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Intermezzo
by Sally Rooney
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was the perfect autumn to winter read because it is set in this exact transitionary period where the leaves fall and the chill creeps in. I did not realise that I had picked my read SO WELL for the season, but I am glad that I did. 😌
Unwarranted self-praise aside, Intermezzo was my first step into the literary world of Sally Rooney. And it definitely won't be my last. I am genuinely curious about what it's like inside this author's mind because how does one conceive of such thoughts and writing? It's incredible. Admittedly, when I started reading this book, the lack of conventional grammar and punctuation threw me off for a moment. But I soon came to accept, and even enjoy, the peculiar stream of consciousness writing style. Something about this specific way of writing expressed the themes of this book so well.
Intermezzo alternates between three characters' perspectives. It covers heavy, heart-wrenching topics amongst the daily mundanities of Irish life. Rooney dives deep into the complexities of grief, polyamory, internalized social standards, the inner turmoil of resistance vs desire, and how untreated neurological and mental disorders manifest in fractured adults. What amazed me was how, despite the same style of writing used for each perspective, each character has such a clear, distinct voice. It was like stepping directly into the mind of three very different people. Understanding their choices, sympathising with their sorrows, sharing their pain and pleasure... it was all made possible by this strange wild narrative that Rooney creates. Despite it being stream of consciousness-like, each POV is told in THIRD person, further adding a dimension of disconcertion that just works! I doubt many would be able to pull this off. I take my metaphorical hat off to you Ms Rooney. 🎩
A truly poignant and thought-provoking read. It won't be for everyone, but it was definitely for me.
Unwarranted self-praise aside, Intermezzo was my first step into the literary world of Sally Rooney. And it definitely won't be my last. I am genuinely curious about what it's like inside this author's mind because how does one conceive of such thoughts and writing? It's incredible. Admittedly, when I started reading this book, the lack of conventional grammar and punctuation threw me off for a moment. But I soon came to accept, and even enjoy, the peculiar stream of consciousness writing style. Something about this specific way of writing expressed the themes of this book so well.
Intermezzo alternates between three characters' perspectives. It covers heavy, heart-wrenching topics amongst the daily mundanities of Irish life. Rooney dives deep into the complexities of grief, polyamory, internalized social standards, the inner turmoil of resistance vs desire, and how untreated neurological and mental disorders manifest in fractured adults. What amazed me was how, despite the same style of writing used for each perspective, each character has such a clear, distinct voice. It was like stepping directly into the mind of three very different people. Understanding their choices, sympathising with their sorrows, sharing their pain and pleasure... it was all made possible by this strange wild narrative that Rooney creates. Despite it being stream of consciousness-like, each POV is told in THIRD person, further adding a dimension of disconcertion that just works! I doubt many would be able to pull this off. I take my metaphorical hat off to you Ms Rooney. 🎩
A truly poignant and thought-provoking read. It won't be for everyone, but it was definitely for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent