intelligent prose

the story floored me really, I found the story so compelling, the little snapshot of time following a bereavement. it was such a beautiful story and the narrator was an excellent choice.

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Forensic exploration of grief

It took me a little longer to get into this, compared to previous Sally Rooney books, but I was drawn in so deep I felt I was living it.
The writing is so focused and detailed and yet so effortless and natural that each nuance, every thought and emotion is perfectly realised.
Sad and beautiful, I didn’t want it to end.

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Easily one of my favorite books ever!

Sally Rooney's writing in this book is levels up ahead of the writing in some of her previous books (Normal People, Conversations with Friends). The amount of complex emotions showcased in this book and their depth was simply stunning in execution. I found myself pausing the audiobook to write down quotes from the book constantly. Some examples of great quotes in this book:

"It is better to feel hopeful and optimistic about one's life on earth while engaged in a never-ending struggle to pay rent than to feel despondent and depressed while engaged in the same non-optional struggle anyway."

"The difference between truth and lying is complicated. You think you're fitting language onto the world in a certain way like a child fitting the right-shaped toy into the right-shaped slot but you realize that it's a false picture. Language doesn't fit onto reality like a toy fitting into a slot."

"The person that's gone has no reality except in our thoughts and once they're gone from our thoughts then they're actually gone."

"That he's come to love her such an absurd thing, like a staged fight where it turns out the knives are real."

Both Peter and Ivan's POVs are very interesting, seeing the way they each cope with grief after losing their father and how each perceives the other was very interesting.

I enjoyed Peter's POV much more, it felt more meaningful. It was however much tougher to get into than Ivan's POV. The writing style for the two POVs is quite different and Peter's style of narration was trickier to follow at first but as the story unfolds I found myself wishing the Ivan chapters would go faster so I could go back to seeing Peter's POV. All in all an amazing book!

Also, the audiobook performance is so good! I could tell instantly if it was a Peter chapter or an Ivan chapter from the first 2 words.

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Beautifully narrated story about complicated relationships

Beautifully narrated story about complicated relationships.
Can't wait to listen to another one from the same author.

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Amazing 🤩

I don’t know how to review this highly enough, just that I loved and missed it so much that I listened to it immediately again after I’d finished it…and I’ve bought the hardback copy for my daughters…II can’t say whether it’s the beautiful narration that adds to the delicate, wonderfully written story of grief, family and love that makes it such a beautiful whole, but it’s faultless. Whoops, I’m listening again and finding even more to love. The human detail is exquisite, but it’s more than that, it’s a great and satisfying story.

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Messy, Intimate, and beautifully written

This is Sally Rooney at her best. Her writing is something to be savoured—every word feels intentional, every scene intimate. The characters are messy humans, full of flaws, but I couldn’t help loving them.

What I appreciated most was the growth shown by all of them throughout the story. It felt so real, so raw, and so personal. Ivan, in particular, was a standout for me—such a brilliant character.

If you love stories that explore the complexities of relationships and human connection, this is absolutely worth reading. It’s the kind of book that stays with you long after you’ve finished it.

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Stunning!

I loved this book so much. Sally Rooney is a spectacular talent. I almost couldn’t bear how beautiful the writing was. So, so good. Read it immediately!

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Beautiful, complex, enjoyable

Loved every minute of this interesting, thoughtful and entertaining book! Narration was great. Highly recommend this audio book

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Incredible overall

Incredible performance, story and writing. Quite possibly her best piece of writing. The reading of it was done so beautifully. I wish I could experience it again for the first time.

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Beautiful characterisation

It was a brilliant book with complex and intriguing characters. Rooneys writing added depth and insight into the characters thoughts and feelings and creating mushroomed conflicting sympathies. Incredibly moving and heartfelt.

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