Normal People
- Thread starter Bellamerrell
- Start date
AfroCircus
Chatty Member
Absolutely loved the series, even if I found myself screaming ‘why can’t you just communicate with each other!’ at the TV several times.
My favourite episode was the Italy trip. The table fight was *chefs kiss* - ‘god forbid you have to actually meet an Asian person’.
I was absolutely rooting for Connell to smack the tit out of Jamie. Marianne and her messy choices...WHOMST would choose Jamie over Connell????? In what reality???? Then you ask to sleep in Connell’s room. Girl you could have slept in Peggy’s room! I see you! And then, most unrealistic at all, you decline to have sex with him. I admire her self-control
My favourite episode was the Italy trip. The table fight was *chefs kiss* - ‘god forbid you have to actually meet an Asian person’.
I was absolutely rooting for Connell to smack the tit out of Jamie. Marianne and her messy choices...WHOMST would choose Jamie over Connell????? In what reality???? Then you ask to sleep in Connell’s room. Girl you could have slept in Peggy’s room! I see you! And then, most unrealistic at all, you decline to have sex with him. I admire her self-control
I really didn’t like the ending! It was like they finally found each other and understood each other...then he fucks off to New York
Oh my god I wish she just feckin went with him so I can sleep easy at night
I don't get why she'd want to stay? No family, friends, job? New York seems way more fitting for marianne than connell!
Oh my god I wish she just feckin went with him so I can sleep easy at night
I don't get why she'd want to stay? No family, friends, job? New York seems way more fitting for marianne than connell!
But she was finally content and enjoying her life - she said that to her friend, the English girl - and they both knew they had to follow their dreams and if it was meant to be, they’d come together again.
My OH (God bless him, THE most emotionally repressed and unromantic of men) has watched and it’s had a profound effect on him!
That maybe so, but my heart can't take another break up I wish it was a simple "off they fly into new York" happily ever after ending
Globe
Well-known member
I get why she doesn't go, she's finally happy and there's a chance she wouldn't find a job or get on a course over there. Maybe he decides not to go after all, we don't see him leaving. I'm too investedThat maybe so, but my heart can't take another break up I wish it was a simple "off they fly into new York" happily ever after ending
My husband, who sounds similar loved it too and my friends other half who is also emotionally stunted, for want if a better phrase, also enjoyed it! Now if I could just work out how to transfer Connell's delicious accent into the husband I'd be very happy!
I get why she doesn't go, she's finally happy and there's a chance she wouldn't find a job or get on a course over there. Maybe he decides not to go after all, we don't see him leaving. I'm too invested
Is she happy though? Will she ever be happy without connell judging from her choice of men?
Can you tell I'm not convinced
Also have never been more invested in characters so quickly - hence the devastation at the end
I'm actually ashamed but I love it.
KawaiiSloth
Chatty Member
I don't understand why Marianne's family are so horrible towards her?
Suzesnooze
VIP Member
In the book her mother doesn’t make her give the flat up and in the book she says her father did hit her too sometimes but it’s sill not explained well in the book either.
onmylunchbreak
Active member
Having read the book I think it’s complicated. Their father was abusive, and so the brother has learned behaviours from him, and exhibits them himself. The mother is submissive to him, as she was her husband, and I think for her, as Marianne is the ‘thing’ that sets him off, she resents Marianne for ‘causing’ his behaviour. Alan’s hatred of Marianne is mostly illogical but made worse by his jealousy over her academic achievements.
Yeah her brother is clearly hugely resentful of her and deeply insecure, at first because he wants to fit in at school so projects that onto her, blaming her for him feeling uncool, probably also subconsciously jealous that she doesn’t care about being popular like he does.
Then as time passes and there becomes an ever larger divide between those who stayed in Sligo after school and those who went out into the world... as happens in real life. Anyone who ever says “do you think your better than us?” Is usually talking from a place of insecurity, right ?
And the mother was depressed and traumatised by whatever happened with the father. That and drinking too much making her completely narcissistic . I must admit watching her neglect, pretending not to see Alan’s abusive behaviour was difficult to watch, it felt very real. It made me very angry.
The whole thing was definitely represented more clearly in the book, and it was slowly drawn out. You had a growing unease and sense of something being wrong long before you saw the bullying...and worse.
On the other hand, it’s a little too neat don’t you think how loving and warm the poor family are compared to how totally cold and devoid of love the rich family are ? Could’ve been a bit subtler.
Raininvain
VIP Member
Rubbish, its just shagging, everyone knows what happens but who wants to see all that! The lead male is also too old for the role, he could never pass for 18, he looks nearer 30. Its absolute crap, if it went any slower it would go backwards.
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onmylunchbreak
Active member
Yes I agree about there being more of a sense of unease that grows in the book. Marianne is restrained, you don't really get the full picture as its happening, rather she talks/thinks about it retrospectively. Earlier in the book, its not mentioned that her brother is hitting her. It's only later on that she talks about it to Connell.
I do agree that the goodness/badness of the families is a little twee and neatly tied up. I actually think they balanced that better in the series. There were glimpses of warmth from Marianne's mum, like when she's talking about the tiles for the bathroom, and her memories of being in Dublin. Ultimately she was dominated by Alan and sacrificed her relationship with Marianne to preserve the one with her son, maybe because she feels he needs her more?
I duno I wouldn’t agree with the lead looking older. I went to school in Ireland and he looked exactly like one of the popular Gaelic players in our school and also reminded me of a few others. They have overly muscular legs and broad shoulders from the training they do for football and the sport’s taken so seriously here at school level, the macrory team players at school are like gods for some reason. I remember whoever the captain was that year of the team, was always head boy at our school for some stupid reason. He just looks like your typical GAA player and I thought he suited the part to a tee.
Sophie1994
Well-known member
I read the book and loved it! On episode 4 and not quite won over yet.. i think college life in Ireland was depicted quite well but there were a few niggling things about the school life that made me disconnect.
as someone who would have been in secondary school in Ireland around the time this is based in there are a few things which didn’t make sense to me. I think Marianne was made far to likeable in comparison to how she was depicted in the book. She’s wealthy, smart, beautiful, a bit quirky and sassy, if she were in my school she’d for sure be in the popular crowd. I found the teenage sex scenes a bit too polished and passionate which made it unrealistic to me. I found the dialogue is a bit stilted. Also (This is a petty one) Connell and Rachel are in the popular crowd, why were they not at a pre debs party? I found the scene was just orchestrated to show That they aren’t right for each other.
I’m just drawing from my own experience obviously, I just found it hard to connect with the school scenes. Definitely going to stick with it though, I like the actors and I’ve enjoyed the college scenes far more! Hopefully I’ll be eating my words
as someone who would have been in secondary school in Ireland around the time this is based in there are a few things which didn’t make sense to me. I think Marianne was made far to likeable in comparison to how she was depicted in the book. She’s wealthy, smart, beautiful, a bit quirky and sassy, if she were in my school she’d for sure be in the popular crowd. I found the teenage sex scenes a bit too polished and passionate which made it unrealistic to me. I found the dialogue is a bit stilted. Also (This is a petty one) Connell and Rachel are in the popular crowd, why were they not at a pre debs party? I found the scene was just orchestrated to show That they aren’t right for each other.
I’m just drawing from my own experience obviously, I just found it hard to connect with the school scenes. Definitely going to stick with it though, I like the actors and I’ve enjoyed the college scenes far more! Hopefully I’ll be eating my words
Allthehashtags
Active member
10/10 Loved it. Binged watched over 2 nights, Connell is very easy on the eye..oh & the Irish accent 
Fingers crossed for a 2nd Series.
Fingers crossed for a 2nd Series.
Bobbleowl90
VIP Member
Just finished it. Took me longer to watch the series than it did to read the book (small baby, needs attention all the time ) but I loved it. Absolutely adored the book and couldn’t put it down. I didn’t necessarily picture them to look like they did but the acting is absolutely perfect.
) but I loved it. Absolutely adored the book and couldn’t put it down. I didn’t necessarily picture them to look like they did but the acting is absolutely perfect.