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A review by micareads123
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Actually quite enjoyed this, despite the general consensus seeming to be that this book is less strong than Rooney’s other work. Having only read Normal People by her before this, I can comfortably say I liked this one considerably more. I’m knocking off half a star for the story being admittedly a little longer than needed and for Peter’s POV being a slightly less interesting than Ivan’s.
Overall, I thought this was a beautiful story about the complexities of the many emotions and relationships we encounter in life. It deals with grief and how differently it may present in different people. With the impacts of grief on the relations of the family members left behind. With how our limited perspectives cloud our perceptions of other people’s lives. With how sometimes we need to let go of the idea of what our lives were “supposed” to look like and accept where we are, what makes us happy.
A lot of the emotions in this book resonated with me, especially those from Ivan’s POV. I was glad to spend a lot of time with these flawed characters while reading the book.
I can get why this isn’t everyone’s favourite Rooney book, but currently it’s mine, and it’s encouraging me to get to the other books of hers I haven’t yet read sooner than later.
Overall, I thought this was a beautiful story about the complexities of the many emotions and relationships we encounter in life. It deals with grief and how differently it may present in different people. With the impacts of grief on the relations of the family members left behind. With how our limited perspectives cloud our perceptions of other people’s lives. With how sometimes we need to let go of the idea of what our lives were “supposed” to look like and accept where we are, what makes us happy.
A lot of the emotions in this book resonated with me, especially those from Ivan’s POV. I was glad to spend a lot of time with these flawed characters while reading the book.
I can get why this isn’t everyone’s favourite Rooney book, but currently it’s mine, and it’s encouraging me to get to the other books of hers I haven’t yet read sooner than later.