Review of Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo by Andrea
Thanks to Andrea (@tome.raiders on Instagram) for this review of Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo on release on 24th September.
“I was so excited to hear that Sally Rooney had a new novel out this year and I’m very pleased to report that it lived up to all my expectations.
Intermezzo follows two brothers – Peter, a solicitor in his 30s, and Ivan, a chess player in his 20s – after their father’s death; the brothers seem like polar opposites and are struggling to connect with one another in the face of these differences and their own grief.
Their different personalities are showcased in the way their chapters are written as well: each chapter is deeply introspective and filled with the brothers’ thoughts on their lives, each other and their relationships with the 3 women in the story – Sylvia, Naomi and Margaret.
Sally Rooney has a real knack for writing very compelling characters, and she’s done that really well in Intermezzo – I didn’t always like or agree with the brothers but I was still absolutely invested in their stories and relationships, and I loved the way the story unfolded right up to the conclusion.
This is a beautifully written exploration of masculinity, grief and regret, but there’s also a real hopefulness to it and I think that even people who weren’t previously fans of Sally Rooney will enjoy this one.”
