Beautiful World, Where Are You

no need for the audiobook narrator to actually moan in my ear during the sex scenes but i appreciate the dedication to the job... do they pay you more for doing that?

–

1.5 stars

listen... i own 3 Sally Rooney books and i was so very excited to read them all because EVERYONE loves her but after this book i'm kinda hesitant to pick up her other books.
Maybe i shouldn't have started with this book? idk someone please give me motivation to read her other books because my excitement to read them has completely dried up

This book is conflicting... I wouldn't say I quite recommend it, not even sure I liked it, but I was slightly moved in the end. The first three quarters of the book dragged on in a sad philosophical portrait of late 20s early 30s life sorta way. I kept waiting for something to actually happen, and then finally much of the conflict subtlety hinted at during the first part of the book came to surface. It was beautiful in a melancholy way, and even briefly satisfying. Then the book wrapped up with three short conclusion chapters, leaving me a little adrift. I wanted more, but was also relieved to be done...

Unsurprisingly, I really enjoyed this book. Sally Rooney is fast becoming one of my favourite writers.

The tone of the ending was a bit strange though, and the introduction of the pandemic very abrupt.

Throughout the book, the emails between Alice and Eileen often felt a little overwrought. The two of them had such a similar outlook on life that at times it felt like someone writing themselves letters back and forth, in the manner that a person might play chess against themselves.

Still, it was well worth a read and most of all I loved stepping back into Sally Rooney's writing. So full of detail yet simple at the same time.

It would be cruel to not love the book and mark it as a favourite.
After months of eager anticipation on Rooney's new work, I have found my anticipation not to be let down in any sense and her rise was nothing like foam, so easily shattered into pieces as the heat would die out eventually. Rather, I did a binge on this book as I was so indulged in the book that throughout the times when I was getting a break from it or having lessons in school during the day I couldn't even put it off my mind.
The novel, for sure, as it is Rooney's style to put everyday life and event into novels that turn out to be extraordinary, opposing their nature, being written and only revolved around normality. But this one, from which stands itself out of the other two, shows a predominant sense of maturity fully infused throughout the novel, from that of friendship and love to even a broader view about the peril the world is facing, and most importantly, as a key feature, we can get to know how Rooney felt when she was so young and successful just by writing two novels and rose herself to become an internationally well acclaimed novelist. This happens to be the only extraordinary bit of the novel, especially being portrayed by Alice, it did bring out the problems behind a seemingly successful life with a too-large-to-be-used amount of income, that in some sense it would be completely incomprehensible and detaching in its own way that separates herself from the normal people out there.
Another prominent element present in the novel, is again that difference between social classes. However, it was so different this time that it was not a substantial border being placed between the characters on their financial and social status-Alice was from working class background just like Felix. Through the book there are a lot of arguments, misunderstanding embedded and surrounded by the loving nature of their relationships. Sometimes, it is simply so frustrating that the characters cannot reach the common ground and keep putting themselves on the balance of contribution to sustain the friendship or courtship. Yet, it is love, and it is immeasurable. This do shine a light on the seemingly depressing or close-to-be-breaking-apart relationships and in the end, everything was not ugly but is indeed beautiful.
In this sense, the title might have proven to me, that in search of a perfect state or anywhere close to an utopia for actual beauty, which is rather improbable, perhaps it would be more advisable to simply go look after your loved ones, family members, give them your love and care, in a microscopic way of contributing to the world so that what meets us in the end is that beautifying nature of love, of any sorts of intimacy. Being mentioned in the book of those ideologies, political issues, plastics, consumerism, pollution, global warming... they are very spot on and yet, as individuals if we are to eradicate the problems, we can only try and change in that according portion which individuals are bound to contribute. Is it so selfish and unsympathetic as a human being to only look out for the close ones around us, instead of caring about the world as we are global citizens? This I fear not, as mentioned in the book, “Maybe we're just born to love and worry about the people we know, and to go on loving and worrying even when there are more important things we should be doing”. Finding emotional fulfillment in loving and being loved, in caring and being taken cared of, in living and to be lived for... No, it is never bad. “What if the meaning of life on earth is not eternal progress toward some unspecified goal—the engineering and production of more and more powerful technologies, the development of more and more complex and abstruse cultural forms? What if these things just rise and recede naturally, like tides, while the meaning of life remains the same always—just to live and be with other people?” As long as there is meaning to live for, who cares?
It would be cruel to not like the book and mark it as a favourite.
After months of eager anticipation on Rooney's new work, I have found my anticipation not to be let down in any sense and her rise was nothing like foam, so easily shattered into pieces as the heat would die out eventually. Rather, I did a binge on this book as I was so indulged in the book that throughout the times when I was getting a break from it or having lessons in school during the day I couldn't even put it off my mind.
The novel, for sure, as it is Rooney's style to put everyday life and event into novels that turn out to be extraordinary, opposing their nature, being written and only revolved around normality. But this one, from which stands itself out of the other two, shows a predominant sense of maturity fully infused throughout the novel, from that of friendship and love to even a broader view about the peril the world is facing, and most importantly, as a key feature, we can get to know how Rooney felt when she was so young and successful just by writing two novels and rose herself to become an internationally well acclaimed novelist. This happens to be the only extraordinary bit of the novel, especially being portrayed by Alice, it did bring out the problems behind a seemingly successful life with a too-large-to-be-used amount of income, that in some sense it would be completely incomprehensible and detaching in its own way that separates herself from the normal people out there.
Another prominent element present in the novel, is again that difference between social classes. However, it was so different this time that it was not a substantial border being placed between the characters on their financial and social status-Alice was from working class background just like Felix. Through the book there are a lot of arguments, misunderstanding embedded and surrounded by the loving nature of their relationships. Sometimes, it is simply so frustrating that the characters cannot reach the common ground and keep putting themselves on the balance of contribution to sustain the friendship or courtship. Yet, it is love, and it is immeasurable. This do shine a light on the seemingly depressing or close-to-be-breaking-apart relationships and in the end, everything was not ugly but is indeed beautiful.
In this sense, the title might have proven to me, that in search of a perfect state or anywhere close to an utopia for actual beauty, which is rather improbable, perhaps it would be more advisable to simply go look after your loved ones, family members, give them your love and care, in a microscopic way of contributing to the world so that what meets us in the end is that beautifying nature of love, of any sorts of intimacy. Being mentioned in the book of those ideologies, political issues, plastics, consumerism, pollution, global warming... they are very spot on and yet, as individuals if we are to eradicate the problems, we can only try and change in that according portion which individuals are bound to contribute. Is it so selfish and unsympathetic as a human being to only look out for the close ones around us, instead of caring about the world as we are global citizens? This I fear not, as mentioned in the book, “Maybe we're just born to love and worry about the people we know, and to go on loving and worrying even when there are more important things we should be doing”. Finding emotional fulfillment in loving and being loved, in caring and being taken cared of, in living and to be lived for... No, it is never bad. “What if the meaning of life on earth is not eternal progress toward some unspecified goal—the engineering and production of more and more powerful technologies, the development of more and more complex and abstruse cultural forms? What if these things just rise and recede naturally, like tides, while the meaning of life remains the same always—just to live and be with other people?” As long as there is meaning to live for, who cares?
One funny thing I have always had about Rooney's work is that I always find her characters resembling and vibing on me in a resonating way. This time, I could see myself, the people around me with their personalities being on every bit of those of the characters. It is deeply reassuring for me-perhaps that is what normality is, nothing is ever special as the masses are never special to achieve huge fame or prosperity or power.
The last bit I think that was worth-mentioning is about the ending, which was a surprise to me corresponding to lockdown, and become a little bit of a COVID novel. That relatablitiy immensely installed in almost every element of the novel... It simply blows me off and again makes Sally Rooney so appreciable in the literature world. I hope this wouldn't give her much pressure due to the fame and the fact that she has rocketed to a shattering height in the area.
This is a beautiful and meaningful masterpiece.

One sentence synopsis... The romantic longings of four angsty millennials struggling to confront global catastrophe and their complicated feelings for each other.

Read it if you like... ‘Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants' but the friends share polemics against capitalism and gendered power dynamics instead of magical pants. Also, if you're interested in art that tackles the pandemic - albeit with a light touch.

Dream casting... Emma Corrin as Alice (the Rooney character stand-in) and Jack O'Connell as her love interest, the warehouse worker Felix.

Det kan godt være at jeg ikke er målgruppen i Sally Rooneys lesekrets, men etter å ha lest Conversations with Friends og Normal People, bøker jeg likte, tror jeg dette ble èn bok for mye med Sally Rooney. Conversations with Friends var hennes første bok, og dermed den friskeste. Man skal heller ikke se vekk fra betydningen av identifikasjonspunkter, og mens Normal People mer kjentes ut som beskrivelsen av en ungdom jeg aldri opplevde (mangel på faktisk ungdomsromantikk), hadde Conversations personer jeg kunne relatere til.
Beautiful world, derimot, opplevdes stort sett bare som trist, en bok som er skrevet på ren vilje, med et persongalleri jeg trodde ville engasjere meg, og som jeg kanskje kjente meg igjen i. Men nei,stilmessig svinger det alt for mye, måten skildringene fremstår, er slik jeg ville skrevet ting på dager jeg ikke er inspirert, hvor setningene ikke kommer flyvende, og avsnittene sammentvungne.
Men det er kanskje slik det er å være i trettiåra og ikke ha landet, landet personer eller landet tilknytninger. Hvis det er slik det er å være Millennial er det langt fra der jeg er, og det virker som den tristeste generasjonen mulig. Kanskje er det derfor folk liker denne boken, men for meg blir det håpløst selvopptatt og .... kan man si knotete? Jeg håper Sally Rooney opplever en epifani før neste skriveprosjekt, for hvis dette er utviklingen i hennes forfatterskap, er jeg usikker på om jeg gidder lese neste bok.

For the most part I found Eileen's story more compelling than Alice's story. It was pretty to read most of the time but it was also kind of a slog to wade through. So much miscommunication happening. There were sections that I really enjoyed, like the wedding chapter. Overall, I liked it but I didn't love it. Can't see myself ever reading it again.

Złość, gniew, irytacja. Dawno żadna książka nie wzbudziła we mnie tyle emocji, ale chyba o to chodzi w dobrej literaturze.

Czy Gdzie jesteś piękny świecie jest dokładnie taką powieścią, jakiej potrzebujemy od jednej z najbardziej obiecujących i imponujących autorek na świecie?
Mam wrażenie, że świat dzieli się na jej miłośników i tych którzy traktują jej pisarstwo jako burżurską paplaninę oderwaną od prawdziwych relacji. A wszystko tak naprawdę kręci się wokół tego jak my czytelnicy odbieramy świat, związki, a ja chyba odnajduje się takim Pięknym Świecie ;)
Charakterystyczny styl Rooney błyszczy wśród fascynujących rozmów (bez myślników) na temat niepokoju klimatycznego, świadomości klasowej i języka. Ostatecznie jednak to osobiste relacje, komunikacja, miłość i seks, które bohaterowie muszą nawigować, desperacko próbując zidentyfikować piękno w swoich codziennych spotkaniach.
Alice jest odnoszącą sukcesy młodą powieściopisarką, która niczym autorka zastanawia się nad własną przestrzenią w współczesnym pisaniu powieści, poznaje Felixa, pracownika magazynu wysyłkowego, i proponuje mu wspólną podróż do Rzymu. W Dublinie jej najlepsza przyjaciółka Eileen próbuje dojść do siebie po rozstaniu z partnerem i zaczyna flirtować z Simonem, mężczyzną, którego zna z dzieciństwa.
Czy książki o seksie i związkach są naprawdę tylko nieistotną, uprzywilejowaną, bezsensowną frywolnością? A może rok zamknięcia i izolacji uświadomił nam, że komunikacja z ludźmi, których kochamy, jest integralną częścią naszego codziennego życia i warto ją zgłębiać w literaturze?
Gdzie jesteś piękny świecie to najbardziej naturalna integracja głębokich, intelektualnych i wzniosłych rozmów Rooney pośród olśniewającej zwyczajności jej wadliwych, niedoskonałych bohaterów, a wyjątkowa precyzja szczegółów w tej książce jest naprawdę mistrzowska. To wiarygodna, spostrzegawcza i cenna książka.

“Więc oczywiście w kontekście tego wszystkiego, co się dzieje, gdy stan świata jest taki, jaki jest, a ludzkość stoi na skraju zagłady, oto ja piszę kolejnego mejla o seksie i przyjaźni. Czyż jest coś innego, dla czego warto żyć?”

Such a beautiful book about friendship and love. Get to see two friends who've become distanced share there online conversations and reunite beautiful betrayal of friendship; no matter how long apart you'll always be friends. Gorgeous writing style from Rooney and happy to say it was the first book of hers I've read and it won't be the last.

What an exasperating novel! Literally half of it is made up of the most inane, indulgent emails where characters ponder about consumerism and cosmetics and the philosophy of relationships, with zero theoretical background. Literally hundreds of pages of people just saying shower thought nonsense about labor and the exploitation of the global south and being like “idk if that makes sense, I've just been thinking about it.” These are the sorts of conversations I have with friends over coffee and they tell me to read a fucking book.

The parts that aren't Wikipedia rehashes are also bizarrely inert. Huge chunks of the book read like alt text (constant plain descriptions of characters opening messaging apps), with almost no character voice because it's written in this detached third person style where everyone is a soup of the author just trying to have a single coherent idea. The back third of the book is the best by a wide margin because the emails go away and characters actually interact, but even that is too little too late because it's coming in with dynamics that are explicitly pulling from decades of friendship we barely see. We're meant to assume these characters are best friends despite only having uncomfortable interactions and bizarre emails. Then - psych - it's COVID time and we're talking about how actually nothing changed and isn't it sad we can't go to the cinema. Just exhausting stuff.

Finally, there are ongoing gestures at queerness which are so fucking obnoxious. Two of the characters are supposedly bisexual but everyone craves the traditional stability of heteronormativity. The book literally ends with a character getting pregnant and talking about marrying her childhood best friend and moving to the country.

This will certainly appeal to a certain type of middle class liberal that fancies themselves progressive but refuses to engage with actual materialist reality. Why consider decades of theory when you can act like you're the first person who has ever thought maybe it's wrong to subjugate much of the world to preserve an expendable lifestyle. Rooney is so transparently trying to come to terms with her own wealth and celebrity and it's just embarrassing.

What a fucking let down after Normal People.

Sexy, edgy, young

“For a time they sat there on the stairs, not speaking, or speaking absently about things that had happened a long time ago, silly arguments they'd had, people they used to know, things they had laughed about together. Old conversations, repeated many times before. Then quiet again for a little while. I just want everything to be like it was, Eileen said. And for us to be young again and live near each other, and nothing to be different. Alice was smiling sadly. But if things are different, can we still be friends? she asked. Eileen put her arm around Alice's shoulders. If you weren't my friend I wouldn't know who I was, she said. Alice rested her face in Eileen's arms, closing her eyes. No, she agreed. I wouldn't know who I was either. And actually for a while I didn't. Eileen looked down at Alice's small blonde head, nestled on the sleeve of her dressing gown. neither did I, she said. Half past two in the morning. Outside, astronomical twilight. Crescent moon hanging low over the dark water. Tide returning now with a faint repeating rush over the sand. Another place, another time.” (325)

the first half was difficult for me to get through, some of the chapter triggered me so much (even if I knew what the book was about, I chose to read it so... my bad)
the second half was interesting, I was just trying to understand the behaviors of Felix but didn't succeed lol
and then... the final chapter was kinda silly, I mean it was very simple and easy (but maybe we should see the life like Eileen did, idk)

Spanish and English translation

Par comenzar quiero confesarles que inicie este libro con grandes expectativas, Sally Rooney es un autor muy aplaudido de mi generación (ella nació en 1991, millenial) y tal vez eso tenga que ver con mi opinión general del libro. De verdad quería enamorarme de su obra, pero la verdad es que no me encanto. Hace algunos meses - no recuerdo donde, creo que fue en YouTube - alguien comento que los libros de Rooney eran un montón de gente deprimida que no lograba comunicarse efectivamente con otros, y en gran parte esto es lo que el libro me hizo sentir, los personajes mostraban habilidades de comunicación extraordinarias en temas de política, religión y autoconocimiento (etc.) y aun así lograban confundirse entre ellos y confundir sus emociones, aunque ante todo siempre prevalecía el amor que sentían unos por otros. Puedo decirles que disfrute algunas secciones y discusiones, pero en algunos momentos fue complicado de leer, claro este es mi gusto personal. Mi calificación final es 2.5/5 estrellas. No me odien Rooney fans.

Translation

To begin with my review, I want to confess that I started this book with great expectations, Sally Rooney is a highly applauded author of my generation (she was born in 1991, a millennial) and perhaps that has to do with my general opinion of the book. I really wanted to fall in love with her work, but the truth is that I didn't love it. A few months ago - I don't remember where, I think it was on YouTube - someone commented that Rooney's books were a bunch of depressed people who couldn't communicate effectively with others, and this is largely what the book made me feel, the characters showed extraordinary communication skills in matters of politics, religion and self-knowledge (etc.) and still managed to confuse each other and confuse their emotions, although the love they felt for each other always prevailed. I can tell you that I enjoyed some sections and discussions, but at times it was difficult to read, of course this is my personal taste. My final rating is 2.5/5 stars. Don't hate me Rooney fans.

This book was just not my cup of tea. I found it just as boring as the characters within it. If you want a book where something happens this is not the book for you.

This could have been redeeming had I given any f's about the characters. Their conversations seemed forced and unnatural and their personalities had no depth.