Ryan’s Reviews > Normal People > Status Update

Connell thinks the aspects of himself that are most compatible with Helen are his best aspects: his loyalty, his basically practical outlook, his desire to be thought of as a good guy. […]
Marianne had a wildness that got into him for a while and made him feel that he was like her, […] and that neither of them could ever fit into the world. But he was never damaged like she was. She just made him feel that way.

Marianne had the sense that her real life was happening somewhere very far away, happening without her, and she didn't know if she would ever find out where it was and become part of it.