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Beautiful World, Where Are You

Sally Rooney has a new novel. Beautiful World. Where Are You?This is her follow-up book to the internationally bestselling Normal People and Conversations With Friends. All three books mix moderately annoying Marxism with moderately depressing sexAnd produce results much better than you’d expect from those ingredients. Rooney’s polished prose has a part of the reason for their success. She is transparent as if she were a Dubliner who knows how to apply sunscreen.

Semi-autofictional characters’ confused, but deeply held opinions on politics, religion and relationships were more palatable on Rooney’s 20-somethings than on his previous works. Beautiful World. Rooney’s political views have created some drama surrounding a Hebrew translation. The book is a generous example of how politics can become a consuming and totalizing force.