Table of Contents
1. Overview
3. Quotes
5. Summary
8. Find It Here
Grief breaks the status quo. Grieving people are sometimes impelled to take unprecedented actions that can either make or break their relationships as they try to overcome pain and uncertainty. Sally Rooney illustrates this in her book Intermezzo, which tells the story of two opposite brothers whose lives are shaken after the death of their father. During this emotional gridlock, the brothers deal with their loss in totally different ways - one holding on to his unyielding nature, trying to control himself and other people around him, the other one quiet, lonely, and unsure how to handle his grief.
Intermezzo received recognition from several major newspapers and literary organizations. It was named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards Novel of the Year, and selected as an Essential Read by The New Yorker.
Sally Rooney is a world-renowned Irish novelist who wrote the widely-recognized books Conversations with Friends, Normal People, and Beautiful World, Where Are You. She was hailed as "the first great millennial novelist".
Overview
The brothers, Peter, a lawyer, and Ivan, a chess master, are caught in a turbulent journey between the death of their father and the search to find their footing in life and love. Their identity, values, beliefs, and desires were at stake. They went through inner turmoils that exposed their weaknesses and fears that could unravel them to the point of giving up on themselves and each other.
Also caught in this heart-rending maelstrom were three women who were also going through internal struggles that refined their respective requisites of a meaningful life.
Sylvia loved Peter, but something serious happened to her that made her question her real motives in keeping their relationship. Sylvia wanted to let go of Pete, but the latter wouldn't surrender. While their relationship hung in the air, Peter found Naomi, a beautiful woman who was ten years his senior and a college student who was broke and homeless. She fulfilled Peter's carnal desires and became the object of his unwritten role as the great provider. Amidst all of it, Peter still loved Sylvia, but he also fell in love with Naomi. Now, Peter faced the greatest dilemma- could she love two women simultaneously? Should he let go of one of them and live a "righteous" life? Was he better off without them?
Ivan, on the other hand, couldn't take his elder brother's patronization anymore. The one he used to look up to changed when Peter went away to study. Chartering his own course, Peter was more focused on building his name, his career, and his love life. His relationship with his father and Ivan was getting cold. There was a point when Peter was around, and Ivan had to walk on eggshells. When their father passed away, the normalcy in Ivan’s life was perturbed. Grief enveloped him, and he was unsure whom to depend on. His relationship with Peter was stained with anger; his relationship with his mother was defined by a quiet distance. Until he found somebody to love him, he found Margare, who was ten years older than him. Given their age difference, some people were doubtful of Ivan's relationship. Should he fight for Margaret or give her up? What would happen to him if Margaret left him?
Intermezzo is a story about people who longed for autonomy, but their desire to love and be loved challenged them to take risks. The author’s literary style is embedded in the storylines of each character, showing the common themes of family, love, and grief with unique perspectives and unexpected turns.
Discussion Questions
- What did Peter want more than anything?
- What was Ivan's greatest fear?
- Describe Peter and Ivan's relationship.
- What did Sylvia want in her relationship with Peter?
- How did Naomi influence Peter and Sylvia's relationship?
- What is the central conflict of the story?
- What would happen if Margaret let go of Ivan?
- How did Peter and Ivan mend their relationship?
- Was redemption possible for every character?
- How is the dialogue used to reveal the personalities of the characters?
- How was tension built?
- What does the story reveal about human nature?
- How did Sally Rooney's worldview show up in the story?
- What do you think of the author's writing style?
- Would you recommend this book? Why or why not?
Quotes
Pros and Cons
Pro: The distinction between Peter and Ivan is palpable and adds to the complexity of the story.
Peter was a lawyer. Ivan was a genius chess player. The contrasting nature of their personalities conceived a tangible, volatile relationship, barely holding at its seams. Peter was polished and confident but condescending. On the other hand, Ivan was introverted and resourceful but vulnerable. Their perspectives on life, family, and love clashed, potentially burning the bridge between them. Despite their differences, they set aside pride and anger and met in the middle to mend their relationship. Brotherly relationships can be more complicated than a tightly wound knot.
Pro: The setting feels immersive and grounding.
Sally Rooney's writing is strong when it comes to the place where the story happens. Every scene was set up in a detailed environment to which the senses respond. From the opening of the inbox on the computer on the desk in an office where Margaret works to the coldness of the city air drifting through Chancery Park, the readers can almost see, feel, and even hear, taste, and smell the things surrounding the characters. Rooney paints a clear picture in the readers' minds through her words.
Pro: The book evokes strong emotions.
Relationships can be painful, especially when love collides with pride and expectations outweigh understanding. Rooney captured this by showing the brothers' relationship and their relationship with the women in their lives. Peter, who is older than Ivan, patronizes the latter. Ivan felt irritated with Peter. But both brothers were aching for the old time when they were supporting and protecting each other. In relation to their romantic relationship, Peter was torn between following the status quo and following his heart. He loved both Sylvia and Naomi but was unsure if they could be in one relationship together. Ivan feared Margaret would leave him because of their age gap to avoid criticism from her mother and friends. To love and to be loved was the ultimate desire, but uncertainties made it hard to reach it.
Con: The writing style of Rooney sometimes makes reading difficult.
The writer uses different ways of telling the story for Peter and Ivan. She changes her style depending on which character she is talking about. For Peter, she uses short sentences with a sharp, staccato rhythm that reflects his anxious mind, but sometimes the meaning of his thoughts is muddled. There's also an air of snobbishness on his part that makes him hard to relate to. I almost threw the book into my DNF basket because I couldn't connect with him.
Summing-Up
⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
When authors are getting a lot of buzz on social media, I tend to assume they’re great writers and storytellers. Sally Rooney came onto my radar when tons of bookstagrammers and booktokers started talking about her books with positive feedback. So when I saw that her new book, Intermezzo, hit our local bookstores, I jumped at the chance to read her book.
Simply, Intermezzo is about two grieving brothers who each deal with their loss in their own way. Their striking difference aggravates their situation. Peter, a lawyer, is confident and polished but closed off, while Ivan, a professional chess player, is shy, quiet, and emotionally adrift. Peter is older than Ivan by at least eight years. After the death of their father, turmoil materialized between them. Not only that, but they also became involved with women who pushed them to their limits—challenging them to rethink their beliefs and values. In the end, they had to compromise and redeem their relationships.
Sally Rooney is indeed a great writer as she built distinctive and round characters. You can see the difference between the brothers and other characters. Their thoughts, actions, and the way Rooney describes them form full psychological maps for each character that makes them memorable. What stood out for me was Peter – his snobbish vibe made him difficult to like. Another thing, Rooney’s writing style when telling Peter’s narrative was composed of short, punchy sentences that sometimes made his story hard to follow. Rereading these parts affected my reading pace. I almost didn’t finish the book because I always got frustrated when I read about Peter.
The world where the characters interact is fully immersive and grounding. Vivid mental pictures of the scenes are easily conjured by Rooney’s writing. However, I thought the descriptions were just too much because they slowed down the pace and sometimes muddled my understanding. Despite this, I could still feel the complexity of the emotional journey of the characters. It touched something personal for me.
I appreciate books that make me feel deeply, and this book is one of them. Grief weaved into sibling dynamics can bring about pain and unexpected changes in relationships. It’s heartbreaking when the people whom you grow up with and part of your formative years become cold. From there, it can go one of two ways – your paths cross again, and the relationship is rekindled, or they continue to diverge for many years, slowly cutting the familial ties. Intermezzo shows there’s hope for mending sibling relationships even when they are angry, confused, or hopeless.
Even though there were challenges in reading the book, I still recommend it. Looking for a book about complex sibling dynamics and romantic relationships with philosophical reflections about life and love? This book might be the one for you.
Further Information
Book Information:
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
September 24, 2024, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
464 pages
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