Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo is ‘utterly perfect’ say critics

Intermezzo – a chess move, a composition of music, and now, Sally Rooney’s latest novel, which critics have called “utterly perfect”.

The Irish author’s fourth book swaps out her usual female protagonist and instead follows the relationship between two grieving brothers who are both in age-gap relationships and think they have little in common.

Ivan is a 22-year-old competitive chess player and a “complete oddball” according to his older brother, Peter, a smooth-talking barrister.

The Guardian’s Anthony Cummins said, external the book was “truly wonderful – a tender, funny page-turner about the derangements of grief, and Rooney’s richest treatment yet of messy romantic entanglements”.

Rooney is no stranger to writing about relationships – her 2018 novel Normal People turned her into a global phenomenon and more than 1m copies have been sold in the UK.

Despite the themes of intimacy, communication and desire being central to all her novels, critics generally agreed that Intermezzo is more “confident” than the rest.

In a five-star review, The Independent’s Jo Hamya said, external Rooney “at last, discovers the full potential of her prowess.”

“For those who have been patient enough to wait, the reward is transcendent.”