Cari answers “So I am just getting to the point in this...”

Margie asked this question about Normal People:

So I am just getting to the point in this where Marianne has started to eat less and less, fixating on her food and savouring it. Essentially, it reads like she's moving towards anorexia if she hasn't already. Without giving too much away, does it have a happier ending? Does she get therapy? I know too many people with severe mental health problems in real life to want to read further if it doesn't :(

Cari Both main characters in this novel suffer from mental illness. Connell suffers from severe anxiety that at some point turns into depression with suici…moreBoth main characters in this novel suffer from mental illness. Connell suffers from severe anxiety that at some point turns into depression with suicidal thoughts. Marianne endures years of physical and emotional abuse from her family to the point that it accutely affects her self-identity (self-esteem and self-worth). She seeks harmful relationships and is very depressed too. These themes are central to the story. Especially because to an important extent, their illness is kept secret and they long to have a relationship like "normal people."

Towards the end Connell goes to therapy and gets better. Marianne is also healing but the book states that it is mainly due to her relationship with Connell. While she does not mention therapy, her outlook on life is more positive. The ending is open. Things are not tidily solved but at least it seems like a new beginning for bother of them.
It depends on how triggering these themes are for you. The story ends in a hopeful note, one in which maybe both characters are moving towards a healthier life.(less)

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