I didn’t intend to start 2026 with what I fear might be a controversial take, but
unfortunately, I have to talk about the pain it took me to finish Conversations with
Friends by Sally Rooney. The novel follows Frances and Bobbi, ex-lovers who
perform poetry together. Noticed by journalist Melissa, the two become enveloped
in her world, along with husband Nick, with whom Frances begins an affair.
I was lulled into a false sense of security at the start, as I was genuinely really
enjoying it. However, halfway through, it was suddenly like I had picked up a different book, with every chapter diminishing the chances of me finishing it. By the end, I was beyond upset at the state of the story. I’m not against flawed characters; sometimes I even prefer it when I dislike protagonists in novels. However, there is a fine line between that and making your characters actually insufferable, and unfortunately, Rooney crossed this line and didn’t look back.
The relationship between Frances and Nick infuriated me to the point where I was
actively praying for their downfall. Nothing jars you out of a book more than when
characters make truly illogical decisions. It wasn’t just limited to these two; most of
the relationships in this novel were so unnecessarily toxic you’d need a hazmat suit
to be near it.
Ultimately, the thing that annoyed me the most was actually the quote on the back
from The Daily Mail, praising this book for depicting “what it means to be young and female right now.” I am not sure if this journalist has ever met a young woman, but I do not think this could be further from the truth.
I truly don’t wish to yuck anyone’s yum, and I really wish I could have enjoyed this
all the way to the end, but alas, it was not to be.
“Hard cover Beautiful World” by topgold is licensed under CC BY 2.0