Sympathies with the characters

What are the reasons we love or hate the books we read or movies we watch? There might appear certain favourites among the majority; however, hardly ever would it be absolutely unanimous.

I’ve come to realise that, among other things, our likes are defined by how much the story resonates with our personal experience. No matter what you watch or read, you inevitably join one (or more!) of the characters in their emotional adventure through the plot. Naturally, your choice would fall on someone you feel for, someone who comes from a similar background, works in the same sphere, faces identical problems… All these may make you believe you know what they are going through and, even more, raise interest into what alternative outcome has been set forth by the author.

Frances from Conversation with Friends by Sally Rooney is not an exception. Being the narrator, she immediately lures you into her inner world full of hesitation, self-consciousness, her own discoveries about herself. And this is the thing — all of us undoubtedly could relate to the main character at one time in their life or another. Yet, what differentiates between us is whether the memories and sentiment this connection brings along will be something we reminisce about or loathe remembering. And this, to my mind, is the turning point in making up our mind.

I am happy to say that Conversations with Friends did grab my attention. I am now curious to learn how the plot unfolds and whether the young narrator will follow, what in my early twenties I considered, ‘the right’ path or if she will be the one to open a new world of unseized opportunities.