Normal People by Sally Rooney

** Sally Rooney's new novel Intermezzo is available now **AN IRISH TIMES TOP 100 IRISH BOOKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY 'The literary phenomenon of the decade.' Guardian 'The book that defined a generation.' Stylist

Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small town in the west of Ireland, but the similarities end there. In school, Connell is popular and well-liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation - awkward but electrifying - something life-changing begins.

Normal People is a story of mutual fascination, friendship and love. It takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find they can't. 'Tender and devastating.' Guardian 'A book to cancel plans for.' Grazia 'A classic coming-of-age love story.' Vogue Readers love Normal People: 'An emotional rollercoaster from cover to cover.' Claire 'It will stay with me for a long time.' Linny 'The hype is entirely justified.' Caitlin 'This is a book to cherish, to keep and be thankful for.' Celestine 'A masterpiece, pure and simple.' Jamie Sally Rooney's book 'Normal People' was a #1 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2018-12-24

But in the wake of their father's death, he's medicating himself to sleep and struggling to manage his relationships with two very different women - his enduring first love Sylvia, and Naomi, a college student for whom life is one long joke. Ivan is a twenty-two-year-old competitive chess player. He has always seen himself as socially awkward, a loner, the antithesis of his glib elder brother.

Now, in the early weeks of his bereavement, Ivan meets Margaret, an older woman emerging from her own turbulent past, and their lives become rapidly and intensely intertwined. For two grieving brothers and the people they love, this is a new interlude - a period of desire, despair and possibility - a chance to find out how much one life might hold inside itself without breaking. Readers love Intermezzo: 'An intimate and emotional read .

I put the book down feeling that I am richer for having read it.' Megan 'A beautifully written book with characters that capture the heart of the reader.' Sinead 'I'm envious of anyone yet to read this, you're in for a treat.' Anon 'The characters are brilliant; complex, heartful, raw and impactful.' S. Payne 'Shows dazzling skill but also heart-wrenching compassion and humanity.'