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 one corner, chimes rang out in melodious song; in another, drums beat loudly, competing with a clarinet’s harmonic tune. Focused on their instruments, the solemn focus was occasionally broken by giggles,...