Intermezzo

Service95 Recommends is the home of the books we love and reviews from our contributors. Intermezzo by Sally Rooney follows two brothers after their father’s passing as they try to navigate their relationship. 

What We Say: “As a huge fan of Normal People, this one sat firmly on my TBR pile. A poignant tale about bereavement, brotherhood and romantic relationships, it follows beautifully flawed brothers Peter and Ivan – who appear to have no common ground – after the death of their father. Peter is a successful lawyer in his thirties, but in his grief for his father, he’s juggling relationships with two different women and medicating himself to sleep. Ivan is a socially self-conscious competitive chess player in his twenties who thinks of himself as the antithesis of his slick elder brother. In the weeks following his father’s death, Ivan starts a relationship with a woman nearly 15 years older than him, who is emerging from her own life’s challenges. For both brothers and the people closest to them, this is a period of love, loss and new beginnings. I can’t wait to finish it” – Samantha de Haas

What They Say: “This is a writer pushing herself to test and explore both her characters and her art . This so-called 'voice of a generation' is in it for the long haul. As are we” ― Marie Claire

Available on Bookshop.org, Waterstones and Barnes & Noble

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Samantha de Haas is Creative Production Manager at Service95