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Quick answer: Good discussion questions for Intermezzo by Sally Rooney focus on two brothers grieving their father, age-gap relationships, love and power, chess and strategy, masculinity, and how people learn to be kinder to each other. Below are 19 questions grouped by theme, plus a spoiler-free summary.
Quick facts
Author: Sally Rooney
Published: 2024
Setting: Dublin and rural Ireland
Main characters: brothers Peter and Ivan Koubek
Content note: grief, sexual content and suicidal thoughts
Intermezzo is Sally Rooney’s fourth novel and her first centered on men: two brothers, 10 years apart, trying to cope after their father’s death. It’s tender, sometimes funny and often frustrating in the way real people are, and readers have strong opinions about its characters and style. That makes it a lively book club pick for groups who like literary fiction. This guide includes a spoiler-free summary, characters and themes, and 19 discussion questions grouped by theme. The questions contain spoilers.
Table of Contents
Spoiler-Free Summary
After their father dies, brothers Peter and Ivan Koubek are adrift. Peter, 32, is a successful Dublin lawyer who seems to have everything under control, though he relies on pills and alcohol to get through the day. He’s caught between Sylvia, his first love, and Naomi, a much younger woman.
Ivan, 22, is a former chess prodigy who feels awkward around almost everyone, including his brother. At a chess event in a small town, he meets Margaret, a woman in her mid-thirties, and the two fall into an unexpected relationship.
Over a few months, both brothers wrestle with grief, love and each other, in a story about what we owe the people closest to us.
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Main Characters and Themes
| Character or Theme | What to Know |
|---|---|
| Peter Koubek | A 32-year-old lawyer hiding his grief and pain |
| Ivan Koubek | A 22-year-old chess player, socially awkward and sincere |
| Sylvia | Peter’s first love, living with chronic pain |
| Naomi | A younger woman Peter is involved with |
| Margaret | A woman in her thirties who falls for Ivan |
| The brothers’ father | Whose death sets the story in motion |
| Grief | How the brothers mourn differently |
| Age gaps | Love across differences in age and power |
| Chess | Strategy, control and the title’s meaning |
| Brotherhood | Rivalry, resentment and love |
Discussion Questions (Contains Spoilers)
Peter
- Peter appears to have it all together. When did you realize how much he was struggling?
- Why can’t Peter choose between Sylvia and Naomi?
- Peter’s chapters are written in a choppy, fragmented style. How did that affect your reading?
- Did you like Peter? Did you need to?
Ivan
- How does chess shape the way Ivan sees the world?
- What draws Ivan and Margaret together?
- How do the people in Margaret’s town react to the relationship, and why?
- How does Ivan change over the novel?
The Brothers
- Why do Peter and Ivan clash so much?
- Which moment between the brothers moved you most?
- How does each brother grieve their father differently?
Love and Power
- The novel features two age-gap relationships. How are they similar and different?
- What does the book suggest about love that doesn’t fit social expectations?
- How does Sylvia’s chronic pain shape her relationship with Peter?
Big Picture
- The title refers to a musical interlude and a chess move. What does it mean to you?
- How does Intermezzo compare with Normal People or Rooney’s other novels?
- Were you satisfied with the open ending?
- What does the book say about masculinity and vulnerability?
- Who would you recommend it to?
If you or someone in your group is struggling, you can call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US).
Is Intermezzo a Good Book Club Pick?
Choose it if your group enjoys literary fiction focused on relationships and inner life rather than plot. It’s long, at about 450 pages, and Peter’s sections use a fragmented style that some readers find challenging at first. Fans of Normal People will likely want to discuss how Rooney has changed. It works best for groups comfortable with frank sexual content.
Book Club Ideas for Intermezzo
- Bring a chessboard and teach a quick game, or try a puzzle from a chess book.
- Serve an Irish pub-style supper, like stew, brown bread and cheese.
- Play a short intermezzo from classical music to set the mood.
- Talk about siblings: what makes those relationships so complicated?
- Read a passage from each brother aloud and compare how Rooney changes the writing style between them.
Books Like Intermezzo
If your group loved it, try Normal People by Sally Rooney for her breakout novel, The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis for chess and obsession, or A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara for intense bonds between men.
Check price of The Queen’s Gambit on Amazon
How to Structure Your Meeting
Begin by asking which brother each person related to more. Then work through two or three questions from each theme above, saving the “big picture” questions for the end. If your group is large, split into pairs for one theme and report back.
A simple 90-minute plan:
- 0–15 minutes: food, catch-up and the opening question.
- 15–60 minutes: the discussion questions, theme by theme.
- 60–75 minutes: one of the book club ideas above, or a quick comparison with the adaptation if there is one.
- 75–90 minutes: everyone rates the book out of five in one sentence, then you pick next month’s read.
Related: the best literary fiction books for book clubs and the best book club books for men.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Intermezzo about?
After their father dies, brothers Peter and Ivan Koubek navigate grief and complicated relationships, Peter with two women and Ivan with an older woman he meets at a chess event.
Is Intermezzo good for book clubs?
Yes, for groups that enjoy character-driven literary fiction. Its relationships and style spark strong opinions.
Is Intermezzo appropriate for all book clubs?
It includes sexual content, grief and suicidal thoughts, so it suits adult groups.
Is Intermezzo connected to Normal People?
No. It’s a standalone novel with new characters.