☁️ i read + ranked sally rooney's novels to see if they're worth the hype

[@uncarley]

THE SALLY ROONEY MIND MELD OF JACK AND I HAVING THE SAME PREDICTION

[@nileverdeen3797]

I love you

[@am13007]

This collaboration was iconic. We need more of Jack, Carley and Joel. Honestly quite surprised that Carley didn't threaten you or hold you at gunpoint before this to read Salley Rooney 🤷‍♀️

[@fictionalfates]

oh, she may have once or twice (i can't exactly remember)

[@maismaikhemprai9312]

Sally Rooney is bringing back love letters through the emails.

[@fictionalfates]

y'know, this is absolutely correct

[@maddyhilton4389]

For me, conversations with friends has to be my favourite (and honestly just one of my favourite books ever!). I know it really does just reflect particularly badly on my own character, but I have honestly never related more to a character in a book than I did to Frances and her narrative voice. If anything, it was Bobby who I found the hardest to relate and who was more unlikeable for me, personally.

[@shiningyoonie]

Same here. I understand that some people would find Frances annoying to read about and that's why a lot of people don't like the book. But I found myself relating to her so much that my heart could not handle the emotional journey she went through in the book and I had to take a break from it.

[@idkmann6620]

Absolutely! I'm just happy someone has the same opinion as mine

[@sithiboo]

I have to agree about Bobby. I'm actually surprised that people like her, she only came off as kind of manipulative by not being straightforward to Frances and too standoffish. Maybe because I've met people like this irl (that I don't have good experiences with lol) that makes me a little biased but... honestly she just came off as kind of toxic.

[@PriscaL]

Loraine is not only a mother to Connell but also to Marianne. She’s a mother who shows her kindness and warmth and concern. The scene where Marianne spends Christmas with them and realizes what a happy family Christmas is like is so heartwarming and heartbreaking. And when Marianne’s mother shuns her, Loraine steps in.

[@Brella_9]

Lately I’ve been having the urge to read Sally Rooney’s books myself.. this video is perfect timing 😂😂👌🏽

[@fictionalfates]

eeee look at that coincidence

[@kristenlocus292]

lol at Jack "mommy...sorry". Great video! I haven't read any books by Sally Rooney yet so I've enjoyed your breakdown. Alsoooo I would love to hear your thoughts on "Will" if you are ever so inclined :)

[@alenanela1743]

YES ABOUT flawed characters in books not meaning the book is bad. I am so upset when people justify their hatred for Sally Rooney’s books with “the characters are so frustrating and crappy people,” because they have completely missed the point! Also I can’t believe all my favourite booktubers are in one video

[@emmmmahiggins]

i devoured all 3 novels so quickly, couldn’t put them down, and afterward I was always thinking “…did I even enjoy that?” BUT if you loved these then I really think you’d like The Idiot by Elif Batuman.

[@dishadharmraj6986]

I've only read normal people by her and I had the same thought. Read it very quickly and once I finished it I was like did I enjoy that.

[@xxxmochibaby]

Lol I completely agree!

[@penguintango21]

Old millennial here! I don't know about the UK, but in the US in 2008, a lot of people didn't have unlimited texting, so you'd kind of default to IMs or emails unless you knew you both weren't paying like 10 cents a text. You also may have not have had a keyboard on your phone, so if you wanted to write a long message it was way easier to type it on a computer.

[@fictionalfates]

Ooh, that makes a lot of sense - thank you so much!

[@abbynvm3613]

Also, a lot of us had flip phones still so we needed to use t9word which made texting much more arduous

[@dianeyoung8130]

@@abbynvm3613 t9 was the best you could text in your pocket and teachers would never know i find texting now to be more difficult covertly. you have to look at the screen.

[@emmaj8726]

I remember when I was about 13 a couple of my friends got grounded for texting too much and racking up the bill.

[@powerpuff4ever]

I never realized how charmed it was to have an unlimited plan and a phone with a full keyboard when I was ~11 but I’m kind of reveling in the privilege

[@myrtolefk]

I actually just finished reading normal people (after being aware of it for years or however long it's been) and to be honest because it sounds like something i'd like i kind of expected to not like it but then i did and i instantly went and bought conversations with friends to read as soon as possible so maybe i AM a sally rooney fan too

[@fictionalfates]

MOOD WITH NORMAL PEOPLE!

[@myrtolefk]

@@fictionalfates ugh i know it surprised me how much i actually liked it

[@giav12]

Omg this was me too

[@AndreLuiz-iw2wg]

I read Normal People about a year ago and, even though I enjoyed it, the book didn’t grip me or inspire the level of emotion experienced by other readers - which led me to dismiss Sally Rooney as an overrated writer. A few months laters, I was wandering in a bookshop when I came across Beautiful World, Where Are You. I decided to give Rooney a second chance…and Oh My God! I was absolutely blown away. Halfway through the book I went online and bought Conversations with Friends, which pleased me even more. I am particularly drawn to Sally’s ability to so accurately portray the good and bad aspects of being a young person in this odd times we’re living. She’s now definitely my favorite contemporary author. Isn’t it weird how a couple of months can so radically change our reading experience and perceptions?

[@desfleuves]

obsessed with the matching fits omg ty for this bestie, articulated my thoughts on her first two novels better than i ever could and decided for me on the question of reading beautiful world ☀️

[@fictionalfates]

eeeee i'm so happy bestie! thank you so much

[@itsdivyag]

MORE AUTHOR RANKINGS YES such a good way to get overall vibes of the authors popular works n recs 😊 pls do a ranking on leigh’s if you haven’t already I was trying to read all of her books but I dnfed like 3

[@miya7917]

I think it depends on your mental state and how willing you are to think in depth. I was absolutely not in the right state of mind to read normal people when I did and it made me very spacey but I loved the limited series.

[@irenailicevic572]

This video has a better structure than my life and I'm here for it

[@fictionalfates]

slfkjdsfihjfeuhf bestie omg

[@sithiboo]

I think plot-wise Conversations with Friends was more gripping especially because of Frances' relationship with Nick. I really hated them together but it was interesting to see these characters interact. And this book's ending just felt like a cliff hanger like what was that ending!!! I liked the ending because it kind of suggests that these characters will always be stuck in a cycle of making mistakes and sometimes learning from them-because that's life right? I just like that none of these relationships were 'resolved'. Also Bobby sucked lol I felt like she was just leading Frances on the whole book and playing with her feelings I didn't really like her

[@sercemwksiazkach]

My predictions for your ranking: 1. Beautiful World [...] 2. Normal People 3. Conversations with Friends Also, your haircut is STUNNING! And I love that shirt and how it matches with the (very beautiful!) covers

[@sercemwksiazkach]

Well close enough!! I'm glad you enjoyed all of these books and the process of filming this video. Love you, Joel!

[@fictionalfates]

So close!! Also thank you for the compliment on my haircut!! And honestly, when i realised that shirt matched the books, I screamed!

[@supersnek5]

I hope fictionalfates reads and ranks all of Alice Oseman's books some time in the future

[@salma00092]

YESS

[@supersnek5]

I feel like he would enjoy _I Was Born for This_

[@fictionalfates]

the osemanverse vlog i've been planning would definitely fit into read + ranked omg, bestie you're a genius 😌 maybe for the third instalment? 👀

[@supersnek5]

@@fictionalfates omg I would love that!! Looking forward to your future vlogs! 😊

[@aidafuentesv]

Yes please

[@aubreyjdickens]

carley saying she was gonna start a feud with you then being a guest star on your sally rooney video,,, growth

[@fictionalfates]

honestly 😌 the bisexual adhd-ers needed to unite

[@melanieventer3511]

I read Normal People a few months ago and it is now one of my all time favourite books. I can't wait to get into her other novels and this is good motivation

[@fictionalfates]

i'm so glad to hear that!!

[@silverplim]

I love the way you talk about books, you explain your thoughts / analysis really well

[@fictionalfates]

thank you!!

[@rayannesousads]

this was such a great video, joel - i can't believe half an hour just passed. i'm not really a Rooney fan but i've read all of her books and i literally think about them everyday. that being said, i know i'm a mess, but your thoughts in this video made me understand a lot of my own opinions, both positive and negative, about her books. i kinda want to read them again? oh well. greeeat video! love from brazil

[@fictionalfates]

thank you so much rayanne! i'm so glad i've inspired you to read them again - and i'm so glad you liked the structure of this video too!

[@rayannesousads]

@@fictionalfates 💛💛💛

[@kiranreader]

this video was amazing!! love the mix of video essay, vlog, + collab w/ carley and jack - so fun to watch and i cackled when you said "a low-fi version of the real housewives" 😂 the quote you pulled from the guardian at 7:18 was really illuminating and helped explain why i dont gravitate to rooney's writing.

[@fictionalfates]

ahh i'm so happy you enjoyed it and the mix of video types!! honestly, the lofi version of the real housewives is probably the best description you could give CWF 😂 and i'm glad the quote could help articulate your thoughts about rooney's writing, i definitely agree that it's not for everyone and i definitely prefer more showing than telling in writing

[@kiranreader]

@@fictionalfates agreed! there's just something that hits different about prose that shows :)

[@marinaleah5271]

This video format was so interesting and I loved hearing all your in depth thoughts about the novels without any spoilers! I've always been intrigued by Sally Rooney but haven't had the motivation to pick any up yet....this might be the push I needed :)

[@CegomezChannel]

the clothes matching the book covers is so pleasing

[@storiesandsadhbh4673]

One of my fav videos you’ve ever done! The structure of it was so satisfying and we can def tell how much work you put into the video. It really paid off! luv u ☺️

[@fictionalfates]

ahhh thank you so much 🥺

[@kyestrella]

seeing carley and jack in your video is sooo fun! so precious

[@lucyanderson7820]

bestie this video is the combination of two of my favourite things, you and sally rooney!!xxxx

[@fictionalfates]

i hope you enjoy it!!

[@hslotfan]

sally actually said that marianne was inspired by frances’ character

[@yarmoni]

“A lo-fi version of the real housewives” I love that description hahaha

[@samantharose1001]

😭 currently reading Beautiful World so Ig I’ll need to come back to this video! But this collab is everything 🤓 YTer collabs have the same energy as tv show crossovers and I love it!!

[@federicasiino1986]

I love "Beautiful world where are you"

[@daniwyatt7760]

EXCUSE ME--YOU'RE 21? WE'RE THE SAME AGE???? AND YOU'RE ALREADY GOING FOR YOUR MASTERS?????? YOU'RE AMAZING OMG

[@OneDisgrace]

carley's prediction for your rankings is actually my ranking! haha, and pretty much for the same reasons too! edit: i just saw jack say the same thing lmaoo. i feel like this must be a pretty popular order for rooney's books.

[@fictionalfates]

I think so too!

[@kimseehorn]

omg, wow!!! I found you yesterday through that Penguin Mental Health video you did & then I browsed through your channel & because I had just finished reading Conversations with Friends myself, I stumbled upon this video & was sooo in love with it 😍 the effort you put into this - I loved that you dressed the part for the books, I loved the way that you presented this whole video, and I was genuinely so excited to hear your ranking at the end because you hyped me up so much for it throughout the video! This felt like such a thought-through and incredibly well executed video, wow! Applause! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@filo4854]

THE COLOR COORDINATED OUTFITS. I SEE YOU JOEL

[@isidorag.k.8022]

Iconic collab! But also I'm so happy you loved her books, she's a force of nature and an incredible writer ❤️ one of my personal favorite authors. Thank you Joel for an iconic video, we love to see it

[@alexandraramz]

joel, carley, and jack…… AND sally rooney all in one video? truly iconic.

[@heenwoof]

I‘ve been getting into literary fiction, also! Excited to see whether or not you like them :) (You can probably tell by this comment that I’m incredibly indecisive and like it when other people make decisions for me) 😀 anyways,…happy reading!!

[@fictionalfates]

sjksdkfdjf that's a mood bestie, i'm indecisive too! happy reading

[@clairemacauliffecarroll263]

I clicked the like button and subscribed for two reasons: 1. Agreeing with your views about these books 2. Loving how young people, like yourself, read and digest books. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to more content!

[@parnikajain3151]

1 paper due this Friday and other on the 28th. We love that for me😁I spent too much time procrastinating so I’ll watch maybe before I sleep or tomorrow at some point!

[@fictionalfates]

saifjhljksf it'll still be here when you're ready!

[@parnikajain3151]

@@fictionalfates ofc! But knowing myself I would want to watch it asap😂

[@FaithAlexiss]

You and Jack are the only booktubers I’m subscribed to and I didn’t know u knew each other 👁👄👁

[@fictionalfates]

👀 we've even met

[@ananyasharma2834]

i am currently reading "beautiful world where are you" and this is my first sally rooney book and i am really enjoying

[@mk-yt8og]

The missing quotation marks really bothered me, it was at times hard to discern the thoughts Frances said out loud vs those that she was keeping to herself, which is an important distinction too I think

[@kiyaramichiels6909]

Okay but I really appreciate all the effort that went in to this video! The research, the outfits, the editing! Would absolutely love to see more of these😍

[@TheOfficeIsBananas]

YOUR COLOR MATCHINF

[@ChrisBrooks34]

OK I literally just found your hannel and I am so excited this looks super fun. And I appreciate that we had straight out of the crossover with uncarley and Jack Edwards we stan. That is one hell of a crossover, I'm here for it. And this is my prediction for your ranking. 1 Normal People 2 Beautiful World, Where are You? 3 Conversations with friends

[@mkieran2619]

OMDS THIS MADE MY DAY IVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND MORE UK BOOKTUBERS AGHH

[@jaylankau]

rooney's novels read the way it feels to watch an artsy indie movie, for better or worse

[@SharonVictoria90]

Absolutely loved this video and this style of vlog and video essay combination! I’ve only read conversations with friends which I really enjoyed, and I’m looking forward to the other two!

[@sarahblue7446]

This was so brilliant and you are WONDERFUL. Thank you for doing this in-depth review 😊 Now I want to read them all.

[@jasminehewitt793]

omg stop this is something i didn’t know i needed

[@fictionalfates]

and now it's here!

[@AnneliesVeldman]

I LOVE the matching of the outfits with the books, like it is everything!

[@percydoeseverything]

This was such an interesting video. I keep hearing that Normal People is SOOOOO GOOD, direct quote, but then when whoever said that first part read Sally Rooney's other book they say they are so disappointed.

[@fictionalfates]

YES! People either like Normal People or Conversations with Friends, it's rarely both!

[@percydoeseverything]

@@fictionalfates that’s what I’m gathering! 🤣

[@Kim12348]

hey ! i personally read ''conversation with friends'' right after reading ''normal people'' (because i had loved it), and absolutely didn't feel disappointed !! i still prefer ''normal people'', but i think it has more to do with which story/character resonates with you the most than the actual quality of the novel :)

[@beanbagbooks]

Such a fun idea! I've only read Normal People but agree with many of your comments, especially about the side characters being thinly drawn (except for Queen Lorraine of course). I really enjoyed reading it but wasn't like in LOVE with it.

[@jasminehewitt793]

just finished this vid and you never fail to impress 😌

[@fictionalfates]

ah you're so kind 🥺

[@carolinem.6525]

i’m so excited for this omg

[@olivegranola]

i really want to read sally rooney from a writers perspective! even if I don't love the book I feel like it would be really useful to learn a new way to create a story

[@bearchips1698]

Jack, Carley and Joel. The icons. We need a bigger collab between these ✨legends ✨

[@jacquelinelugo5518]

My personal raking 1.Beautiful World, Where Are You. 2. Normal People 3. Conversations with Friends I loved Beautiful World the most, due to the fact that as you stated in the video. Losing a friend hurts more than a break up. And reading the book as someone who's best friend friendship end due to her not getting out of a toxic relationship. Just hit me in the heart so hard. I cried after I finished the book. I was not okay for a while because I could relate to both Alice and Eileen so well. Normal People was amazing and you will definitely love the show. However I put it as second not because they did not end up together. But more of the fact that I wanted to know more about them. It was beautifully written. And I do hope she gives us a sequel some day.

[@kendallane6028]

I am absolutely furious I haven't watched your videos before :) you're such a good analyst and video maker! also fuckin love the fits n the colors oml

[@delaneys-books1290]

I love the matching outfits!

[@weekendreads_]

Omg the effort put into this video! From the commentary, analysis, references, editing, even outfit too! 😍😍

[@moonbunnie3379]

LOVED normal people and loved the series as well. i read conversations with friends back when it came out and i did enjoy it then but im due for a re-read. im reading beautiful world right now and i am enjoying it so far! but like you i'm feeling a little worn down by the emails, sometimes im almost tempted just to skip the email chapters tbh. i think it would be fine if it wasn't every second chapter. other than that though i am really enjoying it and im definitely a sally rooney fan!

[@apollineunow]

Omggg !! the collab is iconic !!! and i’m about to start normal people which will be my first sally rooney read and i’m so excited !!

[@valentinapa4947]

im so glad youtube recommended your video to me!!

[@AllieYea]

Thank you for doing this video!! Normal People rubbed me the wrong way, but I really like the way Sally Rooney writes, so I was in the fence about Beautiful World, Where Are You. Your very thoughtful review assuaged some of my concerns. I'll probably pick up a copy from my library next time I go.

[@fictionalfates]

ahhhh I hope you enjoy Beautiful World!

[@Hippolyta.]

I'm also an English lit major and your videos are exactly what I want my classes to be like. Thanks for teaching bestie!

[@fictionalfates]

sailkfhjk staph i'd love to be a lecturer someday i think 😂 i'm glad you enjoyed the class!

[@calm.girlie]

I love the colours of this video

[@aniketpawar4951]

the editing and the aesthetics are just immaculate.

[@eleftheriak.8889]

Love your editing bestie

[@merle-k]

omg I thought you would like Normal people best! I was right! It's also my favorite Rooney book which... isn't saying much because it was a 3 star read for me. BUT I loved the normal people tv series. I feel like the overall (barely existing) plot in the story was great but her writing style wasn't my cup of tea, so watching the series eliminated her descriptions which I didn't enjoy and kept the dialogue and characters, which I liked!

[@oytser7952]

I have no desire to read Sally Rooney but I LOVED this video and I would love if you'd read Alice Hoffman's books!!

[@fictionalfates]

Oooh, I'll have a look into Alice Hoffman!

[@TheSassyLibraryFox]

Loved that your shirt matched with all the books! That's dedication! =))

[@clarasuedi]

i recently read normal people and now i'm SO close to just buying all of those books also love the collab

[@joleinscheijgrond3692]

I could listen to you talk about Sally Rooney's books forever! Loved this!

[@Lola13_]

I’ve been waiting for this video!!

[@fictionalfates]

i hope it was worth the wait!

[@valeriag9443]

I’ve said it once and I’ve said it again, Conversations with Friends made me feel like the tiktok sound “what you know about rolling down in the deep end?…I have, I have depression” it was good because I LIVE for the drama but also it made me very very sad at the end. I liked normal people a lot because I thought it was realistic but also it was a love story, maybe not a perfect one but one that people can relate to.

[@fictionalfates]

I'M SCREAMING I know that exact tiktok sound sdflkjdsfj - also, I completely agree with what you've said here like Sally Rooney just makes everything feel so realistic it's almost scary

[@laurasjrup5104]

just found your channel and I am in LOVE

[@sanbikasouth235]

This was such an excellent video!! Chef kiss 😘

[@bansarivora7448]

I have mixed opinions about normal people but I loved this video!!! ROOTING FOR MORE COLLABS BETWEEN YOU THREE. Yall are like my go to book people

[@ramintapam8272]

I love your style ! I am so happy that I discovered your channel! ☺️

[@emilyc4724]

I LOVED this video and I had to subscribe to you!! I love how much detail you had from interviews and your own opinions about the books ugh I just adored this video!!

[@keyareuh_]

i like how her books are just realistic like characters in most books are bigger than life but the characters in her books are real and they seem realistic and i think that’s why i like them they’re just real

[@taylorwilliams2168]

a low fi version of the real housewives 💀 an incredible description of sally rooney’s novels

[@natashadeborah]

i like the editing 😍

[@ashlynhale3369]

Loved this video! 😊I wonder if I should try physically reading as I listened to the audiobook of Normal People and it was just not my vibe. So now I am not sure if I should try her other works or not 🤔

[@prerza]

okay i loved this video, thank u sm

[@babsikro1252]

I am reading beautiful world right now and liking it way more than normal people. The emails are the best part for me so far! I liked Sally rooneys writing in normal people but was absolutely annoyed by the story. I didn't find the characters likeabel at all. Watching this video I got the feel my opinion is actually the exact opposite. But that makes watching it even more interesting!

[@paperbackenthusiast]

A LO FI VERSION OF THE REAL HOUSEWIVES omg that’s exactly how i feel about sally rooney’s characters omg thank you for putting it into words hahaha

[@ofwavesandpages]

I just realized I had no idea what either Conversations with Friends or Normal People were about, though I've been hearing about them all the time! I even borrowed Conversations with Friends from a friend recently, so I'm excited to get to it!

[@esha3190]

Ah! Thank you for sharing :) Your videos make my day ♡ I've been meaning to read Sally Rooney's books this holiday season so I'm happy to hear your thoughts on them.

[@josefinaogg]

watching this video felt like i got youtube premium. it was so easy going, well-edited and researched. so happy i found it :)

[@fictionalfates]

this is such a huge compliment, and it was exactly what i needed today 🥺 thank you!

[@josefinaogg]

@@fictionalfates you're very welcome

[@peggyluwhoreads]

Great video! With re: to texting circa 2008 -- smartphones weren't a thing yet and we were still using number keypads for any texting (i.e. for the letter 'C' press the number 2 three times) and at least in the US most phone plans had a cap on the number of texts sent/received included and then charged per text if you went over.

[@booksofmyown]

This video was amazing! So happy you liked our queen’a books 🙌

[@lauradumont9755]

ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS FORMAT

[@fictionalfates]

I'm so happy to hear that!

[@lamiarabnawaz2052]

JACK AND CARLY AND JOEL!!! Colab of my dreams.

[@zainabelmadhoni6856]

This is my favorite kind of videos when you read a series or an author and review each book. Can’t wait for more in the future

[@Gagging4Lit]

For me, Normal People has been the best - coz it was well paced and the 3rd person was done so well. Convos with Friends was my least fave. thought Frances was dreadfully annoying with all her self-sabotaging and controlling tendencies. Beautiful World, sat in the middle... some parts i thought were gorge, and others dire lol.

[@dreamingofthemoon]

I totally agree with your ranking of "Normal People" and "Conversations with friends"! I'm currently reading the latter for the first time and Frances is really getting my nerves A LOT. Hopefully I'll enjoy "Beautiful world, where are you" more