Every era seems to have a writer who captures the times better than her peers. For this era, that writer is Sally Rooney. I enjoyed her first two books, "Conversations with Friends" and "Normal People," but her latest book, "Beautiful World, Where are You" is by far her best.
Characters with depth and familiarity is what makes Rooney's books so compelling, and the characters in "Beautiful World" are no exception. We are introduced early on to Alice, a newly celebrated writer holed up in a vacation rental in a town in rural Ireland - a writer who seems to have a lot in common with Rooney, herself. Alice becomes involved with a "townie" name Felix who comes from a very different background and station in life. Despite their differences, they develop a strong bond that Rooney makes feel quite natural.
Eileen, Alice's best friend, who is a down on her luck employee of a literary magazine and Simon, the man after whom Eileen pines, round out the novel. Their storyline is even more compelling, and I felt myself instantly drawn to both of them.
Perhaps the greatest compliment I can pay this book and Rooney is that I thought a lot about my own life, my own friends, and my own choices after finishing this book. I have spent much of my life thinking that I was alone and that no one was like me. However, looking back at various stages in life - high school, college, etc -, there were countless people I could have connected with if only I had given them a chance or seen past my preconceived notions and prejudices. We have only one life to live, but books like Rooney's teach us about our mistakes and how we can do better next time in the time we have left in life. What more can you ask from a book?
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