Sally Rooney’s latest novel, Intermezzo, has sparked fresh conversations among literary critics and readers alike. Known for her keen portrayal of modern relationships and the emotional turbulence of millennial life, Rooney now delves into deeper, more philosophical territory.
Intermezzo tackles themes of grief, ageing, and the complexities of human connection, with a narrative centered on two Irish brothers. While her previous works resonated with their sharp social commentary and romantic entanglements, Intermezzo raises the question: Is this Rooney’s most philosophically ambitious novel yet?
As the novel explores existential dilemmas alongside personal strife, it may signal a new direction in her literary evolution.
Sally Rooney’s Latest Novel: A Literary Event
Seven Years Into Her Career
Seven years into her writing career, a new book from Irish novelist Sally Rooney is all but guaranteed to be a major literary event.
Hailed as a voice of the millennial generation, Rooney skillfully captures the economic uncertainty and emotional fragility haunting young adults, translating these anxieties into moving, complex romances that explore intimacy and the value of art.
Following her debut Conversations with Friends (2017), she achieved even greater recognition with Normal People (2019) and Beautiful World, Where Are You (2021).
Criticism and Success
Rooney’s career has seen both critical and commercial success, but as her profile rose, so did scrutiny. Some critics argue her novels are little more than thinly veiled smut dressed up in refined prose, while others take issue with her portrayal of sexual politics, which they view as outdated for a self-proclaimed Marxist.
New Novel: Intermezzo
Rooney’s latest novel, Intermezzo, follows two Irish brothers mourning their father’s recent death and their romantic entanglements with two women. While reactions to the novel vary, many critics are positive.
What Do Critics Say?
Dwight Garner from The New York Times praises Intermezzo, writing:
“Clearly this book is going to divide people,” yet he remains enthusiastic. Rooney’s writing, he notes, excels at capturing loneliness and the solace found in love.
Her restrained prose builds profound melancholy, so when emotions finally burst forth, the reader is ready to be swept away.
Rooney on Writing Intermezzo
Rooney discussed her new novel with The New York Times, explaining that while the story is told from the perspective of two male characters, it wasn’t a deliberate choice to switch from her typical female protagonists:
“Interestingly, the first voice that came to the page for me in this project was Margaret’s,” she said, referencing the character who becomes entwined in the lives of the brothers. She emphasized that she approaches each story by feeling her way through it, letting the characters guide her.
A New Direction?
Critics have also noted a shift in Rooney’s work. Laura Miller at Slate observes that Intermezzo moves into “deeper territory” and, while it may be sadder and slower than her earlier novels, it feels more truthful. Rooney’s previous stories often concluded with tidy resolutions, but Intermezzo reflects the inevitable loss and complexity of real life.
Alexandra Harris at The Guardian describes it as “a continuation of the writing that made Rooney a global phenomenon, but also more philosophically ambitious and stranger.”
Lillian Fishman at The Washington Post is impressed by the novel’s stylistic growth, noting how “poetry and emotion spill over” in a way that contrasts with the restraint of her previous books.
Johanna Thomas-Corr at The Sunday Times praises the portrayal of the brothers at the novel’s center. Rooney, she says, “knows what men look like when they are faltering and foolish,” and the intense arguments between them are among the most masterful scenes Rooney has written.
Aging and Evolving Millennial Consciousness
Amy Weiss-Meyer at The Atlantic sees the novel’s focus on aging as reflective of the evolving consciousness of Rooney’s millennial characters. In contrast to her earlier works, which featured college-age protagonists awaiting their “real life,” the characters in Intermezzo are more attuned to regret and self-reflection.
Not All Praise
Not all critics are enthusiastic. James Marriott at The Times of London finds the novel’s ethical and intellectual tone suffocating at times, remarking that the characters seem bound by “contracts holding them to high standards of personal conduct,” leaving little room for moral ambiguity.
Joanna Biggs at The London Review of Books takes issue with Rooney’s plain prose and suggests that her reputation as a literary prodigy amplifies the less successful elements of her novels, such as overly lenient treatment of characters and improbably happy endings.
Alexandra Harris criticizes Rooney’s handling of a female character, Sylvia, whose chronic pain after an accident has rendered her no longer sexually active. Harris finds the novel troubling in its portrayal of Sylvia’s relationship, which Peter views as “mutilated by circumstance.”
Marxism and Romance
In a critical essay for Vulture, Andrea Long Chu explores Rooney’s recurring theme: the intersection of love and social conventions.
Chu argues that Rooney’s characters believe in love as a way to escape societal roles, only to confront the inequalities of wealth, status, and power.
Despite this, love endures, suggesting that love itself is a product shaped by social systems—an idea that is both a lover’s theory of Marxism and a modest provocation in Rooney’s work.
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