Normal People

by Sally Rooney

She has never believed herself fit to be loved by any person. But now she has a new life, of which this is the first moment, and even after many years have passed she will still think: Yes, that was it, the beginning of my life.

Connell wished he knew how other people conducted their private lives, so that he could copy from example.

She believes Marianne lacks “warmth,” by which she means the ability to beg for love from people who hate her.

If anything, his personality seemed like something external to himself, managed by the opinions of others, rather than anything he individually did or produced.

I would like to upset people’s expectations.

I’m not a religious person but I do sometimes think God made you for me.

She felt happy to be surrounded by people she liked, who liked her. She knew that if she wanted to speak, everyone would probably turn around and listen out of sincere interest, and that made her happy too, although she had nothing at all to say.

didn’t know these people at all, he hardly even believed in them, or in himself.

She would like her superior intellect to be affirmed in public by the transfer of large amounts of money.

That way she could affect modesty without having anyone actually believe her.

He finds himself rushing to the end of the conversation so they can hang up, and then he can retrospectively savor how much he likes seeing her, without the moment-to-moment pressure of having to produce the right expressions and say the right things.

It depressed her to think people were so predictable.

He feels guilty after he stammers a word on the phone. Still, he can see the logic: mentally unhealthy people are contaminated in some way and possibly dangerous. If they don’t attack the woman behind the desk due to uncontrollable violent impulses, they might breathe some kind of microbe in her direction, causing her to dwell unhealthily on all the failed relationships in her past.

Life offers up these moments of joy despite everything.

She hates the person she has become, without feeling any power to change anything about herself.

I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I cared what people thought of me.