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Checked out
Due 12 Dec 2022
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Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML:A sharply intelligent novel about friendship, lust, jealousy, and the unexpected complications of adulthood in the 21st century Frances is a cool-headed and darkly observant young woman, vaguely pursuing a career in writing while studying in Dublin. Her best friend and comrade-in-arms is the beautiful and endlessly self-possessed Bobbi. At a local poetry performance one night, Frances and Bobbi catch the eye of Melissa, a well-known photographer, and as the girls are then gradually drawn into Melissa's world, Frances is reluctantly impressed by the older woman's sophisticated home and tall, handsome husband, Nick. However amusing and ironic Frances and Nick�??s flirtation seems at first, it gives way to a strange intimacy, and Frances�??s friendship with Bobbi begins to fracture. As Frances tries to keep her life in check, her relationships increasingly resist her control: with Nick, with her difficult and unhappy father, and finally, terribly, with Bobbi. Desperate to reconcile her inner life to the desires and vulnerabilities of her body, Frances's intellectual certainties begin to yield to something new: a painful and disorienting way of living from moment to moment. Written with gem-like precision and marked by a sly sense of humor, Conversations with Friends is wonderfully alive to the pleasures and dangers of youth, and the messy edges of female friendship. Art © Alex Katz/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY www.vagarig… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member pomo58
Conversations with Friends from Sally Rooney is the type of novel that seems to elicit strong views on both ends of the like/dislike spectrum. With most books that do so I have a difficult time understanding the views on the other end of the spectrum from my view, but not so much here. I would
This novel explores relationships from the intensely personal level while also bringing in societal and cultural factors for the reader to consider. Loyalties are examined (between friends, lovers, and spouses), institutions are questioned (marriage primarily), and reflection is critiqued (self-reflection as well as how things in one's life reflects on them into the world).
There is a certain flat delivery to a large part of the novel that, to me, reflects Frances' response to the world around her. She flattens the world, she tries to make the highs and lows less so in order to not be too engaged. Since the writing style served a purpose, and did so fairly accurately, I have no problem with it being even-keeled throughout. Or as one reviewer here complained, there were no exclamation points. This is perhaps the first time I have heard a complaint about a lack of exclamation points, but so be it.
The idea that friends can cross generational lines shouldn't be so shocking to people, especially when there is a valid reason for the initial excursion, such as a photographer who does profiles finding a pair who perform poetry both photogenic and worth doing a piece on. Thus it isn't simply a married couple finding college students to befriend. The dynamics which develop from this initial encounter propel the story arc so if a photographer finding people interesting, befriending them, then having life happen among all the parties seems implausible to you, well, this might not be for you. But it certainly makes rational sense.
What appealed the most to me was the way Frances seemed to always think about things, approach a level of self-understanding, then veer away just before she might make an unpleasant discovery about herself. She covers this up with what seems to be unfounded yet negative opinions about herself and/or her motives. I think many of us who try to be self aware find ourselves undermining our own investigations, at least I know I do, so this was an element of the novel I could relate to very easily. Of course, that may well be more a negative comment about me than a positive one about the book, but it is what it is.
There are, just like in life, several places where a reader may feel uncomfortable. These will range from things very personal (feeling for a character or finding a situation too similar to what one may have experienced) to things based on societal norms (adultery and such). In every case there is an opportunity for the reader to try to understand how and why things happened and gain empathy for both the characters and humanity in general. This does not mean approving or condoning everything, it means making an effort to understand another human being, in this case fictional.
I would highly recommend this to people who enjoy character driven novels that might not fit neatly into any particular style or genre. Rooney took some chances in her writing style and largely succeeded.
Reviewed from a copy made available through Goodreads First Reads.
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still counter some of those views with counter-perspectives for them to consider but I can understand where they are coming from.This novel explores relationships from the intensely personal level while also bringing in societal and cultural factors for the reader to consider. Loyalties are examined (between friends, lovers, and spouses), institutions are questioned (marriage primarily), and reflection is critiqued (self-reflection as well as how things in one's life reflects on them into the world).
There is a certain flat delivery to a large part of the novel that, to me, reflects Frances' response to the world around her. She flattens the world, she tries to make the highs and lows less so in order to not be too engaged. Since the writing style served a purpose, and did so fairly accurately, I have no problem with it being even-keeled throughout. Or as one reviewer here complained, there were no exclamation points. This is perhaps the first time I have heard a complaint about a lack of exclamation points, but so be it.
The idea that friends can cross generational lines shouldn't be so shocking to people, especially when there is a valid reason for the initial excursion, such as a photographer who does profiles finding a pair who perform poetry both photogenic and worth doing a piece on. Thus it isn't simply a married couple finding college students to befriend. The dynamics which develop from this initial encounter propel the story arc so if a photographer finding people interesting, befriending them, then having life happen among all the parties seems implausible to you, well, this might not be for you. But it certainly makes rational sense.
What appealed the most to me was the way Frances seemed to always think about things, approach a level of self-understanding, then veer away just before she might make an unpleasant discovery about herself. She covers this up with what seems to be unfounded yet negative opinions about herself and/or her motives. I think many of us who try to be self aware find ourselves undermining our own investigations, at least I know I do, so this was an element of the novel I could relate to very easily. Of course, that may well be more a negative comment about me than a positive one about the book, but it is what it is.
There are, just like in life, several places where a reader may feel uncomfortable. These will range from things very personal (feeling for a character or finding a situation too similar to what one may have experienced) to things based on societal norms (adultery and such). In every case there is an opportunity for the reader to try to understand how and why things happened and gain empathy for both the characters and humanity in general. This does not mean approving or condoning everything, it means making an effort to understand another human being, in this case fictional.
I would highly recommend this to people who enjoy character driven novels that might not fit neatly into any particular style or genre. Rooney took some chances in her writing style and largely succeeded.
Reviewed from a copy made available through Goodreads First Reads.
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LibraryThing member Amniot
I worry about teenagers who read this and think this is what life in their early 20s will be or should be. No, these people are bonkers and are making themselves miserable.
LibraryThing member alanna1122
This book was not a quick read for me. Not a page turner - which honestly - would have been good right about now. The characters and the situations they found themselves in were not that relatable to me. I didn't feel particularly sympathetic or invested in any of the characters - but yet, Rooney
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has a pretty amazing command of language. There were so many places where she articulated feelings/thoughts in such a revealing way. It's a novel full of moments where I nodded and highlighted or sat for a moment surprised by her observations. Show Less
LibraryThing member danfango
I was disappointed in this book, but it was sent to me as a give-away for early book reviewers. The author does not show any quotation marks when there are conversations, and I dislike that a great deal, finding it confusing.
The style of writing feels like you are reading someone's diary, and I
The style of writing feels like you are reading someone's diary, and I
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did not care for the Frances, the main character. Half way through the book I was giving it 2 stars, but the ending brought it up to almost 3. Show Less
LibraryThing member Slevyr26
This was totally brilliant. I loved Conversations with Friends .
The eponymous conversations, were, in my opinion, absolutely raw and real. There was nothing farcical about the words used, the meanings behind them, their purposes. The novel is written from the perspective of the introverted and
The situations felt so realistic, like Frances falling for someone she knows she shouldn't have, but chose consciously or subconsciously to fall regardless. The everlasting tug between right and wrong, and what those words truly mean, if anything at all. If you make each other happy, should you not fall for a person because of extenuating circumstances? Should you stop yourself from happiness because of societal boundaries? This novel pushed so many of those boundaries that we find commonplace and didn't apologize for it, and I loved it.
Thank you to LibraryThing for the opportunity to read this book in advance.
The eponymous conversations, were, in my opinion, absolutely raw and real. There was nothing farcical about the words used, the meanings behind them, their purposes. The novel is written from the perspective of the introverted and
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contemplative university student Frances, about her relationships with her best friend/ex-girlfriend Bobbi, her parents and Melissa and Nick, a slightly famous couple in the literary and performing arts worlds. I felt every bit of tension via the spoken word, and although some of it may come across as pretentious, I found it wholly accurate to the way university-level students speak (having been one myself just two years ago). The constant questioning and judgment of life, society, government, race, culture and how we all function and behave within the confines that are created by the human mind and whether we're behaving correctly at all. The situations felt so realistic, like Frances falling for someone she knows she shouldn't have, but chose consciously or subconsciously to fall regardless. The everlasting tug between right and wrong, and what those words truly mean, if anything at all. If you make each other happy, should you not fall for a person because of extenuating circumstances? Should you stop yourself from happiness because of societal boundaries? This novel pushed so many of those boundaries that we find commonplace and didn't apologize for it, and I loved it.
Thank you to LibraryThing for the opportunity to read this book in advance.
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LibraryThing member rachie615
This had quite a few similarities to another novel I read set in Ireland: The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear Mcbride. This novel is told from Francis' perspective. She and her friend/ex Bobbi write and perform poetry. Francis falls for an older married man and starts an affair. Francis is an
Quite an interesting read. I thought the characters felt fully developed and even if I didn't always agree with them I could understand their motivations.
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interesting and difficult perspective to follow. She's searching for who is she, often haunted by the idea that she has no personality and I often felt that her perspective and view of others were warped. She believed fullheartedly in what she was saying but the reader is able to see the discrepancy and yet I feel this is true to life. It is difficult to see past overselves at time, especially for someone as introspective as Francis. She also showed symptoms of borderline personality disorder. Quite an interesting read. I thought the characters felt fully developed and even if I didn't always agree with them I could understand their motivations.
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LibraryThing member DougJ110
Sally Rooney has a fascinating way of describing the things going on with her characters. She has wonderful insights into people and their behavior.
LibraryThing member akblanchard
Frances, the protagonist and narrator of Sally Rodney’s Conversations with Friends is an intriguing, at times frustrating, figure. At 21 years of age, she’s still recovering from a lonely childhood and doesn’t really know how to deal with other people. Her core relationship is with Bobbi, her
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partner in performing poetry, and she also has an affair is with Nick, a semi-successful, married actor, whose wife Melissa may or may not be attracted to Bobbi. These characters constantly hide things from each other, then spend a lot of time apologizing for their secrecy. The narrative is dialogue-heavy (hence the title) and gets a little tedious at times, but excellent writing carries the story through. Show Less
LibraryThing member bagambo
A sharp novel with a slow pace that explores friendship, love, and marriage. Its a riveting read about the complications that arise between couples and friends - relatable and realistic. Such a terrific story!!
LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
This novel is about Frances, an Irish student and spoken-word poet who performs with her best friend, Bobbi. She and Bobbi had had a relationship when they were both teenagers, but now they're just friends, although it's an intense relationship. One night, after a performance, they meet Melissa, an
This is a novel about relationships and Sally Rooney really nails the ebb and flow of intense friendship, especially one complicated by an early romantic relationship. She's insightful about the emotions involved in falling in love when one is both young and doing one's best to not admit to any sort of emotional entanglement. This is a brilliantly written book about some very flawed people. It reminded me of Eimear McBride's The Lesser Bohemians, a book I adored. I'm glad her next novel is already out so that I don't have to wait to read more by this gifted author.
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established photographer, who invites them home with her to discuss a possible article about them. From there, they are quickly entangled with Melissa and her husband, an actor. While the outgoing and opinionated Bobbi forms a quick friendship with Melissa, Frances is drawn to Nick. The shifting relationships and accompanying emotions are a challenge for Frances, who is also dealing with the unreliability of her own alcoholic father. This is a novel about relationships and Sally Rooney really nails the ebb and flow of intense friendship, especially one complicated by an early romantic relationship. She's insightful about the emotions involved in falling in love when one is both young and doing one's best to not admit to any sort of emotional entanglement. This is a brilliantly written book about some very flawed people. It reminded me of Eimear McBride's The Lesser Bohemians, a book I adored. I'm glad her next novel is already out so that I don't have to wait to read more by this gifted author.
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LibraryThing member teachlz
MY REVIEW
I would like to thank First to Read and Hogarth/ Random House LLC for the ARC of "Conversations with Friends" by Sally Rooney for my honest review. The genres for this novel are Contemporary Fiction and Women's Fiction. I would rate this book as 3.5.
I appreciate that Sally Rooney brings
The characters are complex, complicated, and flawed. Most are not likeable. There is betrayal and secrets. There is also lack of communication, lack of self-esteem and self-worth. I found it difficult to relate to any of the characters.
The story-line is about two college students, who get involved with a married couple. One is a writer. Both are friends, former lovers, and read poetry together at gatherings. At time the story is slow-moving. I was surprised at the ending, and possibly disappointed.
I would recommend this novel as a controversial read.
I would like to thank First to Read and Hogarth/ Random House LLC for the ARC of "Conversations with Friends" by Sally Rooney for my honest review. The genres for this novel are Contemporary Fiction and Women's Fiction. I would rate this book as 3.5.
I appreciate that Sally Rooney brings
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some controversial topics in this novel The author discusses betrayal in friendship, monogamy and infidelity, relationships,sexuality, and political views, There is also the discussion of mental illness, depression, alcoholism, and cutting.The characters are complex, complicated, and flawed. Most are not likeable. There is betrayal and secrets. There is also lack of communication, lack of self-esteem and self-worth. I found it difficult to relate to any of the characters.
The story-line is about two college students, who get involved with a married couple. One is a writer. Both are friends, former lovers, and read poetry together at gatherings. At time the story is slow-moving. I was surprised at the ending, and possibly disappointed.
I would recommend this novel as a controversial read.
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LibraryThing member Dawn1361
Sometimes relationships are more complicated than they should be. While Sally Rooney has written a novel that is listed as one about friendship, lust, jealousy, and the complications of adulthood, her novel "Conversations with Friends" indeed touches on these aspects of relationships but I found it
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tedious. Frances and Bobbi's cerebral musings became tiring and I soon hoped for a quicker end to the novel. While I enjoy the journey of a character's emotional development, both Frances and Bobbi are stuck -- still stuck wandering through self awareness. The relationship, for lack of a better word, that blooms between Frances and Nick, a married actor with depression, is fraught with words unspoken and undefined boundaries. The relationships that the reader suffers through are between women, between lovers, between parents--and when Frances declares at the end , "You live through certain things before you understand them," is a thought that should not have taken 300 pages to reach. The prose is easy to read but is not a book that I would recommend. I received my copy through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program. Show Less
LibraryThing member oddandbookish
I received this book for free through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers.
This book gave me so many feels. It was a roller coaster of emotions. For some reason I really connected to this book. There was something so captivating about it.
I felt like this book would make a great movie or miniseries on
The characters felt very real and I think that's what I liked most about it. I loved Nick. He was so different from what I had expected.
Overall, I'm obsessed with this book.
This book gave me so many feels. It was a roller coaster of emotions. For some reason I really connected to this book. There was something so captivating about it.
I felt like this book would make a great movie or miniseries on
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HBO. There's something really special and different about it that would translate well to the screen.The characters felt very real and I think that's what I liked most about it. I loved Nick. He was so different from what I had expected.
Overall, I'm obsessed with this book.
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LibraryThing member lisan.
It seems like every young author coming out of Ireland these days like to write novels about young women having affairs with inappropriate men. From Belinda McKeon's Tender, to Eimear McBride's Lesser Bohemians, to this novel, young Irish women apparently can't wait to fall into bed with the wrong
I received an ARC of this novel from a giveaway listed on Library Thing, and it was my least favorite of all the aforementioned novels. Frances is a young, tough woman who lives in Dublin with her friend and former lover Bobbi. They perform spoken word poetry together and catch the attention of an older artist and writer, Melissa, who befriends them, and invites them to her house where they meet her husband, Nick. He's a B-list actor, and somewhat shiftless and charming, and for some reason Frances embarks on a messy affair with him, to the chagrin of Bobbi and Melissa.
This novel is almost an exact replication of Lesser Bohemians, but with none of the charm and none of the intricate prose. Of course, this means it is much easier to read, but the story isn't much to speak about. It was OK, but for being so much like such a recent publication, it made itself look paltry by comparison. If you can't make it through Lesser Bohemians, I guess you could read this book instead, since it's the exact same story.
The ending was pretty lame too, which was also my complaint with Lesser Bohemians and Tender.
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sort. I received an ARC of this novel from a giveaway listed on Library Thing, and it was my least favorite of all the aforementioned novels. Frances is a young, tough woman who lives in Dublin with her friend and former lover Bobbi. They perform spoken word poetry together and catch the attention of an older artist and writer, Melissa, who befriends them, and invites them to her house where they meet her husband, Nick. He's a B-list actor, and somewhat shiftless and charming, and for some reason Frances embarks on a messy affair with him, to the chagrin of Bobbi and Melissa.
This novel is almost an exact replication of Lesser Bohemians, but with none of the charm and none of the intricate prose. Of course, this means it is much easier to read, but the story isn't much to speak about. It was OK, but for being so much like such a recent publication, it made itself look paltry by comparison. If you can't make it through Lesser Bohemians, I guess you could read this book instead, since it's the exact same story.
The ending was pretty lame too, which was also my complaint with Lesser Bohemians and Tender.
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LibraryThing member Hccpsk
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney is yet another in a recently long line of stark, character driven novels written well enough to be interesting, but not enough happens to make it actually great. Rooney successfully explores the self-involved inner life of young intellectuals, and their
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whirlwind lives filled with meaningless social events and conversations. (Fair warning: no quotation marks in a dialogue heavy book may be a deal breaker for those readers who can’t stand the style.) The book picks up in the second half as some things finally happen, saving this novel from the DNF pile for me. (Another warning: all of the characters are generally unlikeable, so if that doesn’t work for you…) Overall a quick read that varied in quality, but had moments and passages that I really enjoyed. I would definitely look forward to Rooney’s next work as she matures as a storyteller. Show Less
LibraryThing member bobbieharv
An unusual book. I told a friend I was reading a novel by an Irish author and she said "Does it have a great sense of place?" And, unusually, it does not. It does, however, have something I've not often encountered - an amazing sense of what it's like inside a quite screwed-up young girl's
Authors seem to find it irritating when readers become curious about how autobiographical a novel is. And yes, I have this curiosity because, if Sally Rooney is not Frances, it takes a lot of skill to inhabit a character so completely.
I've never understood why one has to like the main character to like the book. Frances has a lot of problems and is very immature - but is this a well-written book or not? My answer is yes, though I did miss that Irish sense of place.
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head.Authors seem to find it irritating when readers become curious about how autobiographical a novel is. And yes, I have this curiosity because, if Sally Rooney is not Frances, it takes a lot of skill to inhabit a character so completely.
I've never understood why one has to like the main character to like the book. Frances has a lot of problems and is very immature - but is this a well-written book or not? My answer is yes, though I did miss that Irish sense of place.
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LibraryThing member unicoherent
Of all the free advance-reading-copy books I have ever been given, this is the only one I have ever considered BUYING. Not necessarily because I liked it (there were plenty of times when I didn’t), but rather because it made me feel a LOT of things.
When I find a book that I wish to hang onto for
When I find a book that I wish to hang onto for
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the long term, I obviously prefer a hardcover copy over a paperback. I think it might be worth the money for me to buy a hardcover copy, because a book that makes me feel so many different emotions, and so very deeply, is a book that will stay with me through the decades. Show Less
LibraryThing member pattjl
I can't say I hated it but I sure didn't love it. Early on I felt like I had a lot in common with the main character Frances when it came to her everyday anxieties, but eventually her inability to be honest and open with those who she was closest to really confused and bothered me. I guess my main
Wouldn't read again or probably recommend to others. Feeling a bit like I could've spent the time reading something else.
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feeling upon finishing this was "what was the point?" I kept waiting for some sort of human truth to be revealed and if there was one I didn't get it. My main annoyance is how Rooney seemingly threw in issues and characters that weren't fleshed out enough (one example being the character of Frances' father). As someone who has gone through falling in love with my female best friend and entering a relationship with her, I was excited at the prospect of this book talking about characters going through the same thing. But then it was overshadowed by Frances' affair with an older married man, so I'm not sure what the author was trying to say or do with sexuality (maybe just that it's complicated??). If anything, the book made me curious as to what Rooney's life is like and if any of her writing is semi-autobiographical. She was able to so accurately capture the small and everyday intimacies that can occur in same-sex female relationships, and she talked a little about endometriosis which I found to be interesting. Wouldn't read again or probably recommend to others. Feeling a bit like I could've spent the time reading something else.
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LibraryThing member mwatson4281
Conversations with Friends was not really my kind of book. While I found most of the dialogue to be realistic and the writing to be pretty, I just did not connect with any of the characters and I found the revolution around adultery to be off-putting.
LibraryThing member Iira
I maybe expected more after all the hype around Sally Rooney. I found this book easy to read, although not that interesting and definitely not what I expected based on the title. The cover was strange and the title misleading, I seldom read the back covers of books, but in this case it might have
I found Frances unrelatable but still somewhat sympathetic. The plot itself is rather non-existent, perhaps that is why Rooney is the "voice of her generation". Nothing much happens, really. But still life seems dramatic to oneself. Perhaps I'm getting old?
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been helpful. I found Frances unrelatable but still somewhat sympathetic. The plot itself is rather non-existent, perhaps that is why Rooney is the "voice of her generation". Nothing much happens, really. But still life seems dramatic to oneself. Perhaps I'm getting old?
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LibraryThing member BrittanyLyn
I was really looking forward to reading this, as I thought the premise was promising and would make for an emotionally engaging read. However, this did not live up to my expectations. This novel could have been very humorous, or it could have been dramatic. Unfortunately, it was neither. The
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characters were all unlikable and self-absorbed, but instead of adding to the character development and dimension, they come off self-absorbed and immature. I even thought that perhaps Frances's childhood and dysfunctional family played a part in her self-seeking need for external validation, but this never truly came across in the dialogue or inner monologue of her character. Overall, this fell flat for me, and left me disappointed. Show Less
LibraryThing member AJBraithwaite
I mostly enjoyed this book, although the main character got a little irritating at times. I liked the poetic use of language, and the narrator's Irish accent was lovely.
LibraryThing member LanaMarie
I received this book from the Early Reviewers program.
This book felt like a "How to be an angst ridden hipster" starter pack. The characters, any of them, just pick one, lacked any quality that would make them even remotely like-able. The first 2/3 of the book saw a lot of changes, which could have
This book felt like a "How to be an angst ridden hipster" starter pack. The characters, any of them, just pick one, lacked any quality that would make them even remotely like-able. The first 2/3 of the book saw a lot of changes, which could have
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amounted in turmoil and a great story, but instead none of the characters seemed the least bit phased at how horrid they were all being to one another. The last third of the book picked up...slightly? But it was still just a terrible read. The writing felt very high school, not only in how cheap and catty things were, but also in the lack of depth and description. I couldn't get into any of the characters and by the end I regretted that I had read the book. I'm giving it two stars because I've read worse and hell, I've never written a book, so kudos for that. Show Less
LibraryThing member Leigh0906
Conversations with Friends didn't blow me out of the water, but I didn't hate it either. Rooney's writing style is great- it never felt forced. However, I hated the main character, Frances. She wasn't a poorly developed character, just annoying. I couldn't roll my eyes enough. Overall, the book was
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okay despite a terrible, sigh inducing main character. Show Less
LibraryThing member alexrichman
I think I have a blind spot where this book's concerned. The supporting cast are great, but the main characters are infuriating. Flat writing, ridiculous characters and a plot that lurches wildly without really making much sense. Still, everyone else loves it so don't let me put you off!
Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Shortlist — 2019)
Irish Book Award (Nominee — Newcomer — 2017)
The British Book Industry Awards (Shortlist — 2018)
Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award (Shortlist — 2018)
Dylan Thomas Prize (Shortlist — 2018)
Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award (Winner — 2017)
Books Are My Bag Readers Award (Shortlist — Novel — 2017)
Polari First Book Prize (Longlist — 2018)
Europese Literatuurprijs (Longlist — 2018)
Desmond Elliott Prize (Longlist — 2018)
Writers' Prize (Shortlist — 2018)
NPR: Books We Love (2017)