My review can be sort and sweet: Sally Rooneys best. No doubt. Read it. Enough said.

But seriously, Rooney proves her best as the next great author of our time

N.B. I received a sampler of this book consisting of the first two chapters. Therefore, my review is based on this extract.

Brothers Peter and Ivan have little in common. Peter is a thirty-something lawyer, superficially successful and sorted but privately struggling in the aftermath of his father's death. Ivan, meanwhile, is in his early twenties, his primary focus his competitive chess career. Peter is entangled in two love affairs - with his first love Sylvia and college student Naomi. Finding love has never been a priority for socially awkward Ivan, until a chance encounter with Margaret throws his life off course.

Like many, I devoured Normal People, the sophomore novel which catapulted Sally Rooney to the top of the bestseller lists, but I was underwhelmed by Beautiful World, Where Are You, her 2021 follow-up, finding the characters and their relationships unconvincing and difficult to invest in. Thankfully, Intermezzo sees a return to form. Based on the first two chapters alone, I found Simon and Ivan intriguing, and I was interested to see more of their sibling dynamic as well as their relationships with their respective parters. Rooney's unique voice soars. I look forward to reading the full book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Faber and Faber UK for the opportunity to read and review a sampler of this book.

As far as I’m concerned, Sally Rooney can do no wrong. I’ve always loved everything that she’s written, and this was no different!

This is the first book of Sally rooney's that I have read and unfortunately I did not finish it. I found the writing style interesting though it did take me a while to get used to it. I really enjoyed how the two brothers were written differently so you could really sense the different personalities but unfortunately it was just too slow paced for me and I was not a fan of explicit scenes.

It seems that whenever I read a Sally Rooney book, I completely forget what her writing is like, and fall in love all over again. With each new book she releases, she somehow manages to pinpoint exactly what’s the most pressing problem, or consideration in my life, at that specific moment, and touch my heart and soul. I don’t think I could ever reread her books, because they very specifically come at the exact moment in my life when I need them, the only one that missed me was Normal People, but she’s back again with Intermezzo, it’s about loss, family relationships, love in all its complications and a healthy dose of social critique. The perfect Rooney elements, with a bigger more central focus on human relationships this time, and the pensive self reflection of the characters. This book is less dialogues and events, and more introspection, it’s a gorgeously delightfully slow read that drowns out the world and prompts you into musing.

At its core it’s a story about two brothers who are grieving the loss of their father. It has been a slow loss, a real battle, and then when the day suddenly came, it still took them unprepared, and their life became … it’s hard to say it became completely different, they still go to work, they still talk to people, they still do what they have always done, but something has irreversibly changed, and the brothers react in different ways. At first glance they couldn’t be more different, more diametrically opposed. We have Peter, the hot shot Dublin lawyer, the corporate lifestyle, the perfect older brother, delivering the eulogy, organising the funeral, and then going on respectfully accepting condolences and winning case after case. Then we have Ivan, the young 22 year old chess genius, strugggling to find his winning streak, feeling lost and unmoored, and resentful towards his brother’s emotionless approach, towards Peter’s easy moving on. The novel unwinds in parallels, following Peter’s daily life, and Ivan’s in alternating chapters, that inevitably cross over and intersect.

Structurally there is a great fluidity in the narrative, plenty of breaks within a single chapter switching to another brother’s point of view, the chapters don’t have names and headings, we understand who we’re following as it unfolds because of their unique voices, it is easy to distinguish between the brothers. Except we soon see they’re more alike than they themselves think. Rooney creates a truly fascinating character analysis, seeing the ways in which their lives are mirrored. Especially in terms of love. Peter and his relationship with a girl Ivan’s age, Ivan who meets a woman Peter’s age. More than their love life, it’s about their perceptions, of themselves, of each other.

It is not an easy relationship between the two of them, Peter dismisses Ivan, treating him as abnormal, condescending in his treatment of him, viewing him as incapable of human emotion. Ivan who resents Peter and his ability to fit in, to assimilate, to blend into his environment easily. How quickly Peter managed to put on a wealthy accent, to culture himself in the arts, to meet rich people at exclusive parties, have a social life. While he Ivan, is left behind, and treated as inferior. Their view of each other affects us as the reader. At first we see Ivan the way Peter sees him, but then we see the ways in which Peter has been prejudiced, and as the plot develops what made Peter so prejudiced. Ivan’s lack of understanding of Peter too comes in, we see why Peter views him as unfeeling and uncaring, towards his brother he is indeed.

Their relationship isn’t ever really explicitly discussed, it comes together in fragments, the same way they tell the story in fragments to their loved ones, admit it piece by piece. But as Peter’s life slowly starts to fall apart, and Ivan’s on the contrary begins to take off, we see the ways in which their relationship has developed up to now, the way it could, all the myriad of possibilities. Their rivalry, but also their support, the small ways in which they take reconciliatory steps towards each other, just to break it all off, to destroy progress in a single argument, yet another fight. If this was one of Ivan’s chess games, it’s the equivalent of a long chess match, where the ultimate winner is unclear, although both opponents make concessions to each other, for the sake of continuing the game, even if it pauses and starts again.

In the pauses, when the timer glitches, and neither player is pressured to make a move, we turn instead to the audience observing this match, to their love interests, who are there to support them, to encourage them, but also to pressure them, often driving them to extreme emotions, the way that only messy situationships and entanglements can. When does a one night stand become a full relationship? What happens when you fall in love with two completely different people, and in different ways, and you are unable to choose, you simply suffer between the two? In particular, in Peter’s case, the romantic plot line is fascinating.

He likes a young woman Ivan’s age, is obsessed with making her happy, but also they exist in a strange codependent financial relationship where he fully provides for her, and she accepts it, and gratefully has a physical relationship with him. Yet not in a manipulative way, she likes him too. It’s complicated. What’s even more complicated is that his soulmate is a woman his own age, his ex he used to date, who he loves for her intellect. There is nothing more romantic than the passages where he adores her mind, the way it leaps and bounds. Yet he admires the other young girl’s attitude and the way she carries herself too, it’s not just physical. He struggles between making decisions he knows he should, and continuing as he is. For anyone who has ever loved a person they know they shouldn’t, someone completely unsuitable, they will see themselves in Peter’s storyline.

I saw myself in the loss aspect particularly. 2024 was a year in which I lost someone who was very dear to me, and in the pain and heartbreak that Peter and Ivan experienced, I saw myself. Yet, somehow unlike other works touching on the subject, this was far from triggering. Intermezzo feels very genuine. This is a far cry from my other Rooney favourite, which I think I honestly could reread, BWWAY. That one is ironic delightfully so, it questions itself. This one doesn’t, it simply focuses on the people, and the result is tender, comforting, truly human in all the best possible ways. Something you can read, aching heart, soul, mind, body, yet not something that rips you apart and destroys you in a bad way, rather remakes you. Out of all of Rooney’s novels so far, this one has to be the best in terms of the emotional aspects. It doesn’t try to be something intellectual, yet somehow it manages to comment finely on modern relationships, and academia, and our socio political values.

Slow paragraphs, tender shifts of view, and of course the signature lack of speech marks. Is this the modern Virginia Woolf, a new stream of consciousness for the modern age? The novel flows the same way our mind runs, all the daily distractions, self consciousness, hatred, love, obsession. What makes it even better is the rich quoting from literature and literary works. I could make an entire other video on the references to Hamlet, the parallels between the loss of the father in both works and the son’s reaction. I mean their mother who divorced their dad and married another man is literally Gertrude. Don’t be fooled by the novel’s simplicity, when you let yourself go and allow yourself to trust Rooney to simply be consumed by the novel’s storytelling, that is when you see the hidden complexities. It is easy to miss them, easy to distrust them, surely this modern novel won’t say anything new, won’t bring anything to the table? Maybe nothing particularly new, sure, but she certainly does bring plenty to our table, a real feast.

You don’t think you’re hungry for this type of work, and then you start eating and you can’t stop. Everything is just so delightful. The aperitif, the hamlet parallels, the grieving sons, the starter their so called moving on, the first main course, the development of their relationships, the second main course, when their lives intertwine, and the dessert, the flourishing points of conflict and their not perfect resolutions. Served with perfectly paired wine made out of the delicate conversations between an older and younger lover, chats about mothers over lemonades, seemingly careless texts that show a lot of care, and heady flashbacks and memories.

This is not a novel you will call great and revolutionary. But this is a novel for the heart, and one where there is much to admire, and to approach it with snobbery, as the character say, would be your biggest loss.

What a way to start off the year. An intermezzo typically provides a respite in music. This intermezzo provides a respite in life.

Sally Rooney can do no wrong. This sampler was a fantastic tease for Intermezzo, which I got for Christmas and I am so so excited to dive into properly!

Being a big fan of Sally Rooney's previous novels (who isn't??) I was very excited to read this sample of her new book. Her unique voice comes through loud and clear and it's got me hooked - I can't wait to read the full novel.

This book follows two brothers, Ivan and Peter as they navigate their way through grief after the passing of their father. It’s a difficult book to get into but once you do, it’s an interesting read.

ooney’s Intermezzo offers yet another testament to her ability to craft profoundly human stories. I find her knack for exploring the intricacies of everyday life to create closeness with realistic characters brilliant. Her attention to the seemingly mundane—shared glances, unspoken tensions, quiet routines—creates an extraordinary sense of intimacy, drawing readers into the characters’ emotional worlds in a way that feels effortless.

The central narrative, focusing on two very different brothers, is a rich and complex exploration of family dynamics. Rooney doesn’t shy away from the awkwardness, love, and inevitable friction that comes with different relationships. Instead, she embraces them, offering a deeply relatable and at times heart-wrenching portrayal of what it means to navigate love in all its forms. The brothers’ differences create a fascinating push-and-pull dynamic, reflecting the unspoken tensions and alliances that exist in all families.

Although I’ve only had the opportunity to read a sampler, it’s clear that Intermezzo will deliver on all the qualities that make Rooney’s writing so impactful: piercing character studies, subtle yet poignant dialogue, and a quiet focus on the moments that make up real lives. I’m eagerly awaiting the paperback release in the UK and can’t wait to see how the story unfolds in its entirety.

Sally Rooney continues to prove herself as a master of contemporary fiction.

Rooney’s signature style of sharp, introspective dialogue and nuanced character development is on full display, as she delves into the intricacies of human connection with her trademark wit and depth. Intermezzo feels like a delicate pause in the midst of life, capturing the fleeting yet powerful moments that can alter the course of a relationship or even a life. With its thoughtful pacing and emotional resonance, this novel is a tender meditation on the moments between what is said and what is felt. Rooney masterfully captures the complexity of modern life and relationships in a way that lingers long after you turn the last page.

I look forward to diving into another world created by Sally Rooney.

Thank you Netgalley for the preview.

𝓘𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓶𝓮𝔃𝔃𝓸 𝓫𝔂 𝓢𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓡𝓸𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 ♟️
𝖱𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀:🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

‘𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦—𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦, 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺; 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨.‘

𝖨𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗆𝖾𝗓𝗓𝗈 𝗂𝗌 𝖺 𝗉𝗈𝗂𝗀𝗇𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗇𝗀𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝖽𝖾𝖾𝗉𝗅𝗒 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝖺𝗉𝗉𝗋𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗇𝗎𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝖽 𝖾𝗑𝗉𝗅𝗈𝗋𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗀𝗋𝗂𝖾𝖿, 𝗋𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗉𝗅𝖾𝗑𝗂𝗍𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗁𝗎𝗆𝖺𝗇 𝖾𝗆𝗈𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌, 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝗍 𝖺 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝖿𝖾𝖼𝗍 𝖿𝗂𝗍 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝖾𝗇𝗃𝗈𝗒 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋-𝖽𝗋𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝗅𝗂𝗍𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗋𝗒 𝖿𝗂𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗅 𝗉𝖺𝗀𝖾 𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝗎𝗋𝗇𝖾𝖽. 𝖨 𝖽𝗈 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝖲𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒’𝗌 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄𝗌 𝗏𝗂𝖺 𝖺𝗎𝖽𝗂𝗈 𝖺𝗌 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝗐𝗂𝗌𝖾 𝖨 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄 𝖨 𝗆𝖺𝗒 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗎𝗀𝗀𝗅𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗀𝖾𝗍 𝗆𝗒 𝖻𝗋𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗂𝗍, 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗐𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝖺 𝗁𝗎𝗀𝖾 𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾. 𝖡𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗉𝗅𝖾𝗑 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖽𝗒𝗇𝖺𝗆𝗂𝖼𝗌 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗎𝗉 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗋𝖾𝖿𝗅𝖾𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝗇 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝗋𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉𝗌 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝗌 𝗌𝗂𝗆𝗉𝗅𝖾 𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝗌𝖾𝖾𝗆, 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗋𝗈𝗈𝗆 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗌𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝖽𝗂𝖿𝖿𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗄𝗂𝗇𝖽𝗌.

The formatting was a little off, but this sampler made me SO excited to read the full book! I think I would read anything Sally Rooney wrote - she is just so incredible.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the sampler. 🫶🏻

Sally Rooney is one of my favourite authors and this is why. She writes so so well and you can always rely on one of her books to hook you in, couldn’t put it down!

As per, Sally Rooney is the absolute master of blending big, bold themes with the minutiae of the every day - though it doesn’t top CwF as my favourite Sally Rooney novel, it is a very worthy second.

this was such a good start to the book, i adore sally rooney!!! can’t wait to read the full book! super excited

Long awaited Sally Rooney and she does not disappoint. Complex characters that really make you think and look deep.

Rooney's signature prose, characterized by its simplicity and depth, effectively delves into the complexities of human emotions and relationships. The alternating perspectives between Peter and Ivan provide a nuanced understanding of their internal struggles and evolving dynamics. The novel's title, referencing an unexpected move in chess, aptly symbolizes the unpredictable and transformative nature of grief and personal growth.

While Intermezzo excels in character development and thematic depth, some readers might find the pacing in certain sections to be slower, potentially affecting engagement. Additionally, the introspective nature of the narrative may not resonate with those preferring more action-driven plots.

Overall, Intermezzo stands as a testament to Rooney's literary prowess, offering a profound and intimate portrayal of life's interludes and the enduring bonds of family.

Incredible - as always I adored the complexity of the characters and the depth of Rooney's unique writing style. So looking forward to reading the rest!

Unfortunately, based on the sample, this book isn't for me.

I've enjoyed other stories by the author, her sometimes it just doesn't click.