007: Circle of Friends (1990) versus Normal People (2018) Artwork

Temples Made With Hands

A simple concept herein contained: pitting a story I loved against one I hated, and stacking the deck so the one I love wins. Said stories come from page and screen in an eclectic selection of my preferred genres – anything except 'content creation', because this house is a place of honour, dammit. 100% subjectivity guaranteed. All opinions entirely the product of my over-heated brain; there is, sadly, no one else to blame. Oh, and there won't be any tips on how to DIY a church. Sorry. Email: tmwh.podcast@gmail.com

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Temples Made With Hands

007: Circle of Friends (1990) versus Normal People (2018)

February 26, 2022 • Rae Bell • Season 1 • Episode 7

In this episode I compare the college romances of the dreamy Circle of Friends, by Maeve Binchy, and the nihilistic nightmare Normal People, by Sally Rooney. What proves to be most galling is not, as I thought, that Rooney is heaped with laurels for ripping off romance tropes wholesale, but that Normal People is actually a lot better than I remembered. Beautiful World Where Are You is genuinely great! And there goes my formula. Still, nothing can replace Circle of Friends in my heart, and I maintain that Binchy is Ireland’s most overlooked genius.

Timestamps:

00:50 Introduction; or, The Spectre Haunting Irish Universities Is Brutalism

07:30 Circle of Friends; or, Cool Nuns, We Love To See It

29:25 Normal People; or, Drink If You’re Conflicted About The Puritan Subtext

53:40 Conclusion; or, Why I’ll Die Mad About ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’

Podcast transcript with references: https://templesmadewithhands.wordpress.com/

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Music credits: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3338-achaidh-cheide

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