i'd say that yeah, it is normal. on my first playthrough i had so much trouble on classic that i had to switch down to explorer. it's a punishing game, especially if you haven't played an rpg of this variety before. quicksave often, spend time pre-positioning before fights, figure out which enemies are weak to what, etc.
early game is especially difficult. try not to get too frustrated if you feel roadblocked by fights. if you can, try getting experience and items from non-combat quests to buff yourself a little
