Read With Us | Intermezzo

Our fall Read With Us selection – Intermezzo – is probably one of the most “buzzy” books we’ve ever picked. It’s brand new (well . . . it was in September when we chose it). It’s written by a very popular young author (Sally Rooney). And it has been getting consistently strong reviews. It’s also kind of . . . an odd(ish) choice for us. Sally Rooney has been called the “Salinger for the Snapchat generation.” And if you’ve looked around, well . . . most of us in the Read With Us group are not part of “the Snapchat generation.”

But. A lot of our kids are. (Including mine.) That’s actually what drew me to Rooney’s earlier books in the first place: my daughter. I have found that when I read Rooney’s books, I hear my daughter’s voice in my head. Not that my daughter is anything like the characters Rooney writes, nor does her life situation follow the patterns of Rooney’s characters. But Rooney does write through the lens of a Millenial — and that is definitely the world my daughter lives in and relates to. And Rooney’s books give me a little peek inside that world.

Whenever I pick up one of Sally Rooney’s books, my initial sense – every time – is . . . I don’t think I’m gonna like this. But I give it a chance. I get to reading. And then I get hooked! Such was the case with Intermezzo. It was a rather rough start for me (more on that in a minute), but I’m glad I carried on.

Sally Rooney is truly a master when it comes to the slowly unfolding narrative. She allows her characters – and their relationships with each other – to develop gradually and continually over the course of her novels. She doles out gradual revelations of how-things-got-to-be-the-way-they-are without ever spelling things out directly. Her dialog is fresh, and her voices are distinct. Although true for all of her novels, I think this incredible slow burn is most evident in Intermezzo.

I appreciated (and, ultimately, enjoyed) the very different narrative voices Rooney gave to the two brothers, Peter and Ivan. Even though I was initially annoyed with Peter’s choppy word fragments and phrases (that was the “rough start” I mentioned earlier), it didn’t take me long to discover the rhythm of his voice. That stream-of-consciousness phrasing Rooney employed for Peter was a highly effective device, helping reveal his state of mind and allowing her readers to experience the absolute muddle of his thoughts. And especially in contrast with Ivan’s very linear, very fluid and logical voice. Such a subtle maneuver – and so brilliant in firming up their characters.

My Intermezzo bottom line: families are complicated, grief is tricky, relationships get tangled, and love is everything.

I found this book immersive and emotionally compelling, powerful and heartbreaking, and I look forward to discussing it in January. I really do think the very best book group selections are books that . . . bring out a diversity of opinions. And I have a feeling Intermezzo is going to do just that!

I hope that you will Read With Us . . . and then I hope you will talk about it with us in January!

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