Take a photo of a barcode or cover
The novel “Intermezzo” deeply redefines the meaning of vulnerable narrative point of views. Appropriately titled, the work follows characters in waiting, in between chapters—of relationships, of careers, of success, of leaning into what they most need for their lives. Much like many intermezzos I’ve also played musically, there is also a pervading sense of intimate melancholy, forced isolation, whiffs of dreams. We find deep dives into emotions and deep desperation—to be loved, to feel loved, to revisit love, or to reject love with other themes or melodies we think we must embrace.
This book is so well composed, yet my feelings were vacillatingly mixed. I definitely felt biases toward and against various characters in their hypocrisies, but found the varying point of views always intriguing. At times, the vivid intimacy element is haunting, at times painfully awkward, but I appreciate the author’s efforts to construct something human in all shapes of real.
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Loved the themes of societal norms, pressure to conform and fear of other people's perceptions, age gaps and polyamory, grief and mental health, family dysfunction and strained relationships. There was a lot going on but everything was explored enough to satisfy.
Ivan was such a sweet, neurodivergent coded character--far from perfect but I loved him instantly. Peter took a bit more time/effort to connect with but he got to me eventually.
The audiobook was perfectly narrated.
"No one is perfect. Sometimes you need people to be perfect and they can’t be and you hate them forever for not being even though it isn’t their fault and it’s not yours either. You just needed something they didn’t have in them to give you. And then in other people’s lives you do the same thing, you’re the person who lets everyone down, who fails to make anything better, and you hate yourself so much you wish you were dead."
Moderate: Ableism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Infidelity, Sexism
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Classism
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
This served as an important reminder that we can very easily get caught up in our own messy minds and create these insane realities for ourselves that merely serve as a platter of pain and delusion. When all it takes is an honest conversation to realize, there’s a whole world inside of everyone. so stop being so damn obsessed with yourself - okAYYYY!
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Chronic illness, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Cancer
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol
Minor: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Pandemic/Epidemic
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Alcohol