The Irish novelist Sally Rooney is one of those authors whose books are seemingly everywhere on social media.
As her latest novel Intermezzo came out in September, that has again been especially true over the past few months. The new book is currently also getting a prominent place in many end-year lists that are circulating everywhere at this time of the year.

Since I was not familiar with the TV adaptations of her prior work, Rooney’s online omnipresence is the main reason I decided to read one of her books earlier this year. Somewhere in spring I randomly picked her third novel Beautiful world, where are you from the shelves in the local public library. This was my first Sally Rooney read.

Sally Rooney has been called the voice of the millennial generation. Her book Beautiful world is set in Ireland and is a story about of four millennial characters: Alice, Eileen, Simon and Felix.

Alice and Eileen were once roommates in college and remain best friends. Eileen still lives in Dublin and works an unrewarding job at a literary magazine. Alice is an author of bestselling books. She recently found refuge in a small village after the toll of success caused her to suffer a mental breakdown.
The female friends keep in touch through long email conversations in which they share their views and thoughts on the state of the world and their own lives. As they are about to hit 30, they find it particularly difficult to find meaning and happiness in today’s ugly world.

At the same time, in Dublin Eileen tries to get over a recently ended relationship. She re-connects and starts to flirt with Simon, whom she knows since childhood. As a left-wing political advisor and practicing catholic, he’s like the perfect son-in-law.
In the village where she retreated to, Alice for her part gets entangled with Felix, a local working-class guy stuck in a dead-end warehouse job. He is a total stranger and completely unaware of Alice’s literary status. He also seems a bit shady, yet Alice spontaneously invites him to join her on a book publicity trip to Rome.
From the start, these romances are rather messy and complicated. The question is if the protagonists can ultimately find solace through their friendship and love.

Sally Rooney, Prachtige wereld, waar ben je
333 p.
Ambo|Anthos Uitgevers, 2021
Orig. Beautiful world, where are you (2021)
Translated by G. Baardman, J. de Nijs