I may have to read intermezzo now you’ve made it sound really interesting. I read normal people and I liked how Sally Rooney depicts complexity in humans (this is besides the point). There’s this constant desperation to reduce human decision and emotions into something like “if he wanted to he would’ve”. I found it affirming (slightly scary as well) when Rooney places all the different and weighted factors of life on a stage to show that there’s no clear cut decision in life and in relationships/love. That we’re all constantly affected by everything we’ve ever experienced and that it leads to subconscious and uncontrollable decisions. It feels like a loving reminder on Rooney’s part that you’re not the only one with an oceanic turmoil inside of you. But normal people was also incredibly frustrating so I’ve always been hesitant about approaching Sally Rooney’s work again. Thank you!
Never read rooney. tried but havent been able to get through yet. few paras I recently read were alright. I do like Didion.
ideas about new approaches to beauty. that configures better to where we live in time.
I keep on trying to overtake wasteland and its twilight of mythic, and bacons moldy face bits, as consumed by my radical aestheticals --
and yet I have to admit — all along being led into their feuding with Freud’s ‘oceanic feeling’, John Donne’s The Ecstasy - whose beauty remained regardless
Bloody wonderful essay! Considering a re-read of Intermezzo based on how beautifully you brought these dynamics to the fore. The way in which you write really speaks to (what i think is) one of lit's greatest joys, the infinite fractals of interpretation -- absolutely sharing the hell out of this with my friends.
This was so incredibly written and so insightful. As I’m working on my own review of Intermezzo, I’ve enjoyed seeing what other themes people are pulling from the book, and I am so delightfully surprised to see so many different ones leading in different directions. Also super jealous you got to be at Rooney’s Southbank conversation–very grateful that you shared some of her discussion here!
I may have to read intermezzo now you’ve made it sound really interesting. I read normal people and I liked how Sally Rooney depicts complexity in humans (this is besides the point). There’s this constant desperation to reduce human decision and emotions into something like “if he wanted to he would’ve”. I found it affirming (slightly scary as well) when Rooney places all the different and weighted factors of life on a stage to show that there’s no clear cut decision in life and in relationships/love. That we’re all constantly affected by everything we’ve ever experienced and that it leads to subconscious and uncontrollable decisions. It feels like a loving reminder on Rooney’s part that you’re not the only one with an oceanic turmoil inside of you. But normal people was also incredibly frustrating so I’ve always been hesitant about approaching Sally Rooney’s work again. Thank you!
Thank you Maryam!! Glad you liked my piece I hope you enjoy the book if you decide to read. Based off your comment you may be interested in an essay I wrote on love and dating a while back: https://helenaaeberli.substack.com/p/dating-in-the-digital-panopticon
i came across this essay on twitter! i wanted to say there's a transcription of the event over at paris review :D https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2024/10/09/loving-the-limitations-of-the-novel-a-conversation-between-sally-rooney-and-merve-emre/
Never read rooney. tried but havent been able to get through yet. few paras I recently read were alright. I do like Didion.
ideas about new approaches to beauty. that configures better to where we live in time.
I keep on trying to overtake wasteland and its twilight of mythic, and bacons moldy face bits, as consumed by my radical aestheticals --
and yet I have to admit — all along being led into their feuding with Freud’s ‘oceanic feeling’, John Donne’s The Ecstasy - whose beauty remained regardless
yes. nice points you made there --
thank you! I entirely agree about The Wasteland and Bacon. and nothing against Didion as writer, more Didion as overused substack cliche.
Bloody wonderful essay! Considering a re-read of Intermezzo based on how beautifully you brought these dynamics to the fore. The way in which you write really speaks to (what i think is) one of lit's greatest joys, the infinite fractals of interpretation -- absolutely sharing the hell out of this with my friends.
Way too kind!! Thank you so much ❤️
This was so incredibly written and so insightful. As I’m working on my own review of Intermezzo, I’ve enjoyed seeing what other themes people are pulling from the book, and I am so delightfully surprised to see so many different ones leading in different directions. Also super jealous you got to be at Rooney’s Southbank conversation–very grateful that you shared some of her discussion here!
J'adore BRB gonna go work through ur back catalogue with a growing list of things to google x
Omg. the HIGHEST compliment
Thanks for the shout-out, Helena. Great piece.
one of the brightest reviews so far, you effortlessly bring so many axes of meaning in intermezzo together thank you!
thank you so much!!💕