Welcome back to Why You’re Reading! This episode, Ellie and Ellen tackle Intermezzo, the much-anticipated new novel from Sally Rooney. After Conversations with Friends and Normal People cemented her literary stardom—and Beautiful World, Where Are You? left readers divided—the question remains: has Sally Rooney redeemed herself or has she run her course?

Set in Dublin in 2022, Intermezzo follows two grieving brothers—Peter, a successful but emotionally adrift lawyer, and Ivan, a socially awkward competitive chess player—navigating love, loss, and identity in the wake of their father’s death. Through relationships with two very different women, they experience a turbulent period of desire, despair, and possibility.

We explore Rooney’s signature literary style, her evolving themes of class and intimacy, and the novel’s deep ties to Irish identity. Plus, we debate whether Intermezzo lives up to the hype—and whether we’d shelve it, shred it, or share it.

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Music by Charlie Curtis