INTERMEZZO

by Sally Rooney

I was so excited for Sally Rooney's newest book that I bought it in hardcover, which is unusual given my weekly library trips. And although this book wasn’t a struggle per se, I didn't enjoy it the way I did her first two books. I also felt vindicated when I offered my copy to friends and several said they had started it and given up.

Set in Dublin and the surrounding suburbs, Intermezzo is primarily the story of two brothers grieving the death of their father. Peter, the elder, is a barrister with a very young girlfriend and a confusingly platonic relationship with his ex-girlfriend, who seems to be his soul mate. Ivan, the younger, is a chess wiz who cautiously begins an affair with a much older woman who is separated from her alcoholic husband. Rooney includes lots of conflict, blocked phone numbers and even some fistfights, but much remains murky and the two men spend much of the book questioning their choices and their reasons for living.

As I started to write this review, I remembered that I reviewed Rooney’s last book, Beautiful World, Where Are You as a Not My Cup of Tea (read my review here), despite my Mom having reviewed it positively (read her review here). I find it disappointing when an author I love doesn't quite deliver. But, maybe I just don’t love Rooney's more mature writing style. Either way, Intermezzo was not for me. (Lily)