Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by _cozyreadercorner
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
required lots of patience with the pacing and character development and thought the eventual state of all the complex relationships between the brothers, with their parents, and with their partners was for the best.
tbh was trudging through part 1 and had to alternate between reading & listening to the audiobook because i was still adjusting to the writing style (lack of quotations, disjointed/choppy sentences)— more so with Peter’s chapters because his read like streams of consciousness that were often difficult to parse out whether i was reading his dialogue with others or himself. but ultimately understood why it made a lot of sense to bend the conventional writing rules, especially in Peter’s case. definitely got more into the narrative’s flow once the characters started crossing paths and had longer, more honest conversations.
liked Ivan for how introspective and hopeful his outlook is, taking obstacles like his sort-of unemployment and former chess glory days in stride; how communicative, caring, & genuine he is with Margaret, and how straightforward yet respectful he is with others, in particular his first encounter and interactions afterwards with Naomi. despite both of them thinking Peter is the cooler one that’s got his life together, he actually seems more immature and detached from reality than Ivan in regards to how he handles his situationships with Sylvia and Naomi and just his overall chronic indecisiveness and aimlessness. he’s so caught up in his own emotional turbulence that he lacks self-awareness and accountability for how inconsiderate and patronizing he treats his loved ones so was glad they each called him out on it.
appreciate how the nuances of grief and levels of loss were conveyed, coming up time and time again in conversations and ruminations. with Peter and Ivan, it wasn’t until the big altercation in their old home where they aired each other’s grievances that i began to understand their dysfunctional relationship started way before their father’s death, stemming from not only their significant age gap but also their family dynamics. saw plenty of parallels with Peter and Margaret as well— loss of their fathers, estranged from their mothers & siblings, still hurting from separation with long-term partners, torn over their new, somewhat socially controversial relationships. but her story garnered more sympathy because she chose herself and what was right for her, even when she was made to feel guilty and ashamed for her decision by those around her (except for Ivan of course). Sylvia’s own situation -separate from her relationship with Peter - was also quite sad, having to live in constant pain and come to terms with not being able to live life like before her accident.
found it interesting we’re introduced to Margaret’s pov but never Sylvia nor Naomi’s, who has the least fleshed out backstory and is instead described one-dimensionally through the lens of a male gaze, but maybe that was to reflect Ivan’s confidence in and show early on that Margaret’s intentions with him aren’t predatory. meanwhile keeping us in the dark about Sylvia & Naomi’s inner worlds mimics Peter’s uncertainty and prolongs the suspense of whether they still/truly love him. sometimes overthinking about the inevitable end of relationships whether by internal/external forces is futile. as long as they all consent upon the arrangement of their situation without harming others and can live with themselves at the end of the day.
tbh was trudging through part 1 and had to alternate between reading & listening to the audiobook because i was still adjusting to the writing style (lack of quotations, disjointed/choppy sentences)— more so with Peter’s chapters because his read like streams of consciousness that were often difficult to parse out whether i was reading his dialogue with others or himself. but ultimately understood why it made a lot of sense to bend the conventional writing rules, especially in Peter’s case. definitely got more into the narrative’s flow once the characters started crossing paths and had longer, more honest conversations.
liked Ivan for how introspective and hopeful his outlook is, taking obstacles like his sort-of unemployment and former chess glory days in stride; how communicative, caring, & genuine he is with Margaret, and how straightforward yet respectful he is with others, in particular his first encounter and interactions afterwards with Naomi. despite both of them thinking Peter is the cooler one that’s got his life together, he actually seems more immature and detached from reality than Ivan in regards to how he handles his situationships with Sylvia and Naomi and just his overall chronic indecisiveness and aimlessness. he’s so caught up in his own emotional turbulence that he lacks self-awareness and accountability for how inconsiderate and patronizing he treats his loved ones so was glad they each called him out on it.
appreciate how the nuances of grief and levels of loss were conveyed, coming up time and time again in conversations and ruminations. with Peter and Ivan, it wasn’t until the big altercation in their old home where they aired each other’s grievances that i began to understand their dysfunctional relationship started way before their father’s death, stemming from not only their significant age gap but also their family dynamics. saw plenty of parallels with Peter and Margaret as well— loss of their fathers, estranged from their mothers & siblings, still hurting from separation with long-term partners, torn over their new, somewhat socially controversial relationships. but her story garnered more sympathy because she chose herself and what was right for her, even when she was made to feel guilty and ashamed for her decision by those around her (except for Ivan of course). Sylvia’s own situation -separate from her relationship with Peter - was also quite sad, having to live in constant pain and come to terms with not being able to live life like before her accident.
found it interesting we’re introduced to Margaret’s pov but never Sylvia nor Naomi’s, who has the least fleshed out backstory and is instead described one-dimensionally through the lens of a male gaze, but maybe that was to reflect Ivan’s confidence in and show early on that Margaret’s intentions with him aren’t predatory. meanwhile keeping us in the dark about Sylvia & Naomi’s inner worlds mimics Peter’s uncertainty and prolongs the suspense of whether they still/truly love him. sometimes overthinking about the inevitable end of relationships whether by internal/external forces is futile. as long as they all consent upon the arrangement of their situation without harming others and can live with themselves at the end of the day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence
deals with divorce, death of family member, age-gap relationships, difficult family relationships. mentions of alcoholicism and suicidal thoughts.