i read every book Connell studies in Normal People
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- Опубліковано 30 чер 2024
- so i'm kind of obsessed with normal people by sally rooney. in the novel and tv adaptation, connell is an english student and studies A LOT of books. as an english student myself, i thought i'd dedicate a week to reading every book connell studies and explain the symbolism behind each one. for literally no reason.
WATCH PART 2: BOOKS MARIANNE RECOMMENDS! • I read every book Mari...
literature mentioned (with timestamps):
2:26 in the waiting room - elizabeth bishop
3:45 the communist manifesto - karl marx and friedrich engels
4:48 the golden notebook - doris lessing
6:40 emma - jane austen
7:45 sense and sensibility - jane austen
8:14 moll flanders - daniel defoe
9:17 le morte d'arthur - sir thomas malory
10:07 ulysses - james joyce
11:11 candide, or optimism - voltaire
11:56 the adventures of tom sawyer - mark twain
12:27 all my sons - arthur miller
13:20 james salter - a sport and a pasttime
14:04 having a coke with you - frank o'hara
15:34 the fire next time - james baldwin
sally rooney interview about marxism:
• Sally Rooney on Writin...
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ALSO ALSO the thing about the Communist Manifesto is that Marianne sort of condescendingly suggests that Connell reads it, and he says he already has, making Marianne admit that she hadn't. I think this goes to show how for Connell, the class disparity is a lived experience for him, something he's already familiar with, whereas for Marianne class disparity is more of an intellectual and academic venture.
Not just an intellectual venture but one that she hasn't even started to look into. She has no way to relate to Connell about their class disparity, even intellectually, because she simply hasn't done the research. And then for her to suggest that he read the Communist Manifesto as though his lived experience of being poor in a poor town wouldn't be enough in the face of her just knowing about the book, not even having read it yet, shows Marianne's privilege, and distance from her peers, far better than just how big her house is.
@@PandoraRoman All of this, but just on the class distinctions - I wouldn't say Connell's 'poor', he's working class, and has a uncomfortable but functional lifestyle and homelife. Actual poverty would prevent him being so integrated in community life like the GAA. Neither is the town especially 'poor', it's an average rural Irish village/town - mix of working and mostly lower middle class (+ Marianne's upper middle class family).
Sorry for being pedantic if you didn't mean it that literally but just lyk anyway because social class in Ireland isn't that clear, nor has class as a concept been hugely developed here (like it would be in UK). A major reason why I loved Rooney being so explicit about it in this novel.
@@EK-ev3pt You're absolutely right and I should have been more specific. Rooney's depiction of class in this book is stellar and I think I got caught up in the euphoria of replying.
Also being from Australia, our class distinctions aren't as developed either but the difference between being working class and living in poverty is obviously immense.
@@PandoraRoman 👍👍
Huh, i thought Connell suggests it to Marianne
jack: *reads a huge pile of books and has intelligent comments on all of them*
me, who takes weeks to read one book: 👁️👄👁️
the bildungsroman pronunciation jack... i had to pause the video
Hhhhhhh don't feel bad he is a lit student he studied how to say "intelligent comments"
That is ok
sammee
people who read a lot are superior
can we all appreciate Sally Rooney for a moment? a person in her 20s giving all these references in her book really requires some high level of intellect! HATS OFF!
Ummmm. No. You really don’t have to be that smart for this list of works. Just a passing familiarity with literature is sufficient.
@@monolith94 exactly it's more passion and thoughtfulness
@@earthgrazer2164 that's a better way to put it than the comment you replied to.
I hadn't realised she's only in her 20s though. Impressive!
“My attention span is as long as a Tik Tok “ 😂
just lockdown things xx
if it were true, could you read all of the books in a week?😂
Now do this with Gilmore Girls and (some of) the books Rory reads 😂
Yessss
Omg yes!
such a good idea!!
Omg yess the rory gilmore reading list! Or read all of the books referenced in it
Yes please!!
Part two! Part two! Part two! The crowd goes WILD!
Yesss
YES PLEASE!!!!!!
Jack: claims to have a short attention span
Also Jack: *reads books for 24 hours straight*
Probably the most inventive Normal People video I've seen yet, and there have been a lot of them! Such a great video :)
thank you!!
The English seminar scenes in the show took me right back to first year, like they were always split into pretentious students who wanted to sound really clever and the quiet ones who would rather gouge their own eyes out than make a contribution
the second type is me yikes! it's so stressful to be hold back by your own anxiety while others can just talk about the thing you really enjoy
What about the students who couldn’t help but talk? I was always that kid who just couldn’t shut up… to the point the professor had to say “someone else?” Honestly I never felt smart talking, I just couldn’t stand the awkward silence 😅
@@MiMiLaXMiMi yeah me too... but now i'm slowly turning into a silent one.
I could honestly hear you talking about literature for hours. You'd be such a great teacher!
Am equally fascinated
he was a teacher in china a few years ago!!
I do my day to day activities with his videos going on, that’s how much I love the way he talks about the lit.
I am so glad that someone else sees the Sense and Sensibility connection! I’ve been trying to convince anyone who will listen that Normal People is an extremely clever almost retelling of S&S.
I agree that the names are similar for a reason. Connell Waldron even rhymes and has the same prosody as Colonel Brandon. In high school, Connell is very much like Willoughby (enjoys Marianne’s attention but doesn’t want to be seen with her in public). However at University he seems to take on the narrative of the Marianne character from S&S - well, Marianne after London. He is lost, out of place, feels devoid of love and unlovable, is forced to confront the hurt his actions have caused and suffers a life threatening illness. Marianne reminds me of Marianne (pre London) from S&S while at high school: desperate for attention, big feelings, acerbic wit and the inability to shield her emotions. At University she takes on some of Eleanor’s inscrutability and seems to embody the fragility of all the ‘lesser mentioned’ characters, like Colonel Brandon’s ward, Eliza, from S&S.
I know Normal People is so much more than a retelling, but I love that Rooney’s passion for literature are the life blood of this book. I especially love how she shares her disdain for the alienation and stratification of literature through Connell and his internal monologue at the literary event.
Normal People is a marvel! More content like this please!
this is way too clever to be lost in the comments !
Jack:
Connell:
Jack: it’s destiny
ENGLISH STUDENTS UNITE !!!
"Now I'm gonna go full on English student and dive in even though no one asked me to" is such a mood tbh.
Great video! I really enjoyed your thoughts on the various pieces of literature. Definitively adding The Fire Next Time to my tbr!
part two pleaseee, your english degree is shining
"Should have warmed up for that one cos that was a stretch" DEAD
We see you wearing your Connell chain Jack, don’t think we don’t
this gives me so much motivation to read lol. and I take english lit at a level
hahahahaha MOOD
I’m German and the way English people pronounce “Bildungsroman” is just hilarious haha I simply don’t get why they don’t translate it to something like “educating novel” or something
i'm so so so sorry
Oh, so that's why I wasn't understanding what he was saying. 😂 I am Czech, but I had German in school.
@@jack_edwards no worries, I think you amused us all! And we can easily understand you 😊
It's one of those "untranslatable" words ^^ in literary critique it was the German word who coined the idea of what a Bildungsroman represents :) the professor (I don't remember his name of the top of my head) who first properly theorized the Bildungsroman used the word for a very specific kind of book (ie. Wilhelm Meister's Lehrjahre is a Bildungsroman but later literature is not). Researchers have than used different words for it. In English they have coming-of-age novels, in French we speak of Roman d'apprentissage or de formation (sometimes "d'initiation") and in Italian you'll find "romanzo di formazione". But they usually coexist with the Bildungsroman ^^ so technically every Bildungsroman is a coming-of-age sotry but not every coming-of-age story is a Bildungsroman 🙈 hahaha can you guess I had to research this for my master's thesis? 😂
Yeah it really is funny!
Don't even know who connell is but still here ✨
Same lol
Get to know 👏🏻😍
Watch normal people on bbc iplayer it’s great!
I think the thing about "Ulysses" that is important is, yes, it makes a lot of grand allusions to great literature/events in history/etc., but the point is that it conflates these epic moments with moments of the everyday and in effect the ordinary becomes extraordinary. This may be what Rooney is getting at here, this ordinary love story between two normal people walks alongside the myths of the gods.
I will also mention that Joyce wrote for the common man, and his text was much more readable for those of his generation than for us these days because they were living in and around the references he was making. That's not to say that it was perfectly legible for everyone back in the day, it's still a complicated text but I also think we shouldn't necessarily focus on the allusions in "Ulysses" too much. Yes, they are important and you will get a lot out of the book if you take the time to understand everything, but you will also get a lot out of it if you just read it as a simple story.
I would also posit that perhaps the name-drop of James Joyce in "Normal People" is more so in reference to "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" than to "Ulysses". I feel like Rooney might be positioning Connell as Stephen (the artist as a young man). This becomes particularly relevant when you consider that Joyce's novel follows Stephen through his formative years (through University particularly) while he tries to figure out who he is (*cough cough* like Connell) and because Connell is kind of suggested to be this guy who's going to go on to great things and become an artist as a writer.
What a great insight! I never thought about the allusion to "Ulysses" in this way. Your point about the blurring of the epic and the everyday via which the ordinary becomes extraordinary was beautiful. It's always amazing how much I can learn from a random encounter just as I have learnt from you, dear stranger! Now I want to go and make an another attempt on James Joyce
@@shanl6504 Ah! That's so lovely of you to say!! Thank you :) :)
Sorry, are you saying that there is a literary reference to mythology in Normal people? ^)
This is one of my favourite videos that I've ever watched!! As an aspiring English student I was really excited to see all of the links you made between the books and the novel/show - I watched the show recently but haven't read the novel yet but I plan to very soon and now I'm even more excited! Xx
aw thank you so much - it was so fun to make!
i aspire to be this intellectual and passionate about literature. like wow
Jack Edwards makes me feel comfortable and calm. I really don’t care what he’s talking about I will listen.
Am in the same boat,,, just scrolling through comments but have no idea about what he is talking about
I like reading books fictional characters have read. It’s how I read Howard’s End which I would describe as the quintessential Edwardian novel. Brilliant.
so interesting because it makes you read things you'd never have picked out for yourself! Howard's End is one of my faves!
Thinking I might check out the book about King Arthur
funny thing is i just had a literature lesson on Howards End
My English Literature teacher suggested me to read and review Normal People, so thank you for this video - you made me save time to procrastinate - and PLEASE make that Part2 video alive :P
what an interesting video! I love literature and I've really enjoyed how you approached all the novels that connel reads in normal people 💕 you should definitely upload more content on literature because I feel like you have a lot to say and value to add
thank you so much! also loving the artic monkeys reference in your username :)
@@jack_edwards I didn't expect you to reply! ❤ so cool you got that reference 😂 hope you have a nice day! sending a virtual hug from a Spanish viewer
also in “having a coke with you” O’Hara makes a reference to Marcel Duchamp’s painting “Nude Descending a Staircase”, and in Normal People Marianne takes Connell to see another Marcel Duchamp painting! (sad young man on a train) weird little connection!
Wow!! Thanks for this!
This was one of the most engaging and brilliant videos from you I have seen. Please make a part two!
Hello there !
I just wanted to come back to your analysis of "Candid" by Voltaire, this book is not a bildungsroman, it's a parody! It's a response to Leibniz who published essays named "Essays of Theodicy" (La Théodicée in French) where he basically argued that everything happens for a reason and things always are as good as they can be. Therefore, Voltaire decided to write this novella in order to lay emphasis on how ridiculous this idea was. I think it does back your parallel, and that it enhances even more the fact that Marianne and Connell were not meant to be in the end.
Hope it made sense, you made an amazing job, this is truly an incredible video xx
PART 2 PLEASE!!!! I have been out of school for two years and I so so so miss analysing literature like this. Absolutely adored learning about these books. Appreciate all the effort you went to xxxx
Yes please do a part 2, I loved this video! I looove Normal People, I have actually considered if I could somehow make my bachelor's thesis of it next year, this video & your analysis definitely gave me some food for thought :)
I loved Normal People and I loved this video! Please do a part 2 💛
this is such a creative take on the book i love it :')
edit: YES part 2!!
I loved this video! You are honestly so smart and it was really interesting to hear your thoughts and analysis of the books he read and how they connect with/influenced the novel. Part 2 would be amazing! Also, you discredit your own intelligence so much but, you truely are inspirational and intelligent!!!!
Please make a part two! I loved this video! It was so interesting and let me continue living my love (obsession??) for Normal People after reading the book/watching the series
This was ingenious!! I’m from Sligo (where Carricklea is based!!) and I go to Trinity College, Dublin!! Although I’m in no way an English student, this was SO interesting!! Please do a part 2!!✨✨
Really appreciate the work you would have had to put in to make this video especially since it is only really relevant to people who know the storyline of normal people. It really adds to my understanding of the story and makes me appreciate the author much more. Thank you Jack and part 2 please! ☺️
This is literally one of the best videos i’ve ever watched on youtube omg the connections between the books and show was incredible!!
This was such a lovely video! I’m currently doing my master’s in medieval history, but considered studying literature for the longest time (also everyone mistook me for an English student) and so it’s lovely to “live through you” in that sense. Thank you!
Part 2 please! 🙌🏽 this was amazing! But that stretch pun really got me
Videos like this remind me why I love being an English major and now I want to go read a bunch of classics. Also a part two would be amazing.
we definitely need part two! it was so interesting!
PLEASE DO A PART 2. I WATCHED THE ENTIRE VIDEO AND LOVED EVERY BIT OF IT.
Your passion for literature motivates me to read even more!! Love your videos x
Omg please do a part 2- I loved the video, it was so interesting, just to see the references between the books!!
This is incredibly unique, informative, motivating, and overall positive! It's a breath of fresh air watching a booktube (albeit this is a studytube) content that discusses books you actually love and reach new heights to show appreciation to it. Not to mention choosing to do something productive when you have an option to rest and relax. Lovely video !!
Honestly think this is one of my favourite UA-cam videos ever! Can't wait for a part 2!
Loved this!! It's so cool to see how the books mentioned reflected the storyline. Feel like I love Normal People even more now!
Fun fact: 'In the waiting room' is a poem on the Leaving Cert syllabus which is commonly studied, as Elizabeth Bishop is one of the 8 poets on the curriculum. So another reason why they were studying it in class.
Please do a part two!! Loved that u pointed out the connections between the novels.
Please do a part 2 😊 your analysis was v insightful! Loved every second of the video
This is the content we need
Yes PLEASE DO PART TWO!!! You are the only thing that made me smile since the devastation of Normal People to my heart! You make me want to go back in time 20 years and get my English degree again. Bravo!!
I absolutely LOVE your book/reading content!! Please continue with it
YES We want a part 2!!! Please continue with this!!
I love seeing you get so excited about all the connections between the texts and the novel!!! You could honestly write a phd on this (love from a co English student)
Loved this so so much! I study literature and film studies so I loved how loyal the series is to the book. It'd be great to see you do part two :))
JACK! honestly love these videos from you, merging both your passions its brilliant to watch i love it
Great video! Also with Emma, I think the whole "transformation" aspect in the story alludes to Marianne's transformation around that time, coming into university. Looking forward to reading these!
Ooooookay, this is brilliant. I'm very impressed both by the increadible work you put into this video and the novel itself. I would love to re-read Normal People with all those references in mind.
My favourite video of yours, more literary analysis please! Mind officially blown by the marianne/colonel link, and props for getting though morte d'arthur!
I would LOVE a part 2!! This was so interesting
yes yes yes yes yes a part two is needed!!
absolutely part two! this vid made my little english major heart SO happy
You outdid yourself with this one Jack! Loved it!
Please do a part 2! I love these kind of videos, really made my day :)
Loved this! 👏 really opened my eyes about the story, and appreciate all the links you made 😅
“This book is notoriously very very dense... but then again so am I” SENT ME
this was everything I didn’t know I needed, absolutely loveeee
I‘m going to order Normal People immediately, this video is literally the best thing I‘ve seen in ages. PLEASE do a part 2! (I‘m also struggling with the decision what to study at university and tbh my passion is and will always be literature, so I‘m thinking of studying German (I‘m German) and English? Languages are perhaps the most beautiful thing I can think of? I‘m stopping here because I can picture my friends rolling their eyes at this, but it‘s true.) Thank you for this video!
That was fantastic! I love reading the books mentioned in my favourite books so it’s nice to see somebody who does that too 🥰 What a great video and what a great amount of work you did 🤗 much love
I loved this! As a person who also just finished an English degree, it was so awesome! I'd love to see you do Marieanne's books and also I'd love a moving out vlog for when you can get back to Durham to collect your things!
I really enjoyed the video, it was new and fun and actually made me want to pick up some classics which I usually find quite intimidating. Defo would love to see a part 2! Also if you want to start a series analysing/ discussing different literary books I would be 100% be on board for that. I find the way you talk about this topic really engaging and accessible
My friend actually likened the entirety of Normal People to Atonement by Ian McEwan - which it definitely has a lot of in terms of the different social classes within the relationship (with Connell's mum, Lorraine working for Marianne's family), as well as the jumps in time, the idea of circumstances separating the two characters and so on (obviously without the whole trauma of warfare and the accusations of rape lol). I think that might be an interesting thing to observe in a part two - maybe more as a similarity / reference? Really enjoyed this video - well done! :)
YES, this is the content I'm living for, just brilliant!!
I know you posted this video a year ago but... oh my.. Subscribed to your channel a few months ago and woah I remember now why I decided to do so! I've been watching a couple of videos this afternoon and I just love your content! I'm literally buzzing! I also studied English at uni and I absolutely adore your videos, the way you share your passion for books with us! Even more if you post a video about Sally (also watched your review about 'Beautiful World, Where Are You)!!! but this one.. stole my heart! Thank you so much for doing this! Really boosted my motivation to go back to reading!
This was so fun to watch and exactly the kind of Normal People deep dive I needed in my life. As a former literature student myself, I’ve been really tempted to do deep dives into Normal People that no one’s looking for. I feel like comparing the book to the show, specifically how the music is used to substitute the inner monologues that you don’t get without a voiceover, would make a fascinating essay topic.
Do it! I’m here for all of it.
Omg love love love this video !! All of your content has been popping so much recently, genuinely really appreciate all the effort and thought that goes into creating these videos. I love all these videos because your passion shines through, living for it!
Definitely want to check out the books once I’m done with my dissertation! Thanks for the amazing idea Jack!
Wow this video was so genius and I'll definitely read the book now! I find it really interesting to listen to you talking about these books and how rooney implemented them! I also just like that you get to show us a bit more of your knowledge from your degree! I personally want to study international literature as minor to journalism at uni so I really like that topic and i would love it if you do more videos in the format and talk about what references were made in a book or how an author was influenced by others. Also i think it would be cool if you could do a what jack read in a month or so
We need a part 2 like for yesterday! This was a lovely video and, as an English studies major as well, the hype is real! please do a follow up to this video if you can it'll be amazing
thank you for doing this! I didn't know about any of these links so it makes me enjoy and appreciate the book so much more
I think there is hardly any other channel like this thank you so much for doing this
Part 2 with Marianne! YESS. Thank you for your channel and videos. I am learning a lot and it's growing my love for reading.
What a brilliant and beautiful video. It brought me such joy. Thank you for making me smile as I'm nursing a cold. Keep up the fabulous work.
Pls do more of these for different novels/books/movies/tv shows! Also a Part 2 would be FAB!
This has made me want to retry reading Normal People! Such an interesting approach, would love a part 2
LOVING this quarantine content
PART TWO, yes please!!
Highly enjoyed. Eagerly awaiting part 2
I've been so excited for this video since you said you were making a video about normal people 🥺
This was such a great video! I have been meaning to read more and this has definitely given me the kick I needed. I have been apprehensive of getting into Doris Lessing as well, but I think that is the next book I will read!
Watching this is vid is like being at uni, absolutely made my day - thank you, Jack!!
I really appreciate the dedication to this video.
I think this is one of my favourite videos you have posted! I read Normal People about two weeks ago and I loved it. While reading, I always wondered what the mentioned books were about...And now Jack Edwards himself filmed a whole video about it. What a dream combination haha!
Yo Jack, I have been following since you were applying to Oxford Uni. You really motivate me a lot.
Adore the book! 🥰 Read it for my book club earlier in the year. I’m an English teacher and loved the inventive nature of this video. You’re a great English student role model ☺️
As an a level English literature student and a normal people lover I love this video so much! so original and amazing exploration of ideas :)
This is the 5th of your videos I’ve watched in a row today 😭 I love these videos