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  • Beautiful World, Where Are You

  • By: Sally Rooney
  • Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
  • Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
  • 3.9 out of 5 stars (647 ratings)

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Beautiful World, Where Are You

By: Sally Rooney
Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
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Publisher's Summary

*The Sunday Times and Global number one bestseller*

*Winner of Novel of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards*

*A Book of the Year in The Times, the Guardian, the Irish Times and the Financial Times*

Alice, a novelist, meets Felix, who works in a warehouse, and asks him if he'd like to travel to Rome with her. In Dublin, her best friend Eileen is getting over a break-up and slips back into flirting with Simon, a man she has known since childhood.

Alice, Felix, Eileen and Simon are still young - but life is catching up with them. They desire each other, they delude each other, they worry about sex and friendship and the times they live in. Will they find a way to believe in a beautiful world?

©2022 Faber & Faber (P)2022 Faber & Faber

Critic Reviews

'Beautiful World, Where Are You is Rooney's best novel.' The Times

'A tour de force.' Anne Enright, Guardian

'Rooney's best novel yet.' Brandon Taylor, New York Times

What listeners say about Beautiful World, Where Are You

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting

I found the story interesting.. fairly slow in parts and the email exchanges between the two women quite political and tedious. As I loved Normal People I was a little disappointed in this book . I didn’t mind it , but didn’t love it ..

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Dull

I was expecting a lot because of how much I loved Normal People (like most of us), but found this boring imitation of it instead. Few twists: instead of one couple there’s 2, but same idea: one is low class, the other is wealthy. Same erotic scenes. Same descriptions of how people look…

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Plot lacking

I love Rooney’s writing and found some of the moments very poignant. However, what the novel lacks is a plot. It was very meandering, unfortunately. Love the narrator.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Look you just have to enjoy the language

Beautifully written and I enjoyed it, but yes as per other reviews- you really need to revel in nothingness

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Obsessed!

No one writes sexy, broody, intellectually charged characters like Sally Rooney. I loved listening to this.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Eh…

Why are all the women in Sally Rooney’s books so submissive and self-degrading? And everyone is kind of an asshole. I couldn’t tell which character I was listening to speak because they all sounded the same to me (one woman voice and one mans voice)

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Sally you make the world beautiful with your words

Another incredible portrayal of incredibly complex but multi layered characters. I loved loved this book. I will recommend this to everyone. Aoife is very talented and again her voice gives life to remarkable characters

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

wonderful book. deals with big philosophical themes. how to live a good life in a contemporary world, relationships, procreation, religeon. great narration

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Engaging from start to finish

Engaging picture of a modern generation work loveable but very real characters. Beautifully narrated throughout.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good , but also depressing

It was worth the listen . Good character development. The characters felt real and complex , but it is a bit depressing

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