In the small town of Carricklea in County Sligo, Connell Waldron is a popular, quietly clever footballer, and Marianne Sheridan is a sharp, unpopular girl from a wealthy family. Connell's mother cleans Marianne's house. The two begin a secret relationship in their final year of school that Connell hides from his friends, setting a pattern of closeness and withdrawal.
At Trinity College Dublin their social positions reverse: Marianne finds her circle while Connell feels out of place and anxious. Over four years they drift together and apart, through other partners, study abroad, depression and a troubled home life for Marianne, always drawn back by an understanding they share with no one else, and always hampered by what they fail to say.
Rooney writes in clean, unadorned prose without quotation marks, paying close attention to power, class and consent in relationships. The novel won the Costa Novel Award and was named Book of the Year at the British Book Awards. Its 2020 television adaptation became a lockdown sensation, introducing Rooney to an even wider audience.
Book details
| Author | Sally Rooney |
|---|---|
| First published | 2018 |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Literary fiction |
| Type | Fiction |
| Pages (approx.) | 273 |
| Setting | Carricklea, County Sligo, and Trinity College Dublin, 2011-2015 |
| Awards | Costa Novel Award 2018, British Book Awards Book of the Year 2019 |
Themes
- Class
- Intimacy
- Miscommunication
- Mental health
- Power in relationships
Who should read it
Readers who enjoy close, character-driven love stories about young adulthood.