Intermezzo
by Sally Rooney
Summary
Intermezzo follows two Irish brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek, as they struggle to navigate life after the death of their father. Peter, a successful Dublin lawyer in his thirties, appears to have everything under control, but beneath his confident exterior he is struggling with grief, insomnia, and complicated relationships with two women: Sylvia, his former partner, and Naomi, a much younger university student. Ivan, a socially awkward twenty-two-year-old competitive chess player, finds himself drawn to Margaret, an older woman whose own life is undergoing a period of uncertainty.
Despite their shared loss, the brothers find it increasingly difficult to understand one another. Their differences in temperament, age, and approach to relationships create tension as they attempt to make sense of their changing lives.
Through intimate psychological portraits and shifting perspectives, Rooney explores grief, masculinity, love, sibling relationships, and the ways people seek connection during periods of emotional upheaval. The title refers to an intermezzo, a musical interlude, reflecting a transitional moment in the brothers’ lives as they confront loss and reconsider who they want to become.
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- Published
- 2024
- Author
- Sally Rooney