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bookishbrenbren 's review for:
Intermezzo
by Sally Rooney
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
My very preliminary thoughts are that Sally is really amazing at stringing together a series of seemingly small and simple experiences that together amount to life itself. Nothing more (although it often feels like the end of the world) and nothing less. She's also unmatched in her ability to crawl inside other people's brains and write them for us in a way that feels incredibly internal and also somehow removed.
My only complaint is with her treatment of Naomi - how can she be as integral supposedly to Peter's story as Sylvia or even Ivan but she's never given the full autonomy of a character? She is never shaded in like Sylvia or Margaret never given worries woes priorities or problems of her own. We see her only through Peter's thoughts making her a misogynistic caricature - a cliche of a young girl unloved penniless falls for an older man with money ew. And their relationship is toxic from the start... yeah Naomi is the weak point here.
My very preliminary thoughts are that Sally is really amazing at stringing together a series of seemingly small and simple experiences that together amount to life itself. Nothing more (although it often feels like the end of the world) and nothing less. She's also unmatched in her ability to crawl inside other people's brains and write them for us in a way that feels incredibly internal and also somehow removed.
My only complaint is with her treatment of Naomi - how can she be as integral supposedly to Peter's story as Sylvia or even Ivan but she's never given the full autonomy of a character? She is never shaded in like Sylvia or Margaret never given worries woes priorities or problems of her own. We see her only through Peter's thoughts making her a misogynistic caricature - a cliche of a young girl unloved penniless falls for an older man with money ew. And their relationship is toxic from the start... yeah Naomi is the weak point here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol