Do not be discouraged by “Intermezzo’s” complete lack of quotation marks, for Sally Rooney’s latest novel is a wonder: a precise masterwork of hyper-simplified grammar and laser-focused prose which, in all its carefully arranged, razor-sharp wording, never falls flat.
Stylistically located between Joyce and Hemingway, modernists whom she frequently channels, it possesses an airy, flowing quality found even in its most staccato paragraphs. Polished clean of unnecessary elements, “Intermezzo” radiates with the gleaming shine of Rooney’s sparkling confidence; she tends towards minimalism, removing the boundaries between readers and the characters in her realistic imitation of the human mind.
Throughout its breathtaking, expertly paced pages, Rooney’s intimate portrait of the troubled lives and equally troubled romances of the estranged Koubek brothers rarely feels dull. That is not to say it is without passion: with relationships so tender and so strained, intimacy abounds. As much as master of fiction as Ivan is to chess, Rooney knows just when to sprinkle in a bit of drama: denying a queen’s brazen motivation while slyly bumping up a pawn to the forefront.
Set in Dublin, the novel hones its attention upon brothers Peter and Ivan. Peter, a charming lawyer, is a man dominated by his woman, or, rather, his women. Awkward Ivan is a lovable nerd and former chess prodigy. Rooney, not one to leave a character out of doomed romance, assigns him Margaret, a much older woman marked by tragedy. Though preferring broody wanderings to idyll getaways, Rooney’s skillful pen still manages to convey the occasional moment of peace. Through the bitter chills of social judgment and bottled-up emotions, a certain warmth bubbles up, as pleasant and rejuvenating as a warm sauna. Rooney never ceases to amaze her readers with these unexpected moments of exuberance. Love always seems to find its way; even the most callous of actions never stray far from admirable intentions. Perhaps that is where the great tragedy of the work lies: in love’s capacity for breeding hatred. The intertwinement of opposites, layered throughout this bittersweet treat of a book – love and hate, family and strangers, work and play – makes good food for thought. A gorgeous story of unforgettable characters, Rooney has crafted a truly excellent novel. “Intermezzo’s” taut sentence strings, shimmering and refined, are plucked with all the graceful skill and intelligent poise we have come to expect from this literary superstar.
