Intermezzo

Curated with modern elements like text messages and emails, Sally Rooney's novel Intermezzo is a masterpiece.

In this moving story of two heartbroken brothers after their father's death, we are told how one of them regretted about not giving the eulogy at the funeral, and how another one struggled with the divorce of parents.

As we follow the journey of Ivan and Peter, we recognise the sentimental way Sally Rooney depicts the two brothers' navigating the grief. 

Ivan is withdrawn. So much so that he "locks the screen of his phone, but still doesn't look up." 

Peter, more than ten years older than Ivan, is more provocative. He wrote text messages now and then. "Thumbed his way through the text once more and hit send. Instantly a single checkmark appeared beside the message to indicate that it had been sent."

In short, Sally Rooney has shown us not just how people actually speaks, but how we articulate with our phone screen. 

Not just speech, but text messages. 

Not just mood, but emoji.