Intermezzo : A Novel

Intermezzo: A Novel follows brothers Peter and Ivan Koubek as they navigate grief, love, and self-discovery in the wake of their father’s death. Peter, a disciplined Dublin lawyer, struggles to balance his relationships with two women—his first love, Sylvia, and a free-spirited college student, Naomi—while grappling with unresolved emotions. Meanwhile, Ivan, a socially awkward chess prodigy, begins a transformative relationship with Margaret, an older woman with her own complicated past. Sally Rooney’s prose delves into the quiet tensions of modern life, exploring how grief reshapes identities and relationships. The novel’s introspective style captures the brothers’ inner conflicts with precision, blending philosophical musings with raw emotional honesty.

Rooney’s fourth novel has been praised as her most mature work yet, earning accolades like a spot on Barack Obama’s 2024 favorites list and critical acclaim for its “kaleidoscopically beautiful” storytelling. The narrative’s pacing mirrors the characters’ journeys—slow, deliberate, and deeply human. Themes of desire, familial bonds, and the search for meaning in mundane moments resonate throughout, inviting readers to reflect on their own lives. The book’s climax delivers a poignant resolution without sacrificing the complexity of its characters, cementing Rooney’s reputation as a master of contemporary fiction.