In her fourth novel, “Intermezzo,” Irish author Sally Rooney paints a picture of grief not fully internalized. In the wake of their father’s death, brothers Ivan and Peter Koubek are unwilling to discuss their family’s loss, let alone to one another, says Associated Press reviewer Curtis Lee. After all, it’s not like the two brothers are even friends. But as the two go about their lives, heartache seeps through. In her astute and intimate style, Rooney wades through the convoluted emotions that follow tragedy: certainly anguish, but also relief and longing, guilt and joy, all on the cusp of transformation.
