#27 in Literary fiction
Intermezzo
- 449
- Pages
- about 8 h
- Reading time
- NYT bestseller · 4 weeks on the list, peaked at #2
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About the book
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 program 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.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.9 across 466 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 76% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Literary fiction average of 8.1. That is how 7.9 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 6.8 | 8 | 2% |
| Hardcover | 7.9 | 458 | 98% |
Reader voices
The most-liked reviews on Hardcover (credited to their authors).
“★ ★ ★ ★ ½ Wow. This was honestly unlike anything I've ever read. At first I thought the way it was written was just going to be for a chapter or two, and if it wasn't, I remember thinking I don't know how much…”
“I’ve been waiting for a Rooney book for two years now. In short, I would literally die for Ivan. Can we talk about Peter’s stream of consciousness (such an interesting writing form but I kind of liked it / felt like I was genuinely in…”
Frequently asked
How long is Intermezzo?
It has 449 pages — longer than 67% of the ranked books in Literary fiction.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Literary fiction — with scores between 7.9 and 8.1, closest to this book.
