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challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
one quick note: a lot of the writing sometimes is written in stream of consciousness style and can feel like it's all over the place, especially chapter 1. don't let that discourage you - i promise the rest of the book is well worth reading in my opinion.
**spoilers ahead:**
i don't know, there are a lot of things that you can say about this one can go further in depth about the characters and their lives and whatnot, but i just really want to focus on the end there. i think there's something so raw and poignant about how the two brothers come together at the end. it's almost like peter takes the role of his dad, not trying to replace him but trying to be there for ivan the way his dad would have wanted him to, and them coming together and realizing that they share the grief and the fact that it doesn't just end on a sad note but ends on a happy yet very emotional note. yeah, i think the ending of the book had me crying for a good three or four minutes. i thought that was very, very moving. i was literally bawling my eyes out to the point that my jaws hurt.
favourite quote: "To imagine also is life: the life that is only imagined. Clatter of saucepans, steam from the kettle. Even to think about it is to live. Hard cold wind blowing in from the sea, blowing his coat back, raising white hackles on the river. Nothing is fixed. She, the other. Ivan, the girlfriend. Christine, their father, from beyond the grave. It doesn't always work, but I do my best. See what happens. Go on in any case living."
i love sally rooney.
**spoilers ahead:**
i don't know, there are a lot of things that you can say about this one can go further in depth about the characters and their lives and whatnot, but i just really want to focus on the end there. i think there's something so raw and poignant about how the two brothers come together at the end. it's almost like peter takes the role of his dad, not trying to replace him but trying to be there for ivan the way his dad would have wanted him to, and them coming together and realizing that they share the grief and the fact that it doesn't just end on a sad note but ends on a happy yet very emotional note. yeah, i think the ending of the book had me crying for a good three or four minutes. i thought that was very, very moving. i was literally bawling my eyes out to the point that my jaws hurt.
favourite quote: "To imagine also is life: the life that is only imagined. Clatter of saucepans, steam from the kettle. Even to think about it is to live. Hard cold wind blowing in from the sea, blowing his coat back, raising white hackles on the river. Nothing is fixed. She, the other. Ivan, the girlfriend. Christine, their father, from beyond the grave. It doesn't always work, but I do my best. See what happens. Go on in any case living."
i love sally rooney.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am glad I saw this book through to the end, but I nearly walked away around the halfway point. It felt so slow, and I didn’t care for the writing style that seemed unnecessarily clipped in the chapters written from Peter’s perspective. I put it on hold and read some other books, coming back to it mostly because it had been on so many Best Books of 2024 lists, and a family member had finished it and thought it was great. I felt much more drawn in for the second half and began to understand why the book was so well received in the literary world. It is a well-written book though not an easy read, particularly given the writing style. I can’t imagine being able to follow along by listening only, as it moves quickly between inner thoughts with incomplete sentences and dialogue. This may be the first book I’ve felt so much ambivalence towards, moving between not really liking it, to really enjoying it, to not loving it, to finding myself very invested and emotional at the end.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
LOVED THIS BOOK. I hesitated to read it cos of mixed reviews but honestly was HOOKED.
I love how Sally Rooney writes relationships - so real and so raw. and il always be in the no speech marks club - it ADDS SO MUCH. loved the style of writing in Peter’s chapters - took a few chapters to get used to but was CLASS.
I love how Sally Rooney writes relationships - so real and so raw. and il always be in the no speech marks club - it ADDS SO MUCH. loved the style of writing in Peter’s chapters - took a few chapters to get used to but was CLASS.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As many reviews will point out, once you grasp what's happening with the writing style and therefore the prose, you will have a much better time reading this!
So many pages and yet, somehow feels like not much happened. May not be everyone's cup of tea but I relished sitting with the characters isolation/loneliness and deeply related to Peter's grieving of a life not fulfilled!
So many pages and yet, somehow feels like not much happened. May not be everyone's cup of tea but I relished sitting with the characters isolation/loneliness and deeply related to Peter's grieving of a life not fulfilled!
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I took my SWEET TIME soaking this beautiful novel up, as it deserves. Need a lil while to let my brain work through how I feel about it, but pls trust when I say Intermezzo might be Sally Rooney’s best novel so far.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes