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Alan Bray
May 12, 20226 min read
Finally Normal - Normal People
This week, I want to finish looking at Normal People, although this rich book could easily yield more discussion. However, certain...
Alan Bray
May 5, 20226 min read
Safe Sex - Normal People
Sex is an integral part of Normal People. Let’s get a definition. (Wait…what? A definition of sex?) Yes, we all “know” what sex is, but I...
Alan Bray
Apr 28, 20224 min read
Class Dismissed - Normal People
This week, let’s look at one of two major themes in Normal People, social class. I realize that last time, I left off with the threat to...
Alan Bray
Apr 20, 20224 min read
You Show Me Yours, I'll Show You Mine - Normal People
We’ve talked about how, at times, the locus of narration in Normal People can be hard to determine. That first sentence, “Marianne...
Alan Bray
Apr 14, 20225 min read
Having Fun With Reading - Normal People
This week, let’s look more closely at the role of the narrator in Normal People. A definition, please. A person who narrates something,...
Alan Bray
Apr 7, 20223 min read
Mental Time Travel - Normal People
Normal People, I’m going to say, is a book of recollection. A story of two people, told from a future vantage point and ending in a way...
Alan Bray
Mar 31, 20224 min read
Free The Speech!
As we continue our exploration of Sally Rooney’s Normal People, let’s take a look at some structural issues. The story concerns two main...
Alan Bray
Mar 24, 20224 min read
Normal People
This week, a new story, my friends, Irish author Sally Rooney’s 2018 novel, Normal People. Normal People was a bestseller in the United...