☛ Cette critique est aussi disponible en français [➦].

Translated by Gabrielle Baillargeon-Michaud. 

Set in a quaint village in the west of Ireland, Normal People chronicles the stormy love affair between Marianne Sheridan (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal), two teenagers from disparate socioeconomic backgrounds whose lives keep intersecting. While Marianne comes from an affluent family, Connell is raised by his mother, who is employed as a housemaid by Marianne’s mother. Normal People offers a straightforward narrative that tracks Connell and Marianne’s transition from adolescence to adulthood, a period that defines their ambitions and desires.

Originating as a novel by Sally Rooney (Conversations with Friends), Normal People quickly ascended to best-seller status in the UK (2018) and subsequently in the US (2019), where its publication coincided with the start of filming for the television adaptation. Premiered in spring 2020 by Hulu and BBC, this 12-episode series faithfully captures the essence of the book. Created by Lenny Abrahamson and Hettie Macdonald, Normal People became BBC’s most-watched series in 2020. The allure of Irish landscapes, an evocative soundtrack, compelling performances, and extensive intimate scenes (comprising 41 minutes of sex scenes) undoubtedly fuel the fervour around the series. The portrayals of Marianne and Connell’s sexual encounters are refreshingly genuine¹, showcasing the awkwardness, laughter, and simplicity of real-life sexual relations², all while demonstrating that consent seamlessly complements sensuality.

However, while Normal People effectively celebrates consensual pleasure, Sally Rooney also draws simplistic connections between trauma and abusive relationships, and between non-consent and BDSM, problematically pathologizing Marianne’s desires. Fortunately, the television series handles these themes more adeptly, sidestepping such pitfalls. By illustrating that intimate and romantic relationships inherently involve power dynamics, the author employs intellectual shortcuts that inadvertently reinforce stigmas associated with BDSM practices. Despite the storyline’s predictability and certain shortcomings, Normal People remains an emotive tale, with characters that resonate profoundly long after the book is closed and the series ends.

***

¹ The scenes were coordinated by Ita O’Brien (Sex Education, I May Destroy You). Intimacy coordination involves ensuring the moral and physical integrity of participants in a scene involving nudity or intimacy. In this case, Ita O’Brien scripted, together with the performers, the entirety of the scenes involving nudity and/or sexual intercourse (Dutt, 2020).

² For example: the moment when Connell asks Marianne where he can dispose of the used condom.

Trigger Warning : Both the book and TV series Normal People include scenes depicting sexual assault, violence, psychological abuse, bullying, and toxic romantic relationships.

Reference (series):

Director/creator : Lenny Abrahamson; Hettie Macdonald
Title : Normal People
Release Date : 2020

This series is available on CBC Gems. 

Reference (book):

Author : Sally Rooney
Title : Normal People
Release Date : August 28, 2018 (UK); March 4, 2021 (french translation)
Publisher : Penguin Random House

This book is available in bookstores for $22.00 and in librairies.