Sally Rooney, critically acclaimed author of three best-selling novels, will be bringing us a new book to adore this September. For me, Sally Rooney is an incredibly versatile author, capable of making me simultaneously love and hate all the characters she writes. She portrays real life, not shying away from writing the messiest moments and most unconventional relationships. Faber and Faber’s Alex Bowler describes Sally Rooney as “a writer who seems so attuned to our lives, our hearts and our times.” This is certainly true as her novels and characters are often frighteningly realistic.
Rooney’s fourth novel is called Intermezzo, about which the publishers Faber and Faber have released a short summary. The story will follow two brothers, Peter and Ivan, in the midst of dealing with the death of their father. With a large age gap between them and very different personalities, it seems that the novel will follow these two through two very distinct storylines, only relating to one another over the death of their father.
We will be given an insight into each of their romantic lives, as they explore love in the midst of grief. Peter is juggling relationships with two women, one being a student and the other being his lifelong love. Meanwhile Ivan meets an older woman with a damaged past, with whom he becomes intensely involved.
In all honesty, I had to clarify the definition of the word ‘intermezzo’, which my dictionary search tells me is simply another word for interlude. This title suggests we will be seeing these characters at an interlude of their lives, a sort of limbo period in which nothing is normal. The death of their father has stopped time and they are living in a transitional period, moving into a part of life where they no longer have a father. It will be interesting to see how Rooney navigates this sensitive topic of grief.
As usual, it seems that Sally Rooney’s characters will face difficulty and turbulent relationships, but I imagine she will write it beautifully. I’ll definitely be starting off the new academic year with this one, and I think you should too.
“Sally Rooney in Cambridge” by Chris Boland is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0