(also! forgot to mention this but it's one of the funniest parts of the book to me) ivan: doesn't travel by plane & always shops second hand for the environment also ivan: travels to the other side of the country every weekend to see his gf
Hey Kara! I'm very glad you made this spoiler free video as I am only reaching 2/3 of the book today, but was SO interested to hear your thoughts already. I agree with what you said about Sally Rooney writing the two brother's voices very differently. It's definitely something I noticed too and was impressed with. The way Peter's thoughts are a little more all over the place and really read like a stream of consciousness or something... I never actually considered it might be because he's under some kind of medication but now that you're pointing at it, it makes perfect sense. I also read it a little like, for me, being the older doesn't necessarily mean your way of thinking makes more sense or is very organized in reality. The more you age, the more you can doubt things, because you come to realize with experience that there isn't one way to look at things but many ways. I don't know if I make sense. But I think it's funny because Peter is described and perceived by others as someone who always wants to be right about things, like he's got this kind of superiority complex. And I think his inner monologues sometimes contradict this. I also absolutely agree about how layered the book is. I keep thinking about it when I'm not reading it and every new day I come with a new revelation about what she might want to convey, or what this or that character really mean etc. It also makes me reconsider and ponder about things from my life which I think is the highest compliment I could give to a book. It just really resonates with me and some of my life experiences. She indirectly and very lightly touches just the right chords deep within my heart and mind. I already want to reread it even though I'm not even finished with it! Now I'll need to set a Storygraph account to read your review! I may come back to talk about it more when I'm finished with the book! :)
this is such a generous and thoughtful comment! but what else would i expect from you, dear E? i absolutely LOVE your interpretation that peter’s more stream of consciousness inner monologue is at odds with how he presents himself to others (and especially how ivan perceives him). peter’s obsession with appearing knowledgeable and put together could very well stem from the fact that he knows he doesn’t know everything, which could be an age or personality thing (or both!) the ways you’re describing sally rooney’s writing as making you think about your own life make me so happy! i love when books do that! i also can’t wait to reread it i’m excited to see you over on storygraph sometime soon! i hope you enjoy the rest of the book ❤️
AS a child prodigy chess player, who got no-where, but poor, who met an older girlfriend when i was aged 22. Who studied physics at university. who is drop dead gorgeous and thin and tall. Who met my girlfriend having a lift and she kept commentating how i was looking at my hands, then i gave her my number, whoes mother died not father and who has an older sister who is super successful rich and super confident. who lives near westmorland in the english lake district(a street mentioned in the book), and who had a friend of the family called dawson(another strreet mentioned), whoes girlfriend had a car accident and developed an illness(bed riden and couldnt have sex), who never goes on a plane and travels around britain to play in chess tournaments, who bought a paris grey cashmere cardigan for my girfriend in 1995(mentioned in the book), whoes girlfriends father died. Who has a mental illness similar to autism, whoes girlfriend is plain like sylvia but a successful woman, who said she had written a book on our lives with the characters mixed up. who can cook and who had a dog that we both treated like a child of ours.
who is welsh not irish though the welsh are celts like the irish. who had copious amounts of wonderful sex(she kept commentating that i could be a porn star) before i looked after her during her illness
could just be a ton of coincidences, my girlfriend doesnt look like Sally Rooney, but I am very famous in some echelons of the chess world, although i am a hidden character. For example i drew with the world number 2 in 1980 (aged 9) but no one knew of this it was kept secret and in 2001 i went on the internet and beat the world number 5 in fast games(called blitz) 11-2 but my identity was kept secret although the feat was so remarkable it entered chess folklore (google 'icc fischer')
(also! forgot to mention this but it's one of the funniest parts of the book to me)
ivan: doesn't travel by plane & always shops second hand for the environment
also ivan: travels to the other side of the country every weekend to see his gf
The good energy that your videos fill me with is unmeasurable
and your kindness makes my heart grow three sizes! i hope you enjoy intermezzo ❤️
this was great! real nice vibes and liked your points about Rooney's compassion + the idea of the book "paving the way" for the rest of her work. :)
thanks so much conor! i am now eagerly (but patiently) awaiting what her future works have in store
Hey Kara! I'm very glad you made this spoiler free video as I am only reaching 2/3 of the book today, but was SO interested to hear your thoughts already.
I agree with what you said about Sally Rooney writing the two brother's voices very differently. It's definitely something I noticed too and was impressed with. The way Peter's thoughts are a little more all over the place and really read like a stream of consciousness or something... I never actually considered it might be because he's under some kind of medication but now that you're pointing at it, it makes perfect sense. I also read it a little like, for me, being the older doesn't necessarily mean your way of thinking makes more sense or is very organized in reality. The more you age, the more you can doubt things, because you come to realize with experience that there isn't one way to look at things but many ways. I don't know if I make sense. But I think it's funny because Peter is described and perceived by others as someone who always wants to be right about things, like he's got this kind of superiority complex. And I think his inner monologues sometimes contradict this.
I also absolutely agree about how layered the book is. I keep thinking about it when I'm not reading it and every new day I come with a new revelation about what she might want to convey, or what this or that character really mean etc. It also makes me reconsider and ponder about things from my life which I think is the highest compliment I could give to a book. It just really resonates with me and some of my life experiences. She indirectly and very lightly touches just the right chords deep within my heart and mind. I already want to reread it even though I'm not even finished with it!
Now I'll need to set a Storygraph account to read your review! I may come back to talk about it more when I'm finished with the book! :)
this is such a generous and thoughtful comment! but what else would i expect from you, dear E?
i absolutely LOVE your interpretation that peter’s more stream of consciousness inner monologue is at odds with how he presents himself to others (and especially how ivan perceives him). peter’s obsession with appearing knowledgeable and put together could very well stem from the fact that he knows he doesn’t know everything, which could be an age or personality thing (or both!)
the ways you’re describing sally rooney’s writing as making you think about your own life make me so happy! i love when books do that! i also can’t wait to reread it
i’m excited to see you over on storygraph sometime soon! i hope you enjoy the rest of the book ❤️
AS a child prodigy chess player, who got no-where, but poor, who met an older girlfriend when i was aged 22. Who studied physics at university. who is drop dead gorgeous and thin and tall. Who met my girlfriend having a lift and she kept commentating how i was looking at my hands, then i gave her my number, whoes mother died not father and who has an older sister who is super successful rich and super confident. who lives near westmorland in the english lake district(a street mentioned in the book), and who had a friend of the family called dawson(another strreet mentioned), whoes girlfriend had a car accident and developed an illness(bed riden and couldnt have sex), who never goes on a plane and travels around britain to play in chess tournaments, who bought a paris grey cashmere cardigan for my girfriend in 1995(mentioned in the book), whoes girlfriends father died. Who has a mental illness similar to autism, whoes girlfriend is plain like sylvia but a successful woman, who said she had written a book on our lives with the characters mixed up. who can cook and who had a dog that we both treated like a child of ours.
who is welsh not irish though the welsh are celts like the irish. who had copious amounts of wonderful sex(she kept commentating that i could be a porn star) before i looked after her during her illness
i felt an empathy with ivan
could just be a ton of coincidences, my girlfriend doesnt look like Sally Rooney, but I am very famous in some echelons of the chess world, although i am a hidden character. For example i drew with the world number 2 in 1980 (aged 9) but no one knew of this it was kept secret and in 2001 i went on the internet and beat the world number 5 in fast games(called blitz) 11-2 but my identity was kept secret although the feat was so remarkable it entered chess folklore (google 'icc fischer')
omg the trivia event looked so fun!! i’d definitely lose at it but it’s always so nice to be in community with fellow book lovers 🫶🏻
oh we for sure lost 😂 but it was so lovely! i love when independent bookshops host events!