Minnie's Fiction Addiction

👀 First impressions:
I went into Intermezzo with a mix of anticipation and caution. After Normal People and Beautiful World, Where Are You, I expected Rooney’s signature blend of introspective characters, sparse prose, and emotional excavation. The title Intermezzo suggested something transitional or in-between — which turned out to be thematically spot on. From page one, I was drawn into a quietly turbulent space that felt emotionally immediate and undeniably Rooney-esque.

✅ What I Liked:
Rooney once again proves she’s the master of depicting unspoken tension. The story follows two brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek, dealing with grief and identity in the wake of their father’s death. Their relationship is the emotional core of the novel, and it’s explored with remarkable tenderness and nuance.

Her prose, minimalist but emotionally piercing, works particularly well here. Every silence feels heavy. Every pause in conversation feels like it could detonate something buried deep. The chess motif (Ivan is a competitive player) is especially effective: a metaphor for control, detachment, and the impossibility of winning without risk.

I also appreciated Rooney’s subtle evolution as a writer. While her earlier work often centred on romantic entanglements, Intermezzo focuses more on familial love, masculinity, and vulnerability, still deeply personal, but with a broader emotional range.

❎ What I didn’t Like:
Rooney’s style isn’t for everyone, and Intermezzo won’t convert the skeptics. The emotional undercurrents are everything, but some readers might find the plot too quiet or introspective. There are moments where it feels like not much is happening, and in a way, that’s the point, but it can occasionally test your patience.

Also, I would’ve liked a little more from Peter’s perspective. Ivan, with his unraveling emotional control and inner conflict, gets more of the spotlight, and Peter’s arc felt slightly underdeveloped in comparison.

📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
If you love character-driven stories with emotional depth, complicated family dynamics, and Rooney’s precise, meditative prose, Intermezzo is well worth your time. It’s a novel that lingers, quiet, mournful, and beautifully constructed. This is Sally Rooney at her most reflective.

💭 Final Thoughts:
Intermezzo doesn’t reinvent Rooney’s style, it refines it. It’s a soft-spoken novel about grief, connection, and identity, and it invites you to sit with discomfort rather than resolve it. Thoughtful, melancholic, and quietly moving, it’s the perfect novel for readers who want to feel something slowly unfurl.

🛍️ Where to buy
To buy your own copy click HERE

Final Rating ★★★★ – A quietly devastating novel that lingers long after the final page.