Wow, another winner for sure for Sally Rooney, unless of course the book goes downhill after the 52 pages I read. Ivan and Peter are two brothers who are 10 years apart in age and a lifetime apart in character. Peter is the older of the two and a successful barrister. At the start of the book we learn he has a young friend Naomi whom he appears to be having casual sex with, at the same time he has a longtime girlfriend Sylvia who has had a debilitating accident. Ivan at age 22 is shy and awkward, a one time chess champion he now plays at clubs competing against a room full of people at the same time. At one event he ends up sleeping with a woman 14 years older. They both are shy and nervous around each other at first and although my chapter sampler ended here I feel the heart of the story will be these two. I cannot wait to read the entire book. Highly recommend.

#Intermezzo #NetGalley

In this 50 page sampler, Sally Rooney managed to capture my attention which is not an easy feat. I’m not sure how, but up until now I have not read any of Sally Rooney’s writing. I’ve heard others praise her writing style, social commentary and characters but this is the first time I’ve experienced her work for myself.

In this short extract we are introduced to two brothers who have to deal with complex romantic relationships, strained family dynamics and the pressure of their jobs. As the blurb explains, one brother is a successful lawyer and the other is a competitive chess player. This focus on chess was a particular selling point to me. Over the last few years more and more books about chess have come out and each time I learn something new about the fascinating game and the brilliant (but often obsessive) people who play it. I think that these two characters will be the main focus of the book, not only in the sense that they are the main characters but also because the book is set up as a character study. As other reviewers have said, Rooney seems to shine when writing about interpersonal relationships. I can see why this is true. She creates deeply flawed but fascinating people and bares their souls to us.

Whilst contemporary novels are not usually my cup of tea, my interest has been peaked when it comes to Intermezzo. I think that when the book comes out, I will read it slowly and treasure the words that Rooney has written on the page. I love a book that makes you think, and I have no doubt that Intermezzo will do this.

A very interesting opening, and as a huge Sally Rooney fan, I’ll definitely be reading this one. While this is still so very obviously Rooney, there are some subtle, and greater, differences here; enough to get me excited for the next instalment.

Wow what a sampler! As always Rooney’s writing has pulled me in and I am left wanting more.

In these first two chapters we are introduced to 2 brothers Peter and Ivan, who are coming to terms with the death of their father. The character’s are interesting and well written and I’ll definitely to buyers by a copy of Intermezzo to see where this story takes them.

I've just read the extract which is the opening of the novel. It's wonderful, I pre-ordered a copy immediately.

Warm and cozy: That's how it feels getting back into Sally Rooney's writing.

After this sampler, I can't wait to read the full book in a couple of days. I'm really curious about the topics I already know about are going to be developed during the rest of the book.
The tea and my blanket are ready for me to sit and enjoy this new promising novel. Oh, can't imagine a better plan.
Can't wait to go back "home".

Two brothers working through their grief and the relationships around them. Beautifully written authentic characters

I really enjoyed the first few chapters included in this sampler of Intermezzo by Sally Rooney. The two brothers, Ivan and Peter, are painted in true Sally Rooney fashion, with extreme humanity and depth. It was easy to begin to relate to them in their grief and difficulties with human interaction. I also really enjoyed seeing how their stories paralleled and differed from one another. I can’t wait to read the rest when it is released!

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney is a captivating exploration of complex family and romantic relationships, grief, and personal growth. Following the lives of two brothers, Peter and Ivan, the novel dives deep into their family dynamics and the impact of their father’s death. Rooney’s signature style shines through, with sharp dialogue and insightful commentary on modern issues like wage labor, the housing crisis, and social media. Intermezzo feels like a step forward for Rooney, offering a rich, character-driven narrative that will leave readers both challenged and deeply moved.

I’ll be first in line to get a physical copy tomorrow at my local bookstore (even though I’ve already preordered a signed copy). I’m convinced Sally Rooney can do no wrong—I’m obsessed with all her work, and this is just another masterpiece. Forever grateful to Faber for providing an ARC, I’m indebted!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Faber for an advanced digital copy of this book.

First of all, I would like to thank netgalley and the publishing house Faber for the preview copy, even if only a small preview of the first chapters, of this book.

Normal People is one of my favorite books ever, so I had to request this one too!
This is just a sampler, so they are really only the first chapters of this new release by Sally Rooney, but they are certainly evocative. I found the author's unique writing style, unmistakable and which is at the same time magnificent and annoying - but it certainly makes reading a unicum! The story is very particular like almost all of hers, made even more so in this aspect, in my opinion, by her writing style. What can I say, I can only say that it intrigued me and certainly when the book comes out I want to try to read it!

Whilst I’m aware of the Sally Rooney phenomenon, and enjoyed the TV adaptations of both Normal People and Conversations, this sample of Intermezzo was the first time I’d read any of Sally’s work. I’ll be brave and say whilst I liked the story and am intrigued to read more, I really wasn’t keen on the writing style. It really needed breaking down into clearer more concise paragraphs - it read like someone very breathlessly trying to get all their thoughts out. Which I guess is the point, and I’m sure million-selling Ms Rooney won’t be too worried that I wasn’t keen!

I received a sampler of this book and really enjoyed the 52 pages!
I would have loved to read and review the entire book as the plot was very interesting and follows two brothers through their grief. The sampler is a great eye opener to the fact that this will be a great book.

Difficult to review as it is just a short sample but I got drawn into this book immediately and can’t wait to read the full story.

Admittedly, it always takes me a minute to settle into Sally Rooney’s writing. Being such a unique author, she is able to beautifully convey an intricate plot and well developed characters through showing, rather than simply telling. Even throughout this small insight into Intermezzo, it is easy to see the varying reactions to grief and family. I look forward to delving more into the lives of the brothers and their dynamics when I am able to read their story in full.

Rooney's signature style is seen throughout this sampler - in general I have enjoyed several of her previous pieces. This sampler, I struggled a little bit to get into the writing and didn't feel the characters were that relatable.

However, this review may definitely change especially with only being 50 pages in.

I was only given a sample of this wonderful book to read and review making me even more disappointed that after a couple of months, I am still on the waiting list to see Sally Rooney at Waterstone’s Piccadilly on Monday. I would love to hear what she has to say about yet another beautifully written book with complex characters with lives that draw you in. I look forward to reading the whole book. Thank you Netgalley for letting me sample what I am sure will be a best seller!

This is phenomenal. I cannot WAIT to get my preorder copy now! Sally Rooney is one of my automatic purchase authors now and Intermezzo might be my favourite novel of hers.

Thank you so much to Faber & Faber for letting me read this sampler of Intermezzo - such a dream come true!

5/5 so far - only 50 pages in and I already have so many thoughts about this beautiful addition to Sally Rooney's work.

‘Didn’t seem fair on the young lad. That suit at the funeral. With the braces on his teeth, the supreme discomfort of the adolescent.’

Two brothers, Peter and Ivan. 10 years apart. Struggling to exist in the wake of their father’s death.

Opening with Peter’s internal consciousness bleeding through the first chapter of the narrative, his character is cleverly built into Rooney’s chosen shift in her narrative style. In sparse, Joycean style, Rooney jarringly splices information about the entanglements of Peter’s love-life and little fragments that build an initial image of his character. It is clear there is a vivid disconnect between the two brothers, which is beautifully mimicked by Rooney’s prose that she envelopes the two brother's narratives with in different ways. Peter’s initial part of the narrative is stilted and jittery, Ivan’s is cautious and bashful. Peter’s opening chapter paves the ground for his ongoing struggle, its prosaic style weaved together by a stranglehold of Peter's conflicting thoughts.

The second chapter flicks to Ivan. As a socially reclusive 22-year-old chess player and recent graduate, he is a very real depiction of how difficult life in your twenties is. He struggles to verbally communicate without second-guessing himself, and the character that is initially presented to us seems to have dissolved into chess itself, Ivan guiltily recognising how much this has become the case. The narrative voice that Rooney adopts for Ivan, however, is also kind and understanding. We enter the novel at a point that makes it clear how much the death of Peter and Ivan’s father has flattened both brothers in different ways, and Rooney’s skill at building characters full of depth, reality, and painful honesty, that I enjoyed so much in her other works, is clearly and excitingly sustained in Intermezzo.

I can’t wait to read and post a full review when Intermezzo is officially released on 24th September!

I received the sampler via Netgalley from Faber and Faber.

I absolutely devoured it, Sally Rooney’s writing is like a flow of consciousness directly from her brain to mine. I wanted to read it all in one sitting and was quickly invested in the characters, particularly Ivan. I can’t wait to receive my copy of the full book on release day to see where things go.

I mean it’s Sally Rooney. It’s wonderful and emotional and my heart is feeling so deeply for the beginning of the relationship between the protagonists.