From Hamlet (ca.1599) to Wuthering Heights (1847), unhappy relationships have always been part of literature, regardless of time or genre.

Due to many stories being driven by conflict, there’s a case to be made that happy fictional relationships are a difficult place from which to source dramatic material. Tempestuous relationships are an easy place for conflict and drama to unfold.

Is the discussion of a lack of happy relationships in contemporary fiction the same conversation happening again, or a sign of something else?

I have not read Normal People (2018), but I have read the short story first featuring Marianne and Connell, At The Clinic (2016), which I hear sets up the novel perfectly.

At its heart is their inconsistent relationship, as they care for each other yet seem unable to express it. Rooney is one of the largest names in contemporary fiction, her works exploring the pressures and expectations of relationships, and the messiness of romance.

Other contemporary novels such as Fundamentally (2025) by Nussaibah Younis and You Exist Too Much (2020) by Zaina Arafat feature protagonists caught in messy situationships or fracturing relationships, ultimately choosing themselves, although Arafat’s protagonist ends up in a healthy relationship built on understanding and communication.

Whilst not as recent, One Day (2009) by David Nicholls shows people right for each other separated by life until it’s too late.

A clue to this question is in the genre’s name: contemporary. These novels reflect current times, and in contemporary culture many people would rather be single than deal with the stress of dating.

A friend recently told me that they wouldn’t wish the London dating scene on anyone, as though it is the worst fate imaginable. This view seems to be widely held regardless of location. It is easy to notice that healthy relationships are hard to find in the era of the manosphere, dating apps and situationships.

Despite this, happy relationships do have a place in literature. The enduring success of the romance genre and the rise of subgenres such as Romantasy (despite the problematic elements of many of its most successful entries) signal this demand.

Unlike contemporary literature, Romantasy is divorced from reality, making it unable to reflect modern life as accurately.

And right now, modern life is not a happy place for relationships.

Image credit: Lilia Colledge and Polly Dye