Hulu's Normal People Has Very Subtle Differences From the Book — Here Are the Ones to Know

In addition to showing how cruelly Connell's friends bully Marianne, the series gives us an extended look at what happened at Debs (similar to the American prom). Basically, Connell asks Rachel out as a front and ends up hurting Marianne's feelings. We see a guilt-ridden Connell leaving Marianne an anguished message telling her that he loves her. There's still a scene in the book where he goes to the dance with Rachel, but we don't quite get such a confessional moment about his feelings for Marianne.