Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Two brothers spiraling, pinwheeling in their grief

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

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The first thing I noticed about Intermezzo is there are no quotation marks. So the reader is just plunged into an almost stream-of-consciousness-like trance that could work as either inner dialogue or actual dialogue. It was so bewildering to me in the beginning that I had to reread the first few pages to understand what was happening. After about 10 pages in, my brain got used to it, accepted it, and embraced that stylistic choice — allowing me to tumble headlong into the minds of […]

“The meaning of something so fleeting, life. Here and gone.”

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

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Brothers Peter (32) and Ivan (22) could not be more different. Peter is a successful human rights lawyer and university lecturer, attractive, a social butterfly. Ivan, on the other hand, is an underemployed, underachieving chess player. He’s awkward and while he’s not ugly, his second-hand clothing (a deliberate choice made for ethical, not financial reasons) and braces make him a far cry from his more glamorous brother. They are both still grieving from the death of their father from cancer, a few months prior. Instead […]

Is That Sweet? I Guess So

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

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The first time I tried Intermezzo, I didn’t last ten pages. This was the fault of Conversations With Friends. I read it earlier this year in anticipation of Intermezzo and found it disappointing. I gave it a reluctant 4-stars but with more distance, I find myself continuing to dislike it. I never cared for the central relationship and while Rooney has talent, it’s evident that this was her first book and she was not yet fully confident in telling stories like this. My first go round with Intermezzo, I’m again introduced […]



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