Book vs. TV Show: Normal People

The TV miniseries adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People is a book lover’s dream. The adaptation stayed true to the book, with dialogue translated verbatim from page to screen, and interactions described beautifully in the book, played out just as I had imagined them. The were a few changes and added scenes, but everything new in the miniseries added to the story in a constructive way.  

Each chapter of the book centered around one scene, told from either Connell or Marianne’s perspective, with mentions to events that had happened since the last chapter. While I loved this unique style of storytelling in the book, I wondered if the TV show would take the same approach. Sometimes, it did, setting up a scene and then flashing back months later, catching the viewer up. I thought it was done wonderfully and I’m glad that it wasn’t done for every episode, just when it was needed, like when Connell was meeting with the therapist.  

I also loved how scenes that were briefly mentioned in the book were fleshed out on the show. Marianne quickly discusses traveling with her classmates to watch Connell’s football game and says she enjoyed watching him play. She thinks he’s beautiful and describes how she wants to watch him have sex. Instead of just the quick mention that we read in the book, in the miniseries the scene was extended. We saw the bus ride home, where Connell chose to sit next to Marianne, rather than one of his teammates or friends, and we were given more insight into their connection and their relationship. This extra scene let us see more of Connell and Marianne in a way that let us get to know them better.  

Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones, Connell and Marianne, respectively, really understood who their characters were. Their realistic portrayals were captivating. I feel like I got to know Connell and Marianne better as I watched their glances at each other, their small touches, how they acted when they weren’t with each other. I was intrigued, watching the early stages of their relationship; how they bantered with each other, started to become comfortable around each other, finally kissed, and the ease between them. Just watching Connell, you could understand the conflict he must have felt, wanting to be with Marianne, but not wanting to do anything to bring negative attention to himself. Every time Marianne and Connell failed to articulate how they felt and what they wanted, it was excruciating to watch, because you could see how much they loved each other and wanted to be with each other.

Normal People was an amazing show. The story was beautifully told on screen and the actors were amazing to watch. Not only was this a nearly perfect adaptation of a book, but it was an exceptional TV show.