\u201cIntermezzo<\/a>\u201d is Sally Rooney\u2019s fourth novel. The book focuses on two brothers grieving the death of their father while navigating their complicated romantic entanglements.<\/p>\n Rooney has been popular with readers since her first book, \u201cConversations with Friends<\/a>,\u201d which even became a Hulu show. In the past, she has been criticized for her simple prose, which has evolved quite a bit since her early work. \u201cIntermezzo\u201d is told in the characters\u2019 stream of consciousness, showing her growth as a writer and her ability to tackle more difficult styles of writing.<\/p>\n However, Rooney\u2019s popularity at this point has almost made her immune to actual criticism, at least from legacy media critics. Most critic reviews of \u201cIntermezzo\u201d go on to praise the book endlessly. Guardian contributor Anthony Cummins even wrote of Rooney: \u201cis there a better writer at work right now<\/a>?\u201d \u2014 which feels unfair to all the wonderful indie writers who exist. While Rooney\u2019s latest book is in fact well-written and compelling, it has significant flaws.<\/p>\n Sally Rooney\u2019s \u201cIntermezzo\u201d follows two brothers, Peter and Ivan, dealing with the aftermath of their father\u2019s death.<\/p>\n Peter is the older brother \u2014 in his 30s, working as a lawyer in Dublin. Though on the outside he seems successful and put-together, he\u2019s riddled with turmoil in the days and weeks following his father\u2019s death. He\u2019s torn between two women: Sylvia, his first love who says they can\u2019t be together, and Naomi, a young college student whose bills he\u2019s paying.<\/p>\n Ivan is a 22-year-old competitive chess player. He\u2019s somewhat socially awkward and struggles to connect with people emotionally. He has very few friends and is quite different from his charismatic older brother. In the weeks following his father\u2019s death, he meets Margaret, a woman 13 years older than him, and they begin a secret romance.<\/p>\n Throughout the novel, the two brothers struggle to connect as they grieve their father and figure out how to live this new chapter of life. The novel explores grief, sibling relationships, and the complicated nature of age-gap relationships.<\/p>\n While it may feel like a cop-out to say Sally Rooney\u2019s prior book is a good comp for \u201cIntermezzo,\u201d Rooney\u2019s work is consistent. She has a clear style of writing, and utilizes similar themes around relationships and sex in all of her work.<\/p>\n While the plot of this book is nothing like \u201cIntermezzo,\u201d there\u2019s something about the voice and sense of ennui that the main character experiences that is reminiscent of Rooney\u2019s work. Like Ivan and Peter, Moshfegh\u2019s character is a young adult without a sense of purpose.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> At The Rauch Review<\/a>, we care deeply about being transparent and earning your trust. These articles explain why and how we created our unique methodology for reviewing books and other storytelling mediums.<\/p>\n<\/div> \u201cIntermezzo\u201d fits into the category of adult literary fiction. Most likely, it would appeal to readers around the same age as the characters: in their 20s and 30s. Sally Rooney often writes about sex and relationships, and this book is no exception. While it is not a romance novel by any means, it would also appeal to people who like reading about romantic relationship dynamics. The sibling storyline would also appeal to anyone who struggles to connect with their sibling.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, the book doesn\u2019t pigeonhole its readers in any way, and it would appeal to a wide variety of people.<\/p>\n Sally Rooney\u2019s book is primarily written from the perspectives of Ivan and Peter, but in shorter sections throughout, we also get the perspectives of Sylvia and Margaret.<\/p>\n Rooney writes in close third person \u2014 specifically in stream of consciousness. The reader is getting each character\u2019s thoughts as they happen. We can also tell the way each character thinks is distinct because Rooney eloquently changes the style and syntax of the prose capturing their thoughts. The stylistic shift, along with descriptive clues at the beginning of each section, usually allow the reader to quickly figure out whose perspective we\u2019re in at all times.<\/p>\n However, every once in a while, particularly when the POV switched to Margaret or Sylvia, I wasn\u2019t always immediately sure whose perspective we were in. While Rooney does a good job at distinguishing the brothers, the other characters\u2019 voices feel a bit muddled\/indistinct.<\/p>\n Editorial Note: We believe these three factors are important for evaluating general writing quality across every aspect of the book. Before you get into further analysis, here\u2019s a quick breakdown to clarify how we\u2019re using these words:<\/em><\/p>\n The characters\u2019 stories were fairly compelling. Being in so close a POV allows the reader to care more than we would if we were distant.<\/p>\n There were moments when I found my mind wandering a bit. Rooney perhaps gave us too many details and direct thoughts that slowed the story down.<\/p>\n The book also made me feel a mix of emotions for the characters. On the one hand, I empathize with Ivan, as he clearly has difficulty with social situations and interpersonal relationships. On the other hand, he often comes across as callous, quick to cut people off if they make him feel even slightly uncomfortable. This dichotomy, though, feels very much intentional on Rooney\u2019s part.<\/p>\n For Peter, there\u2019s also that same mix of liking and disliking him. As a reader, you can\u2019t help but feel empathy when he struggles to connect with his brother but gets nothing back in return. But at the same time, the way he treats women in the book \u2014 particularly Naomi \u2014 can sometimes seem a bit uncaring and unaware. He thinks only of himself and how his relationships to those women will affect him.<\/p>\n Overall, though, I found the characters to be compelling and complex, and I was interested in their interpersonal relationships. However, certain plot points and scenes sometimes dragged on a bit longer than they needed to.<\/p>\n Stream of consciousness writing can sometimes suffer from confusing syntax or unclear wording. Oftentimes, that\u2019s intentional \u2014 like in the work of James Joyce<\/a>, whom Rooney cites as an inspiration. Other times, it\u2019s simply sloppy. In Rooney\u2019s case, though, I didn\u2019t have trouble understanding the sentences or thoughts, and she did a nice job at making us feel like we were in the minds of the characters. I was able to understand the plot, and there were no inconsistencies, typos, or plot holes.<\/p>\n There were, however, a few moments \u2014 particularly toward the beginning of the book, before I really caught on to each character\u2019s style of thought \u2014 where I wasn\u2019t sure right away whose perspective we were in. I sometimes had to go back and reread to make sure I didn\u2019t miss any clues that would indicate the POV. This confusion almost made me put down the book altogether. But, as a fan of Rooney\u2019s prior work, I trusted that I would eventually get more invested,<\/p>\n As the book went on, I usually caught on pretty quickly as to whose POV we were in. The characters\u2019 voices become more distinct and clear chapter-to-chapter.<\/p>\n Sitting at 452 pages, \u201cIntermezzo\u201d is certainly a long book. As a whole, though, I think Rooney could have told this story more concisely, in a shorter amount of time. While the stream of consciousness narration was compelling, there are scenes and moments that go on for too long.<\/p>\n For the most part, Rooney\u2019s books are not very plot-heavy. Instead, they\u2019re character-driven, and the characters are compelling enough that you don\u2019t need a ton of plot. However, \u201cIntermezzo\u201d feels a little bit more meandering than Rooney\u2019s previous work. Ivan\u2019s chapters often feel slowed down when the perspective shifts to Margaret. In Peter\u2019s chapters, the writing style is compelling, but his thoughts often don\u2019t lead anywhere or move his story forward very much.<\/p>\n On a sentence-level, Rooney\u2019s writing is excellent. There are no fluffy lines or bloated sentences. However, the pacing of the story throughout could have been picked up significantly.<\/p>\n The characters in \u201cIntermezzo\u201d are Ivan, Peter, Margaret, Naomi, and Sylvia, with Ivan and Peter as the main characters. Both Ivan and Peter are very well-developed. The stream of consciousness prose allows the reader to get into their heads and understand them fully. We also get to see how both of them interact with others, which gives even more insight into the characters. Ivan is introverted and awkward, finding social situations difficult. On the other hand, Peter is outgoing and able to easily interact with others.<\/p>\n However, I didn\u2019t feel like Peter changed much from the beginning to the end of the story. While his chapters were emotionally complex, he doesn\u2019t seem to learn much from his mistakes. Instead he easily gets everything he wants without much growth.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the women in the book \u2014 Margaret, Naomi, and Sylvia \u2014 sometimes feel one-dimensional. We get Margaret and Sylvia\u2019s perspectives in shorter sections, and we never get Naomi\u2019s perspective. As a whole, these three characters feel underdeveloped. Peter is in love with both Sylvia and Naomi, but as a reader, I don\u2019t see enough from their characters to truly understand why. Ivan falls in love with Margaret, and while we see their relationship unfold, I don\u2019t think we get enough from Margaret to understand why she falls for Ivan.<\/p>\n While the characters are all compelling, it would have been nice to understand the women characters more.<\/p>\n Overall, \u201cIntermezzo\u201d is an engaging story. I cared about the characters while reading, and I was invested in how things would end for them. The story feels unique and is an interesting exploration of siblings dealing with grief, as well as age-gap relationships.<\/p>\n However, the ending feels too neatly tied together, particularly when it comes to Peter\u2019s story. Peter is in love with two very different women, and his life is in turmoil because of it. (Spoilers ahead)<\/strong> However, rather than making a decision and learning from his mistakes, the two women agree that they can both be with Peter at once. All of his turbulent emotions, then, almost seem pointless because in the end, he gets everything handed to him. While polyamory is certainly a real thing, the way it plays out in \u201cIntermezzo\u201d feels more like Peter\u2019s fantasy, rather than a thoughtful exploration of non-monogamous relationships.<\/p>\n The stream of consciousness prose immediately reminded me of James Joyce or Virginia Woolf\u2019s writing<\/a>. Rooney\u2019s book even quotes Joyce at one point, which confirms his influence on her work. Overall, Rooney does an excellent job with the prose style in this book. She takes writers like Joyce as an influence but makes the stream of consciousness unique to her own work.<\/p>\n Peter\u2019s sections in particular stand out to me, as they really capture the syntax of someone\u2019s thoughts. For instance, Rooney writes, \u201cStrange feeling of peace that gave him. After her cold angry tears the night before, don\u2019t be dramatic, Peter. Renewal of ordinary discourse: his always eventful personal life, her good sense and dependability, their partnership retrieved.\u201d<\/p>\n The style here shows a very specific way of thinking, Peter\u2019s thoughts come in quickly, showing how he feels and how he understands the world around him. I was impressed by Rooney\u2019s ability to keep the style consistent chapter-to-chapter, embodying the voice and thought pattern of each character.<\/p>\n Throughout \u201cIntermezzo,\u201d the dialogue feels very realistic. It meshes well with the prose and is balanced in terms of how much prose vs. dialogue is being used. Rooney is a writer who never uses quotation marks in her work, which is not always easy to pull off. I\u2019ve seen writers try this style where it\u2019s unclear if something is dialogue. However, in Rooney\u2019s work, it\u2019s always very clear when a character is speaking, despite the lack of quotation marks.<\/p>\n \u201cIntermezzo\u201d takes place in modern day Ireland, Dublin and its surrounding suburbs. As a whole, the setting does not play a huge role in the story. We know they\u2019re in Ireland because the names of different cities are mentioned, and the characters talk about riding the train or the bus to see each other in the different towns and cities. We get a general sense of urban and suburban areas, but as a whole, the setting is not discussed too much. It\u2019s just enough to give the reader a realistic sense of where we are, but I didn\u2019t really feel like there was a need to get more in depth about setting for this story.<\/p>\n As a whole, \u201cIntermezzo\u201d is not making any large political statements, nor is it trying to further any specific rhetoric. \u201cIntermezzo\u201d simply tells the story of two grieving brothers and their messy love lives. If there\u2019s any statement at all being made, it might be one about age-gap relationships.<\/p>\n Both Peter and Ivan are in age-gap relationships. Ivan is seeing a woman significantly older than him, while Peter is seeing a woman significantly younger. While I don\u2019t think Rooney is making any kind of judgment on age-gap relationships one way or another, she is showing the complicated nature of those relationships. Through Peter and Ivan, Rooney shows that while many age-gap relationships are indeed problematic, we can\u2019t judge them at face value. Every relationship has its own story and nuance that should be taken into consideration.<\/p>\n The ending of Rooney\u2019s novel also makes a case for polyamorous relationships. Peter is in love with two women, but for most of the book he doesn\u2019t consider that he can be with both of them. In the end, polyamory is the solution for Peter, Naomi and Sylvia. In some ways, Rooney may be making an argument for polyamorous relationships, in showing how it all works out for the characters.<\/p>\n I think there could have been a little bit more exploration of this topic. We don\u2019t really get to see the characters have that much of a meaningful discussion of how the relationships would work for them and what it would look like for them practically.<\/p>\n This book was released in the past year and was very much a part of the literary zeitgeist. Sally Rooney is a very popular writer, and her work often gets discussed and digested. However, there are no political views in this book. Once again, it\u2019s simply a story about two brothers, which could appeal to anyone.<\/p>\n Most critic reviews for \u201cIntermezzo\u201d are glowing. Legacy media critics love Sally Rooney, and they have almost no criticisms of her most recent work. In the past, Rooney has been criticized for the simplicity of her prose (something I actually always liked about Rooney). Since her earlier work, though, we can see that her writing has evolved and grown. Nonetheless, it does not make her immune from criticism. While I agree with many of the critics that this book is well-written and compelling, I do think that most critics are choosing to hop on the Sally Rooney bandwagon rather than actually critique the book. Although \u201cIntermezzo\u201d was for the most part excellent, it did have its flaws, which nearly every critic chose to ignore.<\/p>\n On the other hand, when you look at reader reviews, there is a gap. While many readers did indeed love the book, they also very fairly critiqued its shortcomings. People had opinions on character development, plot development and more.<\/p>\n The American cover for \u201cIntermezzo\u201d is a chess board. Underneath the chess pieces are shadows of people. The cover implies that the characters in this book are chess pieces moving across a board. There are various layers to this cover. For starters, the title \u201cIntermezzo\u201d can refer to both music and chess. In music, an intermezzo is an interlude. In chess, it\u2019s an unexpected move.<\/p>\n Ivan\u2019s character is a chess player, which is clearly referenced in the cover art. The story begins after the death of Peter and Ivan’s father, creating an interlude in their lives. From there, the two brothers must figure out how to continue on. In many ways, their choices could refer to the chess definition of \u201cintermezzo.\u201d Ivan unexpectedly starts a relationship with an older woman, while Peter unexpectedly begins a new life with two women. Both the title and cover art feel pertinent to the story itself.<\/p>\n I quite enjoyed reading this book. While I did think it was too long, I was still invested in the characters and wanted to know how things would turn out for them. Despite not being too plot-heavy, Rooney was still able to keep me interested in the story and character arcs.<\/p>\n Still, this was actually my least favorite of Rooney\u2019s work. While I enjoyed reading \u201cIntermezzo,\u201d I much prefer her earlier works like \u201cNormal People<\/a>\u201d and \u201cConversations with Friends.\u201d While Rooney does get criticized for her simple prose, I find the simple prose of her earlier books quite refreshing to read.<\/p>\n As I said earlier, I enjoyed reading this book. The stream of consciousness prose was very well done, and the characters were compelling. However, the character development for the women in the book feels underdone, and the ending wrapped up too neatly and unrealistically, in my opinion.<\/p>\n\u2018Intermezzo\u2019 Summary: The Story of Two Grieving Brothers<\/h2>\n
Books Like \u2018Intermezzo\u2019<\/h3>\n
Sally Rooney\u2019s ‘Beautiful World, Where Are You’<\/a><\/h4>\n
Ottessa Moshfegh\u2019s ‘My Year of Rest and Relaxation<\/a>‘<\/h4>\n
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Audience and Genre: Adult Literary Fiction<\/h2>\n
Perspective: Close Third Person\/Stream of Consciousness That Isn\u2019t Always Clear<\/h2>\n
Three Cs: Compelling, Clear, Concise<\/em><\/h2>\n
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Compelling: For Readers of Character-Driven Narratives, But With Some Faltering<\/h3>\n
Clear: Not Always, Especially at the Beginning<\/h3>\n
Concise: Could Be Shorter<\/h3>\n
Character Development: Strong for Some, Weak for Others<\/h2>\n
\u2018Intermezzo\u2019 Story: Engaging, But the Ending Felt Too Neat<\/h2>\n
Prose Style: Well-Done Stream of Consciousness<\/h2>\n
Dialogue: Realistic, Clear Dialogue, Despite Lack of Quotation Marks<\/h3>\n
Setting: Modern Day Ireland, But It Could Happen Anywhere<\/h3>\n
Rhetoric: Age-Gap Relationships and (Spoiler) Polyamory<\/h2>\n
Cultural and Political Significance: Literary Zeitgeist<\/h2>\n
Critiquing the Critics: With This Book, Readers are Right and Critics are Wrong<\/h2>\n
Book Aesthetic: A Reference to Ivan\u2019s Chess Playing<\/h2>\n
Reviewer\u2019s Personal Opinion: Enjoyable Book for Fans of Sally Rooney<\/h2>\n
\u2018Intermezzo\u2019 Review: Engaging Book, with a Few Flaws<\/h2>\n
Buying and Rental Options<\/h2>\n
E-Commerce Text and Audio Purchases<\/h3>\n