Snowflake - Louise Nealon - Book Review
Sally Rooney. Just wanted to get that out of the way early, as almost every review of this book I've read mentions the 'Normal People' author.
‘Coming of age’
I can see where the comparison comes from - ‘snowflake ‘ by Louise Nealon is a book that concerns the life of a twenty something young woman coming-of-age, finding her way as she charters the waters of university life at Trinity. But in another sense, having read Sally Rooneys ‘Beautiful world, where are you?’ recently, I think the two authors have different preoccupations. But I think when you look a bit closer, whereas Rooney is more focused on relationships and her generation finding its place in the world, Louise Nealon’s book is very much rooted in a rural dairy farm and her immediate family. Not that it matters, but I really enjoy both writers.
Debbie has grown up on a dairy farm in County Kildare, with a mother who has taken to her bed and believes in the power of her dreams, and an uncle who lives in a caravan in the garden who loves beer, Greek mythology and the stars. The characters, alongside 'Santy' are quirky and believable and I liked spending time with them. Mental health, again well hidden in Ireland, plays a big part in the book, and raises the idea that what seems as a gift to some can be seen as part of the illness by others. It’s also about coping mechanisms – Debbie drinks, because that’s what the people around her do (especially her uncle). Her mother withdraws from the world. Trying to find the right help in the mental health system in Ireland (and I’m talking the whole island here) is like fumbling around in a huge mansion for a light switch.
‘Snowflake’ is so well written, with a lovely flow and easy to read, full of humour and empathy. I felt the magic realism aspect gave ‘Snowflake’ another layer but I probably ended up wishing it could have been explored a bit more – it’s an interesting idea, dreaming other peoples dreams, but it felt a bit extraneous to the plot.
The snowflake of the title of course has a modern meaning - that of being overly emotional, easily offended. But as one of the characters says at one point "Half a century ago, we landed on the moon. We can edit genes and clone sheep, but we still don't know how snowflakes grow. They're perfect."
Much like the characters in the book, we're full of idiosyncrasies, and Louise Nealon does a fine job in capturing that beauty in all of us. Looking forward to seeing what this author does next.
Book review - Snowflake - Louise Nealon
256 Pages
September 7, 2021 by Harper
Update Nov 23 - Great to hear that ‘Snowflake has been chosen as the One Dublin One Book award. This award celebrates novels which have Dublin city as a ‘main character’ and everyone will be encouraged to read the book in April ‘24. Great choice.