A Normal People by Sally Rooney Case Study
Hulu’s Normal People is exceptional. Sally Rooney’s Normal People is exceptional. That really is the only word that comes to mind when I think about that show.
I am a chronic re-watcher and re-reader. I hardly ever find myself wanting to read a new book because I know I can count on my tried and true – Normal People being one of them (my favorite one actually). Like books, I will always watch an episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia or Survivor before trying something new. Hulu’s Normal People is also one of those few shows for me. It may only have 12 episodes, but it is just as good if not better than your normal 22-episode television show. If you are ever in need of a good cry–this is the show for you.
Everything from the cast, the script, the sets, to the mannerisms of the characters – it is perfection. I have never seen a film or television adaptation so true to the original text. That being said…which do I prefer?
Let’s start with the book – something about this book feels unbelievably personal and everyone who reads it can relate to it in some sort of way. Yes, it is a book in the romance genre, yet it is also so far away from that genre. It transcends just being your typical romance book and moves into a space that feels like your own mind and your own memories. It does not really have the typical tropes of a romance novel like enemies to lovers or forbidden love. It quite simply is about two “normal” people. The perfect quote to describe this book was one that I read by Sarah Egelman in her review in The Bookreporter, it reads: “the honesty found in Normal People is almost confrontational, which is wonderful.”
Next the BBC and Hulu adaptation – the casting in this series is unreal. I have yet to watch a show where the on-screen characters have as much chemistry as Connell (played by Paul Mescal) and Marriane (played by Daisy Edgar-Jones). While the show is fast paced because they have a lot of ground to cover in a short period of time, I do not feel like any major details were left out. Often when I watch a film or television adaptation, I feel like key aspects of the original text are left out. Parts of the text that highlight character growth and evolution. That is not the case with Normal People. I never felt like jumps were made in the plot or key details were left out. It incorporates original lines from the text that make it feel even more true to the book.
So…. Which do I prefer?
This may be a bit of an excuse, but I truly do not think I could pick one over the other. Seeing Mescal and Edgar-Jones bring the characters to life in such a true-to-the-text way is remarkable. It allows me to picture the story even more clearly when I re-read the novel.
I would suggest to anyone – older or younger to give this novel a read and then watch the show. This book and television show somehow manage to stick with you. I read and watched it in 2020 and here I am in 2024 still thinking and talking about it. I recommend both to anyone I meet.