INTERMEZZO

by Sally Rooney

In this novel, Sally Rooney’s writing is genius, some of the best. I read slowly, wanting to absorb every word. She slides from omniscient narrator to a character’s POV in a single sentence, and does the same with tenses. At first, I found page after page of writing with minimal punction and no paragraphs daunting, and then it became utterly freeing. Rooney’s perceptiveness is extraordinary. In an exquisite, writerly way, she takes us through the minutiae of her character’s thought processes, highlighting the complexity and clumsiness of most emotional encounters, and reminding us how raw and unpolished real love making is. She puts us brilliantly, and entertainingly, in the heads of everyone, detailing their hopes, fears, drives and desires. Indeed, being in their heads made me feel much better about being in my own! On the surface, this is a book about two very different brothers coping with the pressures of their everyday lives. On a deeper level, it’s a book about grief, showing that forgiveness and surrender are the only way through. Masterfully done.