Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

INTRODUCTION

Two college students. One shared passion for spoken word poetry. And one married couple. A connection of a lifetime. When circumstances bring this couple and the students together, their lives change. What brings them together, what keeps them together is what this book follows. Ultimately you also question which arises is if this group of friends stay together. Can their camaraderie stand the test of time?

ABOUT THE BOOK

Frances is 21 and she’s a cool-header and observant girl. As an aspiring writer she loves to think and wonder. She also devotes herself to her friend, the beautiful and self-possessed Bobbi. They used to be lovers in school but now they are two women who perform poetry together.

BLURB

Conversation With Friends follows Frances and Bobbi as they are noticed by a affluent couple in one of their performances. Awed by their talents, Melissa and her husband Nick spot their talent and potential. But while this meeting goes on for a few weeks, Frances finds herself drawn to Nick, the tall and handsome husband. While their flirtations seem harmless at first, the intimacy they reach becomes alarming and unexpected. While Frances tries to control her relationships and her life she finds herself at odds with Nick, Bobbie and her unhappy father. Desperate to solve this she begins to live from moment to moment.

THEMES

This wonderful book has many themes, some of them being:

● Self-Esteem: how we think about ourselves plays a central theme in Conversations With Friends. We follow Bobbi and Frances through their journey of coming to terms with themselves.

● Sexuality: We follow Frances and Bobbi through their relationships, before and after they were together. We watch them understand and come to terms with their sexuality and what their attraction to each other meant.

● Class: a constant reminded in this book is the difference between the affluent couple and these college students. Money plays a central role in dividing them and their expectations.

CHARACTERS

The main characters of this book are Frances, Bobbi, Melissa and Nick. This book is premised on the relationship between these characters and especially the relationship that Frances holds – with Bobbi and Nick. The characters are always drawn in intellectual conversations over some drinks. We see how they relate to and grow relationships with each other throughout the book. Both Bobbi and Frances represent modern young women who know how to show resistance and claim agency over their being.

BEST LINES

– “I think I only appear smart by staying quiet as often as possible.”

– “You underestimate your own power so you don’t have to blame yourself for treating other people badly.”

– “Is it possible we could develop an alternative model of loving each other?”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sally Rooney was born in 1991 and she graduated from Trinity College. Her books almost always follow very real stories of young characters experiencing the highs and lows of life. Her books are rich with dialogue and conversation that readers often feel like they are in the conversation too.

CONCLUSION

Conversation With Friends is a tale of love, friendship and truth. It is about owning one’s truth and living up to it. I love how it portrays relationships as real as it could, highlighting the issues and the solutions of each couple of friends. I loved Nick and Frances’s relationship as they realized that what they were doing was wrong. Bobbi and Frances also had an equally important relationship that tied this book together. If you are looking for a book to think and reflect upon, Conversations with Friends is the right pick for you.