A review by abbie_
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.25

It’s been too long since I read a Sally Rooney novel, and I still haven’t read Beautiful World. It was glorious to be back wrapped up in her prose, lost in her characters’ heads. Intermezzo is an at times painfully intimate portrayal of brotherhood and grief, love and passion. At first I wasn’t sold on Peter’s (the older brother) perspective, as it was told in a more disjointed style than Ivan’s. But I soon warmed to him as well. His tendencies towards existential thinking and ending his own life were absolutely heartbreaking, so beautifully written they just hit me right in the chest. I love how Rooney is so vague with details pertaining to modern life that her stories feel timeless. Some things are never explicitly stated, but remain meaningful. All the relationships in this book are beautifully depicted, complex, messy, full of history and life. Bonus points for a gorgeously expressive whippet - I love a long dog.