lovelymisanthrope 's review for:

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

3.0

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

I picked this up because I have been a fan of Sally Rooney for years. 

"Intermezzo" is a novel that follows two brothers, Peter and Ivan. Peter is a very successful lawyer who appears to have his life together. That is until his father passed away and he begins self-medicating to try and cope with the loss. Ivan is a competitive chess player who has always seen himself as the complete opposite of his brother. 

I really enjoy novels that explore sibling dynamics because they are often so nuanced and complicated. Peter and Ivan have never really seen eye to eye, and that has made navigating their relationship very difficult. I loved that this novel alternated between both brother's points of view. This really helped to flesh out the story and made me more invested in the story. I could see both brother's wanting more from the other, but they would not talk to each other. 

There was something about this specific novel that I did not mesh with. I really enjoy Sally Rooney's writing style, but there was something extra flat about this one that I was finding it difficult to connect with. This novel felt a lot slower pace than her previous novels, and this made the story drag more than it needed to. 

I do think this novel has its audience, and I encourage anyone who is interested to pick it up! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Alcohol