Reading this book comes at a rather funny ol’ time. Sally Rooney and her publishers at Faber have announced that they will no longer be selling her books in the UK. This is because Rooney donates part of her earnings from her books to Palestine Action, a group that was recently branded as a terrorist organisation by the UK government. It means that booksellers and Amazon are no longer selling her works online, but they can sell the remaining stock, and it seems everyone is rushing to get her books before they run out. What a wild time we live in.
‘Beautiful World, Where Are You’ is another one of Rooney’s books where the characters are troubled, lost, damaged, but beautifully relatable. The great thing about Rooney’s characters is that anyone can see a part of themselves within them. Whether it be relating to the troubled family dynamics or not being where they thought they’d be in life. The story centres around four characters: Eileen, Alice, Simon and Felix. Alice meets Felix on Tinder and decides to invite him to Rome with her. Simon and Eileen grew up together, and their relationship is built on unspoken words, thoughts, and feelings which seem to develop but then stutter every time. The story really revolves around the introspection of these relationships: how they view each other, how they think about one another and ultimately, how they love one another.
Several themes dominate Rooney’s works, but the one I notice a lot is the burden of wealth. Marianne in Normal People came from a wealthy family, but wealth doesn’t make anything better; in fact, Rooney portrays it as a ball and chain on Marianne’s life, especially in the wake of her abusive brother. Alice is a very successful writer who has achieved fame and fortune. But the outcome of this means that she suffers a mental breakdown and is isolated from the rest of the world. She doesn’t necessarily care about the money, but she cares about how it is a weight on her shoulders, the fame and how it has affected her mind and ability to do what she loves. On the flip side, you have Eileen. She has a difficult relationship with her family and has a distinct lack of money, living with flatmates she doesn’t know after a breakup. She might love her job, but she doesn’t love her life, as shown by her sister’s disdain for her choices and her family putting her in the middle of problems that clear communication could solve.
One thing I like about Rooney’s work is the pacing and language. The prose is powerful in that it focuses on the everyday. Nothing magical or extraordinary. Normal people doing everyday things, but reflective of social norms, are put under the microscope and magnified. People take shape and form. But the way they speak looks like it is part of the prose; there are no quotation marks. I cannot help but wonder at the choice. It feels philosophical, almost dreamlike. Some people love it; others hate it. I find it rather bold.
I still think ‘Conversations with Friends’ is my favourite Rooney book; this one was equally enjoyable. Now, let’s see if I can get my hands on any of her books in the future.