--- product_id: 443278340 title: "Beautiful World, Where Are You" price: "£10.91" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/443278340-beautiful-world-where-are-you store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Beautiful World, Where Are You **Price:** £10.91 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Beautiful World, Where Are You - **How much does it cost?** £10.91 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/443278340-beautiful-world-where-are-you) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Beautiful World, Where Are You [Rooney, Sally] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Beautiful World, Where Are You Review: Frank Schiller, "Schöne Welt, wo bist du?" - I was an early reader of Irish writer Sally Rooney, before she shot to stratospheric fame. I was offered an ARC of CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS, not expecting to love it as I did. It’s not that I don’t enjoy stories about Millennials--it’s just that sometimes there’s too much navel gazing or whining and stuck-ness in issues that can make my eyes roll. But Sally Rooney? She’s a delight! Navel gazing in Rooney’s book is organic and watchful. She writes her literary opuses as if they were screenplays. I’m not talking about just the filmic quality of the narrative. But in BEAUTIFUL WORLD, as in all three of her novels to date, you could pluck the breathtaking images right from the words themselves. The dialogue, characters, and story are three dimensional, and every scene pops and delivers and allows you to interpret on your own terms. BEAUTIFUL WORLD touches on themes of beauty, celebrity, social media, mental health, friendship, love, the continuum between friendship and love, and the fluidity of attraction. As always, I feel that the author connects deeply with the reader as she writes. Even when the tone is wry, tense, or accusing between characters, I feel that Rooney’s people are always evolving and in motion. Rooney isn’t rigid but she is decisive. Her cast comes with an implied background of unease, or lofty principles that they themselves have problems achieving. They are searching for love and identity, and also a culture class that they can brandish or even hide behind. This new novel revolves around two best friends, Alice and Eileen, and the men most important in their lives at the time. As in all Rooney’s books, one character is a writer (sometimes she has more than one). Alice has achieved literary fame after two novels (like Rooney, although I won’t make the mistake of thinking Alice is based on Rooney), and then had a mental breakdown. It is obvious that she isn’t that egocentric about her fame; in fact, she chooses a boyfriend much less intelligent than her who doesn’t even read books. Her typical form of communication with her best friend, Eileen, is email. They contain some scintillating content and background info, and move both character and plot along, or give the reader a bridge between times. So when Eileen and Alice eventually see each other again (Eileen is living in Dublin, Alice by the sea), you just know there’s a climax coming. (Eileen is actually living in the house Alice abandoned when she went into treatment). You feel the tension. And when I said that her novels are like cinema? I think this one is more theater, like a play. You’ll see when you read it, but the scenes usually include little details about the environment when a character is doing something, such as: “…sitting on her bed scrolling on her phone… On the floor, a discarded cardigan, her swimsuit with its straps tangled, sandals with the buckles hanging open. On the bedside table a lamp with a pleated pink shade.” The stage is set a particular way. It’s like seeing a play, where you are riveted to the stage, and the play and your life have merged. Simon and Eileen have known each other since childhood (he’s 5 years older than her) and their relationship was Platonic for many years, although Simon has always been hard to pin down. Felix is Alice’s new boyfriend, and there are a few stunners of information about him that are revealed early. If you are a Rooney fan, you’ve already read the book and are just checking out what other readers are saying. Is Alice really Sally? No, of course not, but it is a little bit meta-, as Alice does criticize people on Twitter for judging her life and her boyfriend, as if they know her. (I imagine many celebs feel this way.) Her readers do act on social media as if they are involved in Alice’s life--like her friend or cousin. Shows you how creepy we can be. We all do it sometimes--judge someone famous for making certain choices with their lives! But, Rooney doesn’t act superior when she writes a scene this way. Her nuanced portraits are unguarded, even when her characters are leery or calculating. Rooney mesmerizes when she points out their darker sides. What I wanted to say is that if you are already a Rooney fan, then there’s nothing I can tell you other than to read it, and you won’t be disappointed. If you are new to her, prepare to love her or hate her. She writes her familiar geography--Dublin. Her characters are mostly about her age, and like her character, Alice, she writes about friends and lovers. Rooney does that SO WELL! That is why she is so beloved. Scenes are vivid, like her characters, and I become invested in them. So when they feel a cleaving, so will I. And most Rooney readers will, too. She is wise, piercing, and intuitive with the narrative form. Her stories are convincing because the texture feels like authentic material. Rooney will follow a character into a murky tunnel and come out the other side with the bright sun shining or peeling off skin. She decides and we interpret. Or she can say it all in a few keen words, taking the context and subtexting the hell out of it. It’s almost always through the characters, like a play. Rooney doesn’t describe geography except to add mood/atmosphere to the story. Settings are in a room or a space, indoors or out, where you can feel the boundaries when they are crossed. Her characters are urgent with the world they live in, fearful and fearless simultaneously. And constantly thinking, feeling, desiring. “It was like God had put his hand on my head and filled me with the most intense desire I had ever felt, not desire for another person, but desire to bring something into being that had never existed before…I knew what I had to do, and I did it, that was all.” I’m so thrilled that Rooney has this talent to share with the world. I’m a superfan, a wide-eyed votary, so I can get away with saying…gulp…it’s a more beautiful world because Sally Rooney’s talent is in it. Review: Solid Writing. Good Character Work. Zero Plot - It was a good experience reading this book. I loved the characters even though they did get on my nerves by the end. I think that’s by design, actually, and due to the fact that there is little to no plot which I also think is by design. Regardless, I engaged with the book emotionally and found glimpses of myself in these characters. Wonderful prose which I think gets overlooked these days, but I definitely appreciated it. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #26,327 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #283 in Coming of Age Fiction (Books) #796 in Contemporary Women Fiction #1,106 in Literary Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars (27,154) | | Dimensions | 5.4 x 0.95 x 8.25 inches | | Edition | Reprint | | ISBN-10 | 1250859042 | | ISBN-13 | 978-1250859044 | | Item Weight | 10.9 ounces | | Language | English | | Print length | 368 pages | | Publication date | June 7, 2022 | | Publisher | Picador Paper | ## Images ![Beautiful World, Where Are You - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81I9C+LMXgL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Frank Schiller, "Schöne Welt, wo bist du?" *by S***N on October 5, 2021* I was an early reader of Irish writer Sally Rooney, before she shot to stratospheric fame. I was offered an ARC of CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS, not expecting to love it as I did. It’s not that I don’t enjoy stories about Millennials--it’s just that sometimes there’s too much navel gazing or whining and stuck-ness in issues that can make my eyes roll. But Sally Rooney? She’s a delight! Navel gazing in Rooney’s book is organic and watchful. She writes her literary opuses as if they were screenplays. I’m not talking about just the filmic quality of the narrative. But in BEAUTIFUL WORLD, as in all three of her novels to date, you could pluck the breathtaking images right from the words themselves. The dialogue, characters, and story are three dimensional, and every scene pops and delivers and allows you to interpret on your own terms. BEAUTIFUL WORLD touches on themes of beauty, celebrity, social media, mental health, friendship, love, the continuum between friendship and love, and the fluidity of attraction. As always, I feel that the author connects deeply with the reader as she writes. Even when the tone is wry, tense, or accusing between characters, I feel that Rooney’s people are always evolving and in motion. Rooney isn’t rigid but she is decisive. Her cast comes with an implied background of unease, or lofty principles that they themselves have problems achieving. They are searching for love and identity, and also a culture class that they can brandish or even hide behind. This new novel revolves around two best friends, Alice and Eileen, and the men most important in their lives at the time. As in all Rooney’s books, one character is a writer (sometimes she has more than one). Alice has achieved literary fame after two novels (like Rooney, although I won’t make the mistake of thinking Alice is based on Rooney), and then had a mental breakdown. It is obvious that she isn’t that egocentric about her fame; in fact, she chooses a boyfriend much less intelligent than her who doesn’t even read books. Her typical form of communication with her best friend, Eileen, is email. They contain some scintillating content and background info, and move both character and plot along, or give the reader a bridge between times. So when Eileen and Alice eventually see each other again (Eileen is living in Dublin, Alice by the sea), you just know there’s a climax coming. (Eileen is actually living in the house Alice abandoned when she went into treatment). You feel the tension. And when I said that her novels are like cinema? I think this one is more theater, like a play. You’ll see when you read it, but the scenes usually include little details about the environment when a character is doing something, such as: “…sitting on her bed scrolling on her phone… On the floor, a discarded cardigan, her swimsuit with its straps tangled, sandals with the buckles hanging open. On the bedside table a lamp with a pleated pink shade.” The stage is set a particular way. It’s like seeing a play, where you are riveted to the stage, and the play and your life have merged. Simon and Eileen have known each other since childhood (he’s 5 years older than her) and their relationship was Platonic for many years, although Simon has always been hard to pin down. Felix is Alice’s new boyfriend, and there are a few stunners of information about him that are revealed early. If you are a Rooney fan, you’ve already read the book and are just checking out what other readers are saying. Is Alice really Sally? No, of course not, but it is a little bit meta-, as Alice does criticize people on Twitter for judging her life and her boyfriend, as if they know her. (I imagine many celebs feel this way.) Her readers do act on social media as if they are involved in Alice’s life--like her friend or cousin. Shows you how creepy we can be. We all do it sometimes--judge someone famous for making certain choices with their lives! But, Rooney doesn’t act superior when she writes a scene this way. Her nuanced portraits are unguarded, even when her characters are leery or calculating. Rooney mesmerizes when she points out their darker sides. What I wanted to say is that if you are already a Rooney fan, then there’s nothing I can tell you other than to read it, and you won’t be disappointed. If you are new to her, prepare to love her or hate her. She writes her familiar geography--Dublin. Her characters are mostly about her age, and like her character, Alice, she writes about friends and lovers. Rooney does that SO WELL! That is why she is so beloved. Scenes are vivid, like her characters, and I become invested in them. So when they feel a cleaving, so will I. And most Rooney readers will, too. She is wise, piercing, and intuitive with the narrative form. Her stories are convincing because the texture feels like authentic material. Rooney will follow a character into a murky tunnel and come out the other side with the bright sun shining or peeling off skin. She decides and we interpret. Or she can say it all in a few keen words, taking the context and subtexting the hell out of it. It’s almost always through the characters, like a play. Rooney doesn’t describe geography except to add mood/atmosphere to the story. Settings are in a room or a space, indoors or out, where you can feel the boundaries when they are crossed. Her characters are urgent with the world they live in, fearful and fearless simultaneously. And constantly thinking, feeling, desiring. “It was like God had put his hand on my head and filled me with the most intense desire I had ever felt, not desire for another person, but desire to bring something into being that had never existed before…I knew what I had to do, and I did it, that was all.” I’m so thrilled that Rooney has this talent to share with the world. I’m a superfan, a wide-eyed votary, so I can get away with saying…gulp…it’s a more beautiful world because Sally Rooney’s talent is in it. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Solid Writing. Good Character Work. Zero Plot *by Y***G on April 22, 2025* It was a good experience reading this book. I loved the characters even though they did get on my nerves by the end. I think that’s by design, actually, and due to the fact that there is little to no plot which I also think is by design. Regardless, I engaged with the book emotionally and found glimpses of myself in these characters. Wonderful prose which I think gets overlooked these days, but I definitely appreciated it. ### ⭐⭐⭐ Went for it, fell short *by L***E on September 20, 2021* I liked the earnestness in this book to find and resolve meaning in our modern world. Any book that does that is worthy of respect. But in nearly ever other facet, I thought Beautiful World fell short of Rooney's previous work, especially Normal People, which I think is a modern masterpiece (and for reference, some of my faves include Farewell To Arms, Giovanni's Room, Slaughterhouse Five, The Recognitions, Emma, and The Idiot). In Beautiful World, I feel the writing first and foremost is flat. Past tense distant 3rd person killed the magic. I was audibly shocked at how flat and predictable some of her writing was at times, and even repeatedly had the thought that Rooney herself seemed burnt out. Characters were hard to relate to, unlikable often. Sex scenes felt forced and gimmicky and just boring (except for one scene, *spoilers*, first time for Alice and Felix). It was a bad feeling being more excited for the emails than the narration. But a lot of those emails did have thought provoking ideas. I wanted to love this book, and again, I respect the hell out of Rooney's attempt. But it just didn't ignite the magical intimacy that great books always do. ## Frequently Bought Together - Beautiful World, Where Are You - Conversations with Friends: A Novel - Intermezzo: A Novel --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/443278340-beautiful-world-where-are-you](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/443278340-beautiful-world-where-are-you) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-06-10*