Review: Sally Rooney's 'Beautiful World, Where Are You?' - NPR

Beautiful World, Where Are You? follows two women, college friends now on the cusp of 30, as they struggle to live and find meaning in a ... Accessibilitylinks Skiptomaincontent Keyboardshortcutsforaudioplayer Review:SallyRooney's'BeautifulWorld,WhereAreYou?'BeautifulWorld,WhereAreYou?followstwowomen,collegefriendsnowonthecuspof30,astheystruggletoliveandfindmeaninginaworldthat'sbecomeincreasinglyunlivableonmanylevels. Review BookReviews SallyRooney'sNewBookTriesToFindMeaningInAnIncreasinglyTroubledWorld Facebook Twitter Flipboard Email September2,202110:27AMET HellerMcAlpin Farrar,Straus&Giroux SallyRooney'sthird,exceptionallydeftnovelinfiveyearstakesitstitlefromalinefromapoembyFriedrichSchiller,whichSchubertsettomusicin1819."Beautifulworld,whereareyou?"isaquestionhertwomainfemalecharacters,bestfriendsfromcollegenowonthecuspof30,grapplewithrepeatedlyintheirstrugglestofigureouthowtheyshouldliveandfindmeaninginatroubledworldthathasbecomeincreasinglyunviableonmultiplelevels—ecologically,economically,ethicallyandemotionally.It'salsoaquestionthat,invariouspermutations,hascometodrivemoreandmorecontemporaryfiction,includingJennyOffill'sWeatherandAliSmith'srecentseasonalquartetofup-to-the-minutenovels.LikeSmith,Rooneylookshardforbeautyand—reassuringly—managestofindit.Thatispartofherconsiderableappeal.Butsoisthestraightforwardsinceritywithwhichshewritesaboutclassissues,mentalhealth,andsee-sawrelationships.Herunembellishedproseisrichinconversationsthatareatonceplaintiveandwry,soul-baringanddeflective.Inaddition,thereareRooney'snow-famoussexscenes,amongthemostlushlymovingyou'llfindincontemporaryliteraryfiction. Herunembellishedproseisrichinconversationsthatareatonceplaintiveandwry,soul-baringanddeflective.Inaddition,thereareRooney'snow-famoussexscenes,amongthemostlushlymovingyou'llfindincontemporaryliteraryfiction. BeautifulWorldfocusesonfourcharacters—thetwobestfriendsandthetwomenwithwhomtheytesttentativenewromanticrelationships.AliceKelleherisawildlysuccessfulIrishnovelistwho,inthewakeofanervousbreakdown,hasrentedanisolated,"chaoticallyhuge"oldrectorythreehoursfromDublinontheoutskirtsofacoastaltownwheresheknowsnoone.FelixBrady,alocalwhomshemeetsonaninauspiciousfirstdateaftertheyconnectonTinder,hasmadeamessofhislifeandhaslanded,unhappily,workingatalargeshippingwarehouse.InterwovenwiththeirstoryisthatofEileenLydon,ahyper-intellectual,ridiculouslylow-paideditorialassistantataDublinliteraryjournalwhereshespendsherdaysinsertingmissingperiodsbetweenW.H.Auden'sinitials.Smartingfromapainfulbreakup,sheseekssolaceinthecompanyofheroldestfriend,SimonCostigan,aparliamentaryassistantwho,overtheyears,hascasuallydatedaseriesofmuchyoungerwomen.Simonhasbeenalightinheroften-unhappylifesinceearlychildhood—andshe'sloathtorisklosinghisdevotedfriendshipforaseriousrelationshipthatmightgowrong.Rooney'scharactersaresmartanddeepbutalsoflawed,frequentlyexasperating,andwoefullyinsecure.Sociallychallengedandconstantlytrippedupintheminefieldsofintimacy,theyyearnforconnection—includingsex—butalltoooftensabotageevenpromisingrelationships. BookReviews 'NormalPeople'AppealsAcrossGendersAndGenerations AuthorInterviews WhatDoesItMeanToBeANormalPerson? WhatDoesItMeanToBeANormalPerson? Listen · 7:06 7:06 Togglemoreoptions Download Embed Embed Transcript BeautifulWorldismorestructurallycomplexandinnovativethanConversationswithFriendsandNormalPeople—notalwayseffectively—withshiftsbetweencool,detachedperspectivesandmoreintimateviewsofherfourcharacters'oftenheated,emotionallychargedinteractions.Atonepoint,shehighlightsthestarkcontrastbetweenAliceandFelix'slivesbyalternatingbetweenthemsentencebysentenceastheyeachgoaboutanordinarydayofwork—Aliceonaphonecallwithheragentdiscussinginvitationstoliteraryfestivalsanduniversities,Felixscanningandsortingpackagesatthewarehouse. BeforeshemetFelix,Alice'smainsocialcontactinvolvedmeatyemailexchangeswithEileen.ThesephilosophicalmissivesaboutthestateofboththeplanetandcontemporaryfictionserveasasubstantivedialecticattheheartofBeautifulWorld."DearEileen,"Alicewritesearlyon,"Youshouldknowthatourcorrespondenceismywayofholdingontolife,takingnotesonit,andtherebypreservingsomethingofmy–otherwisealmostworthless,orevenentirelyworthless—existenceonthisrapidlydegeneratingplanet."Withsocialtone-deafness,Alicecomplainstoherstrugglingbestfriendabouttheintrusivenessofsuccess."Ican'tbelieveIhavetotoleratethesethings—havingarticleswrittenaboutme,andseeingmyphotographontheinternet,andreadingcommentsaboutmyself."Theattention,shewrites,"hasmademeloathemyselftoanalmostunendurabledegree."Alicemaysharemanyfeatureswithhercreator,butdon'tmakethemistakeofconflatingthem.Infact,Rooneyisdaringusnotto,asAlicerailsagainstreaderswhothinktheyknowherfromhernovels. Whatelevatesherworkis...heruncannyabilitytoentranceusbycapturingtheemotionalrisks,powerplays,miscommunications,upsanddowns,hardwork,andmixedfeelingsthataccompanysomuchofourundertakings. Alice'sself-disdainstemspartlyfromthefactthatshefindsherwork"morallyandpoliticallyworthless"becauseherbooks"investenergyinthetrivialitiesofsexandfriendshipwhenhumancivilisationisfacingcollapse."Eileen,whoalsoconsidersherselfafailureat29becauseshe'sstillsingleandhasn'tdonemorewithherlife,pushesbackagainstAlice'sharshself-criticism.Inawonderfulpassage,shearguesthatthefactthatpeople—andcontemporaryliteraturelikeAlice's—focusonrelationshipsisasignthat"welovedeachothertoomuchandfoundeachothertoointeresting.AndIlovethatabouthumanity,andinfactit'stheveryreasonIrootforustosurvive—becausewearestupidabouteachother."WhetherornotRooneyactuallyshareshercharacters'reservationsaboutwritingwill-they-or-won't-theyromantictragicomediesinaworldinwhichmillionsaresufferingismoot.Whatelevatesherworkisnotjustpenetratingdiscussionslikethesebutheruncannyabilitytoentranceusbycapturingtheemotionalrisks,powerplays,miscommunications,upsanddowns,hardwork,andmixedfeelingsthataccompanysomuchofourundertakings,includingevolvingrelationships.Beautifulworld,whereareyou?There'splentyofevidenceofitingreatliteraturelikethis,which,amongotherthings,celebratestheconsiderableconsolationsofloveandfriendship. 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