefore) supports the Palestinian people in their struggle for equality, justice and human rights, I say yasher koach (Hebrew for ‘Good job’ or ‘More power to you’) to Rooney.” I suppose you will explain that Mr. Chabon is not as all-seeing as you lol
This is not true. She refused to allow them to be printed in Israel (a BDS thing) but she has never said they should not be translated and published in Hebrew.
‘Flat’ is the word. Flat writing, flat characters, flat sex, flat worldview. It is funny how her characters, as in her stand-ins, are perfect beings without fault. It is perfect for people who want to be reassured.
Should literature be mere reassurance?
The characters sound like overly-polished FB/Instagram profiles made (literary) flesh. Rather less reassurance than a presentation of what happens when life becomes social media and vice versa.
Technically I am a millennial (a geriatric millennial, if you please). I am also a voracious reader and will read pretty much anything. And yet I cannot bring myself to read a full Rooney book. I’ll think “oh I should try one and see what the fuss is about”, pick one up in the book shop and do my standard “shall I buy it?” test of reading page 69. And every time, I can just feel the highly-styled depression lifting off the page and think: no. Another time.
Current read: Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs, a book I picked up from my local public bookshelf. You see – I really will read anything.
Don’t bother, Katherine. I read Normal People and was extremely underwhelmed. Everything that the author writes in this very perceptive piece is right. I have no urge to read any more of her work. I would only add that Rodney’s work is distinctly unchallenging, absolutely nothing to get one’s teeth into. Like you, I read a lot – just finished Grey Bees by Andrei Kurkov and loved it’s off centre quirkiness. It will stay with me a lot longer than …what were those teenagers called…?
If you have never read Stefan Zweig ‘Beware of Pity’ – recommend.It covers adolescent love a 100 years ago but an unusual storyline and is a classic .
I live in Vienna so I know Stefan Zweig well. In fact, I used to work in the house he was born in. I’m a fan of the Schachnovella.
I must re-read that – it was brilliant.
This was my experience after being told I should read Dan Brown several years ago, albeit I only made it to page 2.
I’m 69, almost 70, and female, and I never if I can help it, watch a tv dramatisation of a book I have enjoyed. I read Conversations with friends when it first came out, and I was hugely impressed. It’s literary style, as in the use of online communications etc, was a really contemporary device which I found fresh and exciting – though I can see the format could age quite quickly. It was bold. At times it took my breath away. The ending was unexpected but worthy of applause. Every one here seems so pissed off with the book, I felt compelled to redress the imbalance.
almost pathological degree of highly absorbed self-examination
This is why I couldn’t finish Normal People and couldn’t watch the TV drama either. But she is not alone in this, it appears that any novel, these days, about young people (especially, and I hate to say this, by young women) has this excruciating level of navel gazing, without any actual insight. The characters are so unlikable that if they all expired in a massive explosion … well at least it would end the novel.
Overrated-because-Irish is the new overrated-because-black. Talentless bores get to make a lot of money whingeing about how “oppressed” they are.
Without even reading page or watching a minute of her novels I find her grating. From hearing girls I know speak of her books and general descriptions of her TV shows it does just seem like boring romance novels as this writer alludes to. I’m glad there seems to be a backlash against Rooney now from all the undeserved praise that at one point led to her being called the ‘JD Sallinger of her generation’. Perhaps the person who said that had never read any of his books but I know I don’t need to read hers to know that that comparison is far from true.
The comparison with Salinger is ridiculous (and insulting to Salinger). I think Rooney should be recategorised as Young Adult fiction – it had far greater appeal to my teenage daughter. Rooney doesn’t allow her books to be sold in Israel as it practices apartheid policies. How juvenile.The Israelis are not missing anything.
Salinger wrote 1 seminal book which was obviously auto biographical.Noone would read his few other published books if they did not have the Salinger name.It will not be difficult for Rooney to deliver a greater body of work than Salinger
Exactly when I first read Catcher in the Rye (set as a school text) it gave this English adolescent female an insight into the thinking of an American adolescent male. A rather strange male, admittedly, but it allowed some empathy, which is what a good novel should do, and what Ms Rooney’s books do not do.
My wife and I watched the first two episodes of Normal People and couldn’t summon the willpower to watch any more. The characters were supposed to be school children yet looked and talked like they were in their early thirties. They were even driving cars which is highly unlikely for GCSE level students. The dialogue sounded painfully American albeit with an Irish accent. I felt like I was experiencing an Apple TV show in that it seemed to tick a lot of boxes, but I wasn’t sure whose.
Frances not Francis. Not a pedant, just a Frances. Even my O level certificates (age give away) are wrong. Spent years saying ‘with an e not an i’.
Frances not Francis. Not a pedant, just a Frances. Even my O level certificates (age give away) are wrong. Spent years saying ‘with an e not an i’.
Not read the books but have seen the 2 televised series and the acting could not be any better.Long time since i was 19 but they really make alive young arty students or the ones who stay in that mindest well into their 20’s
Me too. Not read the novels but enjoyed the TV series as well acted entertainment without any great social message.