Normal PeopleNormal People
Score Modern
What it's about
In a small town in the west of Ireland, Connell is popular at school; Marianne is a lonely, sharp outsider. Connell's mother cleans Marianne's family's house, and the two begin a secret relationship. Over the next four years, at university in Dublin and beyond, they come together and drift apart, again and again, unable to stay away from each other.
Why it's worth reading
It was longlisted for the Booker Prize, the Guardian named it one of the best books of the 21st century, and it became an acclaimed TV series. It's an intimate, painfully real love story.
You'll love it if you liked
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Every Summer After
Me Before YouGood to know
The dialogue has no quotation marks. There's sex, depression, abuse and self-harm.
By the numbers
- Readers11 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics58 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller72 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz7 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #118 of the 233 romances we rank
- #186 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #834 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1546 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is Normal People worth reading?
Yes. It was longlisted for the Booker Prize, the Guardian named it one of the best books of the 21st century, and it became an acclaimed TV series. It ranks #1,546 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Normal People about?
In a small town in the west of Ireland, Connell is popular at school; Marianne is a lonely, sharp outsider. Connell's mother cleans Marianne's family's house, and the two begin a secret relationship. Over the next four years, at university in Dublin and beyond, they come together and drift apart, again and again, unable to stay away from each other.
How long does it take to read Normal People?
About 7 hours (273 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Normal People?
If you liked it, try Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Every Summer After by Carley Fortune or Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.