There are writers we admire from the very first novel we read. And then there are those rare moments when, after following their work for years, we realise they have reached a new stage in their artistic journey.
That was my experience with Intermezzo.
I have read all of Sally Rooney's novels. Normal People introduced me to a voice that felt fresh, intelligent and emotionally honest. I enjoyed Conversations with Friends and Beautiful World, Where Are You, but neither quite recreated that exhilarating sense of discovery.
Intermezzo did.