Intermezzo & why everyone Loves/Hates Sally Rooney

#booktube #gunpowderfictionplot

[conversations_with_kara]

i love how you mentioned that sally rooney's economic word choices is not only intentional but very effective at communicating emotion and intent to the reader. and how much trust she places in the reader to infer meaning from context, rather than spoon feeding it to them. i enjoyed intermezzo a lot as well and this was such a thorough review of both the book & discourse surrounding it — bravo!

[BookishTexan]

Thanks for this. I thought Normal People went right over my head. What bothered me most was the characters didn’t make sense to me. Their actions didn’t match their thoughts/beliefs. I guess I just never understood how seriously we were supposed to take them. That said the characters in Intermezzo sound like people I have met more than the characters in Conversations.

[camiloflores]

Intermezzo is also my favourite Rooney book, I'm so happy seeing her branch out in themes and perspectives

[CharlieBrookReads]

For me it’s always the crazy level of hype around Rooney’s books that puts me off. I read Normal People but that’s before it all got mad. I guess also there’s nothing really that pulls me into the books based on the premises either. Maybe at some point I will try another one.

Great review as always Scott. Pleased you loved it. ❤

[myreadinglife]

Lovely review! I have not read any Rooney but you make me want to!

[jaimee-kate]

I enjoyed Intermezzo (it was my most anticipated book of 2024!), but it did not reach the highs of Beautiful World for me. Beautiful World became one of my favorite books, I think because I related so much to the characters at the time I read it. But I see that Intermezzo is her most mature and introspective, and I love watching her grow as a person & a writer with each novel.

[EllenFelicity]

Really interesting review and discussion, thank you. I'm sure I will read Intermezzo in a while, and based on reviews (including yours) it sounds like something I'd like.

I agree with a lot of what you say about being able to relate to characters, and how that can shape enjoyment of books like Rooney's. I've read her three previous novels, and liked some more than others (which seems pretty normal to me). My least favourite by far was Beautiful World. I remember thinking that the characters did not feel real to me at all - who were these pretentious people writing long letters about their lives to each other?

Anyway, I later discovered that two of my work friends write long, reflective emails to each other about their lives, things they've read/watched recently, and general musings. And I thought oh my god, they're like the main characters in Beautiful World. Forgive me, Sally 😂

[StephanieP]

Sounds like a good book. Added to my TBR.

[BookChatWithPat]

Thank you for this thoughtful review, Scott. I haven't read Sally Rooney yet, but I think that this will be my introduction to her work. The combination of your review and Dwight Garner's in The New York Times have made me think that this might be a good introduction to her for me.

[anges_book_chatter]

I have the audiobook from my monthly kobo credit without knowing what it about, just “ah new Sally Rooney I like her writing” 😂

[emmavd]

Thank you, Scott!🌷I’ve only read Normal People, liked it (wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about it though) and actually wasn’t going to read Intermezzo. However, after listening to your great review, I think I will!

[spexi]

As a previous viewer mentioned, Ive not read any of her books either, but now am compelled to read this one 📚🪱💚

[joana_jj_]

Really interesting to see you explore popular works from different angles than your own!

I LOVE slice-of-life writing where nothing much happens, unlikeable but complex characters, complicated relationships, lack of plot. I really should love Rooney but I don't. I quite liked Normal People, the prose was understated, the character relationships felt realistic, but I didn't think it was that outstanding. I couldn't get into Conversations with Friends at all. It is way too 'show-don't-tell'; where are the actual impactful conversations with friends? I do not want to be told how smart a bunch of pretentious people are, though I did appreciate that the main character was Autistic-coded and had endometriosis. I haven't read Beautiful World. I've read my free sample of Intermezzo but don't feel drawn in enough to go on.

I have met plenty of people like her characters - but maybe you are onto something because I can't personally relate to them. I think the only character of hers I related to was Connell because we had a similar experience. My problem is that a lot of her characters are part of the intellectual elite or pretentious in some way and I feel she doesn't explore that in a way that makes them interesting to me personally. They just live in their 'Trinity College' bubble, a place where I will never belong. To me, a good author can make me care about absolutely anyone, no matter how different or unlikeable. I also found most of her prose simply boring, I found myself skimming a lot, but I would have to do a more thorough analysis to tell you why. Intermezzo seemed more interesting prose-wise. I love Claire Keegan's prose, by contrast. You make me think about why I like things!

I'm glad I get to complain and be picky, it just shows how many brilliant Irish authors there are to choose from. I'm just after reading Intimacies by Lucy Cadwell, fabulous explorations of motherhood and womanhood (but short stories so it might not be for you).

[spreadbookjoy]

I’ve still not read any Sally Rooney. I need to know what side I would fall on in this debate 😂

[MargaretPinard]

ooh, wow, so many great points! you've given me a reason to read Rooney other than H-Y-P-E which usually drives me awayyyy, well done, Scott!

[brianboru]

I've read all Rooney's books and enjoyed reading Intermezzo. Loved your review.
BTW she did do research on chess and credits the Irish Chess Union and particular individuals in the notes at the end. Apparently she doesn't play herself but her maths teacher husband took to playing online during the pandemic.

[mbranche]

This was my first Rooney book and I thought it was "ok". Their parents assigned roles to their children that the kids as adults had to fight to break free from. By keeping a bond of forgiveness between, the brothers were able to see a part of themselves in each other. Just an "ok" read for me.

[forasterofunambulesco]

excellent the best you've ever done !

[techidna-ht]

I actually think this is the book where Rooney fills in the gaps and more fully inhabits and articulates the motivations of the characters. I agree with your comments about Ivan. I was frustrated by Ivan as I wanted him to be Autistic but I kept thinking Ivan would not have done/said that. Note that this is coming from an Autism parent, not as an Autistic person myself. Ivan cannot be pigeonholed and as you say, it really doesn't matter - he is who he is.

I think Rooney divides people because reading her books can be deeply uncomfortable. Margaret's moralising and fence sitting definitely had me feeling this way. Of course, the other characters were also frustrating in their own ways. But this is life, and Rooney does so well to capture the messiness of life, and now the internal dialogue and minutiae of her character's lives too. At times I felt a bit bored by this book because it deals with the mundane, but I will read everything Rooney puts out.

[genebelcher]

Intermezzo is probably my favorite Salley Rooney novel as well. So, we're in agreement on that. but my problem with her writing isn't that she underexplains her characters' motives, it's that she overexplains her characters' motives. Characters will often step out of her storylines and give very contrived and detailed philosophical speeches. This habit in her writing takes me out of her books more than anything else. In Beautiful World, Where Are You the character Felix has to do a lot of heavy lifting as he regurgitates a lot of Rooney's philosophy on socioeconomics and when he does the novel drags. The character Ivan delves into this area a bit in Intermezzo, but not too much and, much to Rooney's credit, seem like very plausible ideals that his character would have. He mainly wants to play chess after all and that don't pay the bills. But at that point in the novel, the worst had yet to come.

I identified with the character Peter a lot and there were passages with him that the Rooney's prose just sang for me. I'm trying to keep this spoiler free, but it's hard not to feel betrayed by the Rooney when towards the end of the book (pp 427 -428) Peter tries to sort out his relationship dilemma by reducing it to a logic problem - with quotes form Wittgenstein even! Given the emotional state that Peter is in at that point with his grief and depression, this just comes off as ridiculous and contrived. This seems like a strategy more akin to what Ivan might contemplate, but even that would be a stretch. It took me completely out of the novel experience and had me putting down the book and looking toward the sky, shaking my fist and asking, 'Why Sally, why?'. Not to mention that whole segment undercuts Ivan's coda towards the end when he, the younger brother with very little relationship experience, gives an apt and heartfelt summation on Peter's dilemma. which illustrates beautifully Ivan's ability to change. The novel would be so much better without that page and a half. And it's Rooney's inability to not pontificate, to not trust her fictional prose, that gets me down on her work. I'm not in the 'hater' camp. She most definitely can write, but I always am apprehensive when I know she's releasing a book. Fortunately, (my criticisms aside) it's a good book, but I was really hoping for a great one.