I feel like the last two rooney books speak to those who are closer to her age, and usually to the oldest character. The same reason conversation with friends and normalpeople resonated with college kids after the tv show, but they were written before, similar to the age of the author. Its like her characters have grown faster than her normal people tv show audience
I loved reading your take on this, and I have to say I do agree in a way. I’m not breaking up with her books. I like them, I think they’re good, they’re exactly the kind of slice-of-life-nothing-big-happens kind of literary fiction novels that I enjoy. But I wrote about the Rooney phenomenon in my 2024 reading wrap up as well. Like you said, the books are good, but I struggle to see how they’re ‘nobody in this genre has ever produced anything like this’ good? I genuinely wonder if Intermezzo was written by an unknown author if everyone would be losing their minds the way they did. People queueing and bookshops opening early etc is just a bit too much for me. Again, I really enjoy her work but I’ve read similar books that I liked just as much.
yes, I love how Rooney's novels meander through the characters' lives, but the fanbase around her work has placed unrealistic expectations on her books. I wrote a philosophical piece about how romanticizing books puts us in an inappropriate relationship to the text and prevents us from appreciating the book content itself (linked below).
glorifying the ground sally rooney walks on is not healthy for readers and undermines the quality of her work (which I believe can stand on its own without her name).
As I told my husband: I needed this book to be about 30-40% shorter. I feel like some of the beauty of her first two books was to be able to convey so much…succinctly. This book feels like the opposite of that.
I liked Intermezzo— but I agree. It didn’t have the same crackling energy as Conversations or Normal People. I read an interview in the Irish Times where Rooney said that she only knows how to write what she knows, which is why all her characters are white, Irish, and self-proclaimed marxists who actually aren’t marxists. I think writing so close to herself made her endearing and relatable at first. There’s definite charm to her two first books. But, and this is might be too harsh, I think she lacks imagination. This was really apparent to me in Beautiful World Where Are You. You can only write about yourself so many times and have it be interesting.
I’ve been looking for a review of Intermezzo that matches my thoughts. I thought the writing was great. The characters were realistic but the plot was lackluster. I DNF’d the book and didn’t look back.
So glad you wrote this! I couldn’t get past 30% of the book; nothing was going on!!! I see why people like it, and maybe it’ll hit closer to home at a different point in my life, but this truly did not need to be this long. DNF from me!
Yeaah, agree. For me it was enough that she took inspiration from a ruzzian novel, while that culture is an active killer. I thought authors dig deeper into things, but apparently not.
I feel like the last two rooney books speak to those who are closer to her age, and usually to the oldest character. The same reason conversation with friends and normalpeople resonated with college kids after the tv show, but they were written before, similar to the age of the author. Its like her characters have grown faster than her normal people tv show audience
Yes!! This is such a good point!
I loved reading your take on this, and I have to say I do agree in a way. I’m not breaking up with her books. I like them, I think they’re good, they’re exactly the kind of slice-of-life-nothing-big-happens kind of literary fiction novels that I enjoy. But I wrote about the Rooney phenomenon in my 2024 reading wrap up as well. Like you said, the books are good, but I struggle to see how they’re ‘nobody in this genre has ever produced anything like this’ good? I genuinely wonder if Intermezzo was written by an unknown author if everyone would be losing their minds the way they did. People queueing and bookshops opening early etc is just a bit too much for me. Again, I really enjoy her work but I’ve read similar books that I liked just as much.
https://fatforthought.substack.com/p/is-intermezzo-overrated-my-2024-end?r=17yiut
yes, I love how Rooney's novels meander through the characters' lives, but the fanbase around her work has placed unrealistic expectations on her books. I wrote a philosophical piece about how romanticizing books puts us in an inappropriate relationship to the text and prevents us from appreciating the book content itself (linked below).
glorifying the ground sally rooney walks on is not healthy for readers and undermines the quality of her work (which I believe can stand on its own without her name).
https://thereadingrevolt.substack.com/p/fetishization-of-the-book-as-a-symbol
Brilliant as always but I can’t believe you didn’t talk abt the dog at all
As I told my husband: I needed this book to be about 30-40% shorter. I feel like some of the beauty of her first two books was to be able to convey so much…succinctly. This book feels like the opposite of that.
totally agree!!
Life is too short for mediocre poetry!
-my professor
oh thanks, your professor
Unsubscriped
you're literally my editor
I liked Intermezzo— but I agree. It didn’t have the same crackling energy as Conversations or Normal People. I read an interview in the Irish Times where Rooney said that she only knows how to write what she knows, which is why all her characters are white, Irish, and self-proclaimed marxists who actually aren’t marxists. I think writing so close to herself made her endearing and relatable at first. There’s definite charm to her two first books. But, and this is might be too harsh, I think she lacks imagination. This was really apparent to me in Beautiful World Where Are You. You can only write about yourself so many times and have it be interesting.
totally, totally agree
finally! hard agree on everything you said, I have 100 pages left and it’s been a battle the whole way 😂
I’ve been looking for a review of Intermezzo that matches my thoughts. I thought the writing was great. The characters were realistic but the plot was lackluster. I DNF’d the book and didn’t look back.
Your time is too important!
So glad you wrote this! I couldn’t get past 30% of the book; nothing was going on!!! I see why people like it, and maybe it’ll hit closer to home at a different point in my life, but this truly did not need to be this long. DNF from me!
Yeaah, agree. For me it was enough that she took inspiration from a ruzzian novel, while that culture is an active killer. I thought authors dig deeper into things, but apparently not.
“my problem with Sally Rooney is that it’s easiest to appreciate her when I don’t have to read her books.”
Remember that Simpson’s episode with Daryl Strawberry? That’s what Sally Rooney will feel like when she reads this review 😢
Mom, they're professional athletes! They're used to this sort of thing--it rolls right off their back!