I have given up on Sally Rooney and only made it ten pages into Long Island Compromise and I haven’t even tried to read All Fours. But I started The Chicken Sisters yesterday and I love it so much.
Now that is VERY NICE. And also—it’s a different book in a lot of ways but maybe even partly informed by an actual midwestern perspective? I just don’t see anything to gain by dwelling too long and hard in our lesser, most unappealing selves. Even now.
I am not a fan of Sally Rooney. At all. One & a half books were enough for me (only finished the first one because it was a book club choice). As a now retired librarian I follow my own advice that I told patrons--never apologize for your reading tastes. That goes along with Ranganathan's Laws of Library Science (#2 & #3): Every reader his/her book & Every book its reader.
"I called Rooney pretentious bc it irritates me that she doesn’t use quotation marks, tbh. This is probably a ridiculous reason not to read someone’s books but it’s my hill and I will die on it."
I could not agree more!!!! I have Intermezzo on my desk right now and keep picking it up and after a fifteen minutes I put it back down. I too cannot get over the lack of quotation marks...HOWEVER I did just read What It's Like in Words by Eliza Moss who also DOES NOT use quotation marks and is compared to Sally on the inside sleeve, but I read that book in two days. I loved it and barely noticed the punctuation once I was reading/ into the story. So maybe it's not the quotation marks but the extremely long paragraphs and just her overall style I find clunky and annoying. SO long story short, here to say I also find her irritating thank you for sharing and I can't help it and I wonder if everyone is just pretending to love her....
Omg thank you for saying that and yes—it might be all of it!!! Bc Margo’s Got Money Troubles is punctuated a little tiny bit differently (there are reasons) and I barely even noticed. I think it’s all of a piece. Her voice is just not for me.
Obviously I understand the life can turn on a dime theme as mine did last year at this time. I listen to Rooney’s books so it doesn’t irritate me but the character waffling still irritates me. Also didn’t like Long Island C. Loved Margo. Miss you.
I also strongly disliked Long Island Compromise but I managed to finish it. I hated pretty much all the characters. Missed opportunity IMO as the inspiration for the story had a lot of potential as fiction.
It really was an AMAZING hook. And a really interesting example of how people can do something very different with a story. Like, I bet I’d read the hell out of that plot if, I don’t know, Anne Patchett wrote it. There’s something in the overall outlook that’s more cynical than even my Gen X self wants to submerge in.
So glad your kiddo is okay but yes to wow we're never in control... Also totally with you on Sally Rooney and Long Island Compromise!!
I love it when people I respect totally GET IT on a popular read :)
I have given up on Sally Rooney and only made it ten pages into Long Island Compromise and I haven’t even tried to read All Fours. But I started The Chicken Sisters yesterday and I love it so much.
Now that is VERY NICE. And also—it’s a different book in a lot of ways but maybe even partly informed by an actual midwestern perspective? I just don’t see anything to gain by dwelling too long and hard in our lesser, most unappealing selves. Even now.
I am not a fan of Sally Rooney. At all. One & a half books were enough for me (only finished the first one because it was a book club choice). As a now retired librarian I follow my own advice that I told patrons--never apologize for your reading tastes. That goes along with Ranganathan's Laws of Library Science (#2 & #3): Every reader his/her book & Every book its reader.
But it’s SO MUCH FUN to talk about why we do and don’t love certain things! And to find people who agree :)
"I called Rooney pretentious bc it irritates me that she doesn’t use quotation marks, tbh. This is probably a ridiculous reason not to read someone’s books but it’s my hill and I will die on it."
I could not agree more!!!! I have Intermezzo on my desk right now and keep picking it up and after a fifteen minutes I put it back down. I too cannot get over the lack of quotation marks...HOWEVER I did just read What It's Like in Words by Eliza Moss who also DOES NOT use quotation marks and is compared to Sally on the inside sleeve, but I read that book in two days. I loved it and barely noticed the punctuation once I was reading/ into the story. So maybe it's not the quotation marks but the extremely long paragraphs and just her overall style I find clunky and annoying. SO long story short, here to say I also find her irritating thank you for sharing and I can't help it and I wonder if everyone is just pretending to love her....
Omg thank you for saying that and yes—it might be all of it!!! Bc Margo’s Got Money Troubles is punctuated a little tiny bit differently (there are reasons) and I barely even noticed. I think it’s all of a piece. Her voice is just not for me.
Obviously I understand the life can turn on a dime theme as mine did last year at this time. I listen to Rooney’s books so it doesn’t irritate me but the character waffling still irritates me. Also didn’t like Long Island C. Loved Margo. Miss you.
I also strongly disliked Long Island Compromise but I managed to finish it. I hated pretty much all the characters. Missed opportunity IMO as the inspiration for the story had a lot of potential as fiction.
It really was an AMAZING hook. And a really interesting example of how people can do something very different with a story. Like, I bet I’d read the hell out of that plot if, I don’t know, Anne Patchett wrote it. There’s something in the overall outlook that’s more cynical than even my Gen X self wants to submerge in.