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Intermezzo 2024
Intermezzo is a 2024 Irish novel written by Sally Rooney, published by Faber & Faber on 24 September 2024. The story takes place in Dublin and rural Ireland, focusing on two brothers dealing with their father's passing: Ivan, a 22-year-old former chess prodigy who starts a relationship with Margaret, a 36-year-old arts programme director, and Peter, a 32-year-old human rights lawyer managing complicated connections with his younger girlfriend Naomi and his ex-girlfriend Sylvia. Themes include grief, age-gap relationships, sibling bonds, and power in romantic contexts.
This novel marks Rooney’s first to center male characters and explore male relationships. She conceived the plot from a scene involving a chess event at an arts centre and from watching chess instruction videos during the 19 lockdowns. The name "Intermezzo" relates to both musical interludes and chess terms.
Faber launched the book with its largest marketing effort ever. Intermezzo became Ireland’s fastest-selling novel of 2024. Critics generally responded positively, especially praising how it handled grief and the brothers’ connection. Some found the tone overly sentimental or criticized the portrayal of women, while others noted this work was more philosophically complex than her previous books.
Details
- Publisher
- Faber & Faber
- ISBN
- 9780571365463
- Pages
- 448
- Format
- Print (hardback), ebook, audiobook
