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Quick answer: If you loved Intermezzo, read Sally Rooney's Normal People and Beautiful World, Where Are You, then Open Water, Writers & Lovers and Acts of Desperation. All explore intimacy, grief and the awkward realities of modern relationships.
Sally Rooney's 2024 novel follows two brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek, who grieve their father's death and navigate complicated relationships. It is introspective, funny and tender. The books below offer similar literary fiction with honest dialogue and emotionally intelligent characters, many of them by Irish writers.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal People | Sally Rooney | Adult | more Rooney |
| Beautiful World, Where Are You | Sally Rooney | Adult | ideas and friendship |
| Conversations with Friends | Sally Rooney | Adult | messy affairs |
| Open Water | Caleb Azumah Nelson | Adult | love and identity |
| Writers & Lovers | Lily King | Adult | creative lives |
| Acts of Desperation | Megan Nolan | Adult | obsessive love |
| Exciting Times | Naoise Dolan | Adult | young expats |
| The Idiot | Elif Batuman | Adult | campus novels |
| Milkman | Anna Burns | Adult | distinctive voices |
| Small Things Like These | Claire Keegan | Adult | short Irish fiction |
| Cleopatra and Frankenstein | Coco Mellors | Adult | messy marriages |
| Sorrow and Bliss | Meg Mason | Adult | dark comedy |
| Brooklyn | Colm Toibin | Adult | quiet immigrant stories |
| Fates and Furies | Lauren Groff | Adult | marriage portraits |
| Ordinary People | Diana Evans | Adult | long relationships |
1. Normal People by Sally Rooney
Connell and Marianne grow up in Ireland and keep finding each other over the years. A quiet, powerful look at love and class.
Best for: more Rooney.
2. Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
Two friends exchange emails about love, sex and the state of the world. Reflective and honest.
Best for: ideas and friendship.
3. Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
Frances, a college student, begins an affair with an older married man. Sharp, cool and observant.
Best for: messy affairs.
4. Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
Two Black artists in London fall in love. Lyrical and tender.
Best for: love and identity.
5. Writers & Lovers by Lily King
Casey, a waitress and aspiring novelist, grieves her mother while juggling two men. Honest and funny.
Best for: creative lives.
6. Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan
A young woman becomes obsessed with an indifferent man. Dark, honest and sharp.
Best for: obsessive love.
7. Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
An Irish teacher in Hong Kong is caught between a banker and a lawyer. Witty and cool.
Best for: young expats.
8. The Idiot by Elif Batuman
A Turkish American student navigates her first year at Harvard. Funny, awkward and brilliant.
Best for: campus novels.
9. Milkman by Anna Burns
A young woman in an unnamed city tries to avoid attention. A Booker Prize winner with an unusual voice.
Best for: distinctive voices.
10. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
A coal merchant in 1985 Ireland finds something troubling at a convent. Short, quiet and moving.
Best for: short Irish fiction.
11. Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
A young artist marries an older man in New York. Messy, funny and moving.
Best for: messy marriages.
12. Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
Martha lives with an undiagnosed illness and a complicated marriage. Funny and sad.
Best for: dark comedy.
13. Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
A young Irish woman emigrates to Brooklyn in the 1950s. Quiet and beautifully paced.
Best for: quiet immigrant stories.
14. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
A marriage told first from the husband's view and then the wife's. Lyrical and surprising.
Best for: marriage portraits.
15. Ordinary People by Diana Evans
Two couples in London face the challenges of long relationships. Honest and tender.
Best for: long relationships.
How to Choose
If you want more Rooney, start with Normal People or Beautiful World, Where Are You. For fiction about intimacy and desire, pick Open Water, Conversations with Friends or Acts of Desperation. For wry, young and sharp voices, choose Exciting Times, The Idiot or Cleopatra and Frankenstein. For a short, quiet Irish read, try Small Things Like These or Brooklyn. Many of these books are intense and contain sexual content. Take your time with these books, since they reward slow reading and discussion. A book club is a great way to unpack the nuances of Rooney's characters and the writers who follow her. If you prefer shorter, quieter books, start with Small Things Like These, which can be read in an evening. For longer novels with several threads, Fates and Furies and The Idiot are ideal weekend companions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Intermezzo about?
Two brothers navigate grief, relationships and family expectations after their father dies.
Do I need to read other Rooney books first?
No, Intermezzo is a standalone novel.
Is it as good as Normal People?
Opinions vary, but many readers praise its depth.
Does Rooney use quotation marks?
No, her books use dialogue without quotation marks.
Is it a love story?
It is about love in many forms, including between brothers.
Is there an audiobook?
Yes, and it is popular.
Is Intermezzo a love story?
It follows several relationships, including between brothers and with partners.
What is the difference between Intermezzo and Normal People?
Intermezzo is longer, more reflective and moves between two brothers.
Do I need to be Irish to enjoy it?
No, the emotions and relationships are universal.
Who are the main characters in Intermezzo?
Brothers Peter and Ivan Koubek, plus the women in their lives.
How long is Intermezzo?
Around 450 pages.
Is Sally Rooney an Irish writer?
Yes, she is from County Mayo, Ireland, and her novels are set mostly in Ireland.
Which book here is the shortest?
Small Things Like These is the shortest, at around 120 pages, and it can be read in a single evening.