Why ‘Intermezzo’ is not actually Sally Rooney’s most mature novel
When I reviewed Sally Rooney’s novel “Beautiful World Where are You” two years ago, I said the novel followed similar themes to her previous books, but also showed her growth as an author. Two years later, I see reviews of her newest release, “Intermezzo,” that echo the same sentiment. But I find myself questioning this widely held point of view. Does “Intermezzo” actually reflect Rooney’s growth as an author?
Book YouTuber Marcela Santos Brigida recently released a video critiquing publishing outlet appraisal of Rooney’s “Intermezzo,” released in late September, as her “most mature novel.” In the video, Santos Brigida questioned what it actually means to gain maturity in one’s writing: is it the change in themes, the prose, the appeal to readers?
I thoroughly enjoyed Rooney’s newest release, but I disagree that it is more “mature”, “moving” or “developed” than her earlier works. If anything, this label of “maturity” undermines Rooney’s previous works, from which “Intermezzo” borrows a whole lot. The label also completely overlooks a point Rooney keeps coming back to in all her novels: humanity’s preoccupation with trivial matters like romance, even amid political and economic upheaval.
“Intermezzo” is the story of two brothers, 32-year-old Peter and 22-year-old Ivan, who have recently lost their father to cancer. They are juggling their grief, tumultuous romantic relationships and brotherhood. Chess prodigy Ivan has always been less social than his brother. He struggles to understand social norms and even drifts into sexist ideologies in an attempt to fit in with women. Peter, on the other hand, is a lawyer who understands social cues so well that he is able to manipulate it in his career. He also has had a long-term girlfriend, Sylvia, who has become part of the family.
Rooney perfectly captures their contrasting personalities by alternating between their points of view. Rooney uses more structured prose when following Peter, and a more stream-of-consciousness style when following Ivan. Rooney explores themes previously laid out in her earlier works, such as identity, love and class through dialogues between the characters that go on for pages and the deep exploration of their respective psyches — instead of plot-driven storylines.
Rooney often explores her characters’ struggles to belong socially, and “Intermezzo” is no exception. For instance, social challenges were explored through Connell and Marianne’s high school relationship in her sophomore novel ‘’Normal People.” Connell, a popular student, hid his relationship with Marianne, a studious outsider. Throughout the novel, Marianne is ashamed to admit her desire for a non-secret relationship and a sense of belonging, which eventually leads to her giving into a relationship of neglect.
A similar dynamic is explored between Ivan and his girlfriend Margaret in “Intermezzo.” In contrast to Ivan’s social awkwardness, Margaret is a sociable 36-year-old divorcée with many more years of life experience. Their relationship gives the readers a glimpse into Ivan growing more comfortable in his skin, and finding a sense of belonging in a world he struggled to understand prior. Both Marianne from “Normal People” and Ivan from “Intermezzo” pride themselves in their differences that lead to their intelligence or chess skills, but have an underlying desire to be normal and to fit in.
Both novels examine the human need for being perceived by others and a desire for social belonging. Perhaps in “Normal People” this exploration felt less mature to some readers because it was told through the experiences of two high school students, but we should all admit it’s a dive into the same issues nevertheless.
On another note, in “Intermezzo,” Rooney also investigates power dynamics in romantic relationships created through class differences, as well as people’s never-ending attempts to increase their capital in our current society, intentionally or not, because there is essentially no other way to live. After an accident leaves Peter’s girlfriend Sylvia with chronic pain, and the two of them break up, Peter starts dating Nadia, a 22-year-old struggling to make ends meet.
As a human rights lawyer and someone who has observed the climb up the ladder of social class through his Slovak migrant father, Peter of all people should be aware of the implications of Nadia’s financial dependence on him throughout their romantic relationship. However, despite having unresolved feelings for Sylvia, he keeps financially supporting Nadia, leading her into a relationship she inevitably becomes dependent on. This mimics Connell’s and Marianne’s relationship, where Connell’s mom was employed by Marianne’s family, and also a relationship from Rooney’s debut novel “Conversations With Friends.”
In “Conversations with Friends,” a 22-year-old college student named Francis has an affair with Nick, a 31-year-old actor. Despite Francis’s monologues that read as anti-capitalist and her dismayed attitude towards Nick and his rich friends, she often ends up relying on Nick for money. The book directly calls out how romantic relationships like theirs mimic capitalist society, defined by the workforce’s dependence on the upper class, leading to characters ending up in relationships they do not desire to stay in, without realizing their state of subservience. Or as a quote from “Conversations with Friends” puts it: “To love under capitalism, you have to love everyone.”
Her previous works have already touched upon people’s need for financial and social security and how it plays into love, even in the 21st century. In my opinion, depicting the same themes through the adulterous relationship of a young woman does not make a “less mature” narrative.
Thus, I find it hard to agree with reviewers who say Rooney “swaps polished wit and graphic sex for something deeper” in “Intermezzo,” when she was making the same points about social class even in previous works apparently full of “wit and graphic sex.”
Hence, Rooney’s earlier works have already proven that depictions of romance or sex in the plot can serve as a gateway into an exploration of different themes including social status and class. Through this, Rooney has validated literature that revolves around interpersonal relationships but still makes deeper commentary on current societal issues. So why praise her for not writing about it as much?
In both “Beautiful World Where Are You” (“BWWAY”) and “Intermezzo,” Rooney portrays characters who question the validity of their everyday life anxieties and careers. In “BWWAY,” the character Alice, who is an author, says that “the novel works by suppressing the truth of the world, packing it tightly down underneath the glittering surface of the text. And we can care once again, as we do in real life, whether people break up or stay together — if and only if, we have successfully forgotten about all the things more important than that, i.e. everything.”
Through Alice, Rooney highlights that topics covered in Euro-American novels, whether it be sex or romance, are trivial. This call-out applies not only to Alice but Rooney herself — a white, privileged, Irish writer, who is one of the biggest faces of contemporary literature.
In “Intermezzo,” Ivan has similar concerns. Toward the end of the book, Ivan reminisces about his father. In doing so, he recognizes the fleeting nature of life, people’s often unsuccessful attempts to make meaning in life nevertheless and whether his chess success does create any meaning in his life. However, ultimately both of Rooney’s characters across her novels realize that because they are human, they will keep coming back to those trivial manners: Alice to her contemporary novels, Ivan to his chest and both to their messy romantic relationships.
Praising “Intermezzo” for being less focused on romance seems almost counterintuitive to Rooney’s argument that despite the on-surface triviality of matters like romance, it is inherent in human nature to keep coming back to them. As Rooney writes in “BWWAY,” “Maybe we’re just born to love and worry about the people we know, and to go on loving and worrying even when there are more important things we should be doing.”
Rooney herself has stated her disinterest in reinventing herself as an author. And, despite reviewers’ fixation on her latest work being “more mature,” I believe “Intermezzo” sufficiently backs up her statement.
“Intermezzo” is a beautiful work, but it echoes statements Rooney has previously touched upon and mimics characters she has previously imagined, creating not a more mature rendition of her novels but an expected progeny.
Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.
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