Sign in with Facebook
Magdalena's Reviews > Intermezzo
Intermezzo
by
by
Under the guise of ambitious prose that aims to contribute to the discussion on grief lies a book about two brothers complaining about life and banging inappropriate women.
While Ivan's (the younger brother's) storyline is somewhat readable, Peter's (the older brother's) arc is an utterly unbearable narrative mess that promotes toxic patterns. Both storylines feature criminally underdeveloped, two-dimensional female characters. In short, the entire book is over-intellectualized, offers no deeper reflections, and simultaneously provides a deceptively happy ending. The pacing is good, but that’s no advantage.
I’m sad to conclude that Sally Rooney’s novels are getting worse with each new release. One should truly draw the line and stop reading them.
While Ivan's (the younger brother's) storyline is somewhat readable, Peter's (the older brother's) arc is an utterly unbearable narrative mess that promotes toxic patterns. Both storylines feature criminally underdeveloped, two-dimensional female characters. In short, the entire book is over-intellectualized, offers no deeper reflections, and simultaneously provides a deceptively happy ending. The pacing is good, but that’s no advantage.
I’m sad to conclude that Sally Rooney’s novels are getting worse with each new release. One should truly draw the line and stop reading them.
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
Intermezzo.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
September 25, 2024
–
Started Reading
September 25, 2024
– Shelved
September 25, 2024
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-38 of 38 (38 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Joy
(new)
-
rated it 1 star
Sep 29, 2024 05:47AM
1,000%! Thank you!!
reply
|
flag
Joy wrote: "1,000%! Thank you!!"Glad I'm not the only one with some thoughts on the dramatically declining quality of Sally Rooney's books!
thank you for this review ♥️🙏🏽
Thank you. I feel like I’m literally the only one who thinks her books are confusing and overrated.
I agree. Naomi and Sylvia in particular were so poorly developed it disappointed me.
Finally someone who is able to spot Sally’s shallowness.
I couldn't agree more. Perhaps she's so popular because she's managed to make soft-porn romance intellectually respectable.
Haha, you could not be more accurate 😂 It felt like a far too ill written mansplaining pamphlet on how sensuality and intellect in women cannot happen at the same time, while boring characters talk about 'if they believe there's a god' wearing beige trenchcoats with umbrellas on their arm, fucking but whining about it.
I agree with you completely.
Reading Peter’s parts gave me a headache
First book I’m reading by Sally Rooney and it will be the last. First chapter, wtf? I’m done!
Great review. I loved the earlier books, didn't feel much when reading Beautiful World, and am really struggling with this one. Peter's parts are torturous to get through, for multiple reasons (but mainly because they're almost unreadable)
I completely agree. It was a DNF for me, I got about 30% of the way through before I realized it wasn’t going to get any better.
Well my first Sally Rooney book, after loving the film version of Normal People, and DEFINITELY my last. I almost hate this book ..it is excruciatingly slow and I always finish but this boring thing is a chore. I don’t know what’s worse, the people that I cud care less about or her annoying stream of consciousness style of writing.
Whew! Could have written this myself if only I had the brainpower. This book is unbearable!
Hard agree. I also never got past Margaret referring to herself repeatedly as "Middle Aged"
Thank you so much. I’m reading all these threads on Bluesky about how amazing it is and I’m like what the fuck? I mean, on Ivan’s monologue about pregnant women on the train, “This particular weakness of women, in regards to their desire for men, strikes him as beautiful, moving, worthy of deep respect and deference.” Are you forreal? How is nobody else reading this? Be serious, please.
This should have been a novella less than 100 pages.
Painful. Glad it’s over
"I’m sad to conclude that Sally Rooney’s novels are getting worse with each new release. One should truly draw the line and stop reading them"This was me after "Beautiful World Where Are You?"
Rooney went from being an auto-read to a never-read.
I appreciated your review. I just can’t stand Rooney and am baffled by the praise she receives. Utterly. I’ve never been able to get far in any of her books. Reading her is akin to hearing fingernails scrape across a chalkboard. I want to scream in annoyance.
I've just abandoned it, well said Magdalena .
see i’ve just started but this is what im getting and am afraid of getting worse
Absolutely horrible review. I would trust you to read the back of a shampoo bottle.
I am about to give up on this book, 1/4 of the way through & I feel like I am going to have a nervous breakdown! Real letdown after just finishing Too Kill A Mockingbird again!
I read the first page 3 times and didn't understand what was happening. I usually give a book 50-100 pages before giving up, but I gave this book the exception.
2 chapters in and came to the reviews to see if it is me or the writing. It feels like an anxious ADHD brain dump and I can’t get into it. I think I have to let this one go
Israeli publishers are definitely not missing out with her boycott. Normal People’ was good but Sally Rooney seems to be a one hit wonder.
Approaching the 100-page point, and I thought I'd check what the Goodreaders think, ha ha...I'll tell you one thing, Going right into this after reading Halle Butler's brutal and hilarious BANAL NIGHTMARE ain't easy. Funny thing is, that Rooney and Butler both deal with similar people and situations, except Butler's people are in a midwest college town and Rooney's are in Ireland, but Butler is just so much better while being so much less pretentious. Oh, well, I'll give it some more pages...
I haven't gotten far enough to really comment on character development. Only 50+ pages in but I think I'm done. I really hate this style. Not knowing if someone is speaking or just thinking. IDK, maybe it's me. Old dog, new tricks. Just use some damn quotations.
I like your straight talking ;-) I did like it, a lot, but refreshing to see other viewpoints!
I did really enjoy this book but I can see what you mean. The women in this book felt over sexualized but I still enjoyed the book.
I did really enjoy this book but I can see what you mean. The women in this book felt over sexualized but I still enjoyed the book.
I have came to conclusion that its me. Dnfed halfway, I just dont enjoy relationships and yaps between people I don't care about. Just not my thing. I need more conflict. I need to feel something, this just bores me, like listening to a strangers conversation on a bus and not having earphones to mute it...
