Intermezzo (novel)

Intermezzo is the fourth novel by Irish author Sally Rooney, published by Faber & Faber on 24 September 2024. Set in Dublin and rural Ireland, the novel follows two brothers in the aftermath of their father's death: Ivan, a 22-year-old former chess prodigy who begins a relationship with Margaret, a 36-year-old arts programme director, and Peter, a 32-year-old human rights lawyer navigating complicated relationships with both his younger girlfriend Naomi and his ex-girlfriend Sylvia. The novel explores themes of grief, age-gap relationships, sibling dynamics, and power structures in romantic relationships. The book was Rooney's first novel to centre on male protagonists and on relationships between men. Rooney developed the story from an initial scene of a chess exhibition at an arts centre, and from watching chess tutorials during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The title "Intermezzo" references both musical interludes and chess terminology. Released with Faber's "biggest trade campaign ever", the novel became the fastest-selling book in Ireland in 2024. Reviews were largely favourable, particularly of its treatment of grief and of the brothers' relationship. Some reviewers found its tone precious or objected to its treatment of women, while others called it more philosophically ambitious than her earlier novels.