Sally Rooney's Intermezzo is the kind of book where everyone in your club will have a different take — and they'll all be right. Two brothers grieving their father, two unconventional relationships, and Rooney's signature precision with human messiness make this one of the richest discussion books in years.
If you're planning a meeting around Intermezzo, here are the questions that will get your group past "I liked it" and into the conversations that make book club worth showing up for.
The death of Peter and Ivan's father is the engine of this novel. Everything that follows — the decisions, the fights, the reaching toward other people — flows from that loss.
- How do Peter and Ivan each process their father's death? What do their different approaches say about their personalities?
- Peter uses medication and relationships to manage his grief. Ivan throws himself into chess. Are these coping mechanisms, avoidance, or both?
- The brothers' grief pushes them apart rather than pulling them together. Why do you think Rooney made that choice? Have you experienced grief that isolated you from the people closest to you?
- Is there a moment in the novel where you felt one of the brothers finally began to heal — or do you think the book intentionally avoids a clean resolution?
The Peter-Ivan relationship is the real love story of Intermezzo, even if neither of them would describe it that way.
- Peter is a successful barrister. Ivan is an awkward chess player. How do their careers shape who they are — and how they see each other?
- Ivan resents Peter's ease in the world. Peter pities Ivan's social struggles. Are either of them seeing the other clearly?
- There's a scene where the brothers have a brutal argument that exposes years of buried resentment. Did you side with one of them? Did your sympathy shift over the course of the book?
- Rooney narrates from Peter, Ivan, and Margaret's perspectives — but never from Naomi's. Why do you think she made that choice? How would the book change if we had Naomi's point of view?
Both brothers are in relationships with significant age gaps — Peter (early thirties) with Naomi (early twenties), and Ivan (early twenties) with Margaret (late thirties). Rooney doesn't moralize about either.
- Did the age gaps bother you? Did your reaction differ between the two relationships?
- Peter and Naomi's relationship has a different power dynamic than Ivan and Margaret's, even though the age difference is similar. What creates that difference?
- How do other characters in the novel react to these relationships? Does Rooney seem to be critiquing social judgment, or reflecting it honestly?
- Ivan and Margaret's connection feels genuine despite the gap. What makes it work? Is it sustainable?
Rooney has always been fascinated by how people perform normalcy — and how exhausting that performance is. Intermezzo pushes this further than her earlier novels.
- The title translates loosely to "intermission" or "pause." What's the intermezzo in the characters' lives? Is it the grief period, the relationships, or something else?
- Peter maintains a polished public image while privately falling apart. How much of his identity is performance? Is there a moment where the mask slips?
- Ivan doesn't fit conventional social expectations and doesn't particularly try to. Is the novel arguing that his directness is healthier than Peter's polish?
- Rooney's earlier novels — Normal People and Beautiful World, Where Are You — also explore the gap between how people present themselves and how they actually feel. How does Intermezzo advance that theme?
Ivan is a competitive chess player, and the game weaves through the novel as more than just a hobby.
- Chess requires thinking several moves ahead. Do any of the characters in Intermezzo actually do this in their personal lives, or are they all playing reactively?
- In chess, you sacrifice pieces to gain position. What does each brother sacrifice in this novel? Are those sacrifices strategic or impulsive?
- Ivan's chess career is both his identity and his escape. What happens when it stops working as a refuge?
Rooney writes desire — sexual, emotional, intellectual — with a frankness that makes some readers uncomfortable and others feel seen.
- Peter is caught between his deep history with Sylvia and his physical relationship with Naomi. Is he in love with both of them? Neither?
- Ivan and Margaret's relationship begins tentatively, almost awkwardly. How does Rooney build intimacy between them without the usual shortcuts?
- Several characters use physical intimacy as a substitute for emotional honesty. Who does this most, and when does it break down?
- Compare how desire works in Intermezzo versus in Conversations with Friends. Has Rooney's perspective on relationships evolved?
Love her or argue about her — Rooney's writing style is always part of the book club conversation.
- Rooney uses different narrative styles for Peter (fragmented, stream-of-consciousness) and Ivan (more traditional third person). How does this affect your connection to each brother?
- The dialogue in Intermezzo is spare — people often don't say what they mean. Did this feel authentic to you, or frustrating?
- Rooney doesn't resolve the novel's central tensions neatly. Does the ending satisfy you? Is ambiguity a strength or a cop-out?
These are the ones that can carry the last 30 minutes of your meeting.
- If you had to describe Intermezzo in one sentence to someone who hasn't read it, what would you say?
- Rate this book 1–10. Did your rating change between finishing it and discussing it tonight?
- Which brother did you relate to more — Peter or Ivan? Did that surprise you?
- Is Intermezzo Rooney's best novel? How does it compare to Normal People or Beautiful World, Where Are You?
- Would you recommend this to someone who's never read Sally Rooney? Or would you start them somewhere else?
Since Intermezzo is set in Ireland, lean into that:
- Irish soda bread with butter — simple, warm, fits the novel's understated tone
- Whiskey or Irish coffee — Peter would approve
- A cheese board — sophisticated enough for a Dublin barrister, casual enough for a chess tournament
- Tea and biscuits — Margaret and Ivan's quiet domesticity in a cup
Want the full themed pairing list? Get the complete Intermezzo book club kit — it includes food and drink pairings, icebreakers, vibe suggestions, and printable decorations, all tailored to the book.
You've got the questions. Now get the rest — generate your Intermezzo kit on Instant Book Club for spoiler-tagged discussion questions at three levels, themed icebreakers, and a complete vibe board for your meeting.
Looking for your next pick after Rooney? Browse the best book club books for 2026, or explore more literary fiction for book clubs. And if you're new to hosting, check out our guide on how to host a book club meeting.
