Dónde estás, mundo bello [Beautiful World, Where Are You]

I’ll admit: I approached this audiobook with skepticism. After *Normal People*’s cultural saturation, I wondered if Rooney could surprise me again. But *Beautiful World, Where Are You* caught me off guard—not with plot twists, but with its unapologetic messiness. The story oscillates between Dublin and the Irish countryside, where Alice and Felix’s awkward, charged relationship unfolds alongside Eileen’s slow-burn reunion with Simon. Rooney’s dialogue is as sharp as ever, but it’s the email exchanges between Alice and Eileen that steal the show. These aren’t just plot devices; they’re philosophical sparring matches about art, politics, and whether happiness is even possible. At times, the characters’ nihilism borders on exhausting (Alice’s self-flagellation in particular can feel like a broken record), but that’s also the point—Rooney forces you to sit with their discomfort. Candela Antón’s narration is a masterclass in restraint. She resists the urge to over-dramatize, letting Rooney’s words breathe. Her Felix is a standout—gruff but tender, his working-class cadence grounding the novel’s more abstract musings. That said, the pacing drags slightly in the middle; a few of Alice and Eileen’s emails could’ve been tightened without losing impact. And while the ending lands with emotional weight, it’s deliberately ambiguous—readers craving neat resolutions may leave frustrated. Still, the audiobook’s production is flawless: no distracting edits, no uneven volume levels. It’s a listen that demands attention, not background noise. If you’re here for Rooney’s signature emotional precision (and can stomach a healthy dose of existential dread), this is her most ambitious work yet.