Glad to see that a Substack post can make me feel somewhat like this... "Sometimes I finish a book and feel so completely, irreducibly happy to have read it—and all the images and sounds and characters are still alive in my mind—that it feels as if life can’t get any better than this."
Thank you!!! I've had that experience so often with other people's writing—total satisfaction and contentment—and I'm constantly trying to create that for others. It's a real gift, I think, from a writer to a reader
Caltrain commute sized, I love it. I used to commute by plane from Edinburgh to Belfast and would love a novella I could finish in the up and down journey. I had 6 months of doing the Baypoint to downtown San Francisco on Bart, and I did get a ton of reading done, but the terror of getting to Walnut Cfeej and having finished your book…
I loved the sibling relationship in Intermezzo. I think as an only child, sibling dynamics are so fascinating to me. I think Rooney writes with such genuine care and affection from her characters, even when they are behaving badly.
Love your last sentence and very much agree—it feels like she WANTS her characters to escape from their self-inflicted suffering (especially when the suffering is "not being able to tell the woman you love that you feel strongly about her"), and that helps make the endings feel so satisfying.
I spent about 2 years in my early 20s doing the reverse commute from SF to the south bay. I read SO much but experienced that terror as well (finishing a book and then frantically searching the SFPL ebook catalog for the next one)
I loved this post so much and have so much that I could respond to.
Like you, after much resistance, I am so glad that I just allowed myself to read Intermezzo (and BWWAY). I was too old for the Harry Potter craze and this was my first time reading alongside everyone else and, like you, I get it.
I have a stack of copies of "The English Understand Wool" at home and it is my go-to gift to give to readers. It is a perfect book.
I feel very similarly! It's so fun to read with other people and be immersed in the discussions, t the takes, the interpretations…and here are so few writers who have the star power of Rooney, Rowling over a decade ago, &c to make this possible.
I don't watch that much TV, but it seems similar for Succession/Westworld/Gossip Girl fans who could always discuss new episodes and cliffhangers with each other.
Also, such a good idea to gift the Dewitt book to others…I've gifted Banana Yoshimoto's Kitchen in the past, which is a similarly SMALL and satisfying book!
i am so thankful that i discovered your page and decided to subscribe and to read your other posts before i made another decision to follow up on reading whatever you write!
you write so well—that’s how i feel—in the sense that from top to bottom it’s you talking like you! as someone whose first language is not English, i find the way you talk(write) about your reading and the process of writing and sharing tiny insights with us of this experience, so encouraging! it makes me want to understand my own voice. you have a strong sense of your style. it feels bold and i love that feeling! there’s no gooeyness to what you’re saying.
i think that when we write on books, it’s easy to become too comfortable to end up write something silly and what sounds generic. and it shadows our authenticity because of how comfortable we’ve become there—can that be bad writing? i don’t know. it’s vital to care about our writing and our thoughts and that’s the difficult part like Levy says in her Things I Don’t Want To Know.
i don’t know what i am going on about! i loved reading this. this is a great way to start my new week now—feeling encouraged. 🤎
I too started this Substack for practice. I’m glad I’m not the only one. Thanks, Celine. I don’t know what the real work is yet but I just want to keep writing and articulating my thoughts. for something, someday.
Glad to see that a Substack post can make me feel somewhat like this... "Sometimes I finish a book and feel so completely, irreducibly happy to have read it—and all the images and sounds and characters are still alive in my mind—that it feels as if life can’t get any better than this."
Thank you!!! I've had that experience so often with other people's writing—total satisfaction and contentment—and I'm constantly trying to create that for others. It's a real gift, I think, from a writer to a reader
How gratifying, thank you :)
Of course! I really loved your review and it was such an exciting and distinctive way to read Intermezzo
❤️
Your Substack posts are so invigorating and fun for me. Thank you for all the energy you pour into them!
Thank you Ariana, this is really kind! I'm so happy to hear and thank you for reading them 💌
Caltrain commute sized, I love it. I used to commute by plane from Edinburgh to Belfast and would love a novella I could finish in the up and down journey. I had 6 months of doing the Baypoint to downtown San Francisco on Bart, and I did get a ton of reading done, but the terror of getting to Walnut Cfeej and having finished your book…
I loved the sibling relationship in Intermezzo. I think as an only child, sibling dynamics are so fascinating to me. I think Rooney writes with such genuine care and affection from her characters, even when they are behaving badly.
Love your last sentence and very much agree—it feels like she WANTS her characters to escape from their self-inflicted suffering (especially when the suffering is "not being able to tell the woman you love that you feel strongly about her"), and that helps make the endings feel so satisfying.
I spent about 2 years in my early 20s doing the reverse commute from SF to the south bay. I read SO much but experienced that terror as well (finishing a book and then frantically searching the SFPL ebook catalog for the next one)
I loved this post so much and have so much that I could respond to.
Like you, after much resistance, I am so glad that I just allowed myself to read Intermezzo (and BWWAY). I was too old for the Harry Potter craze and this was my first time reading alongside everyone else and, like you, I get it.
I have a stack of copies of "The English Understand Wool" at home and it is my go-to gift to give to readers. It is a perfect book.
I feel very similarly! It's so fun to read with other people and be immersed in the discussions, t the takes, the interpretations…and here are so few writers who have the star power of Rooney, Rowling over a decade ago, &c to make this possible.
I don't watch that much TV, but it seems similar for Succession/Westworld/Gossip Girl fans who could always discuss new episodes and cliffhangers with each other.
Also, such a good idea to gift the Dewitt book to others…I've gifted Banana Yoshimoto's Kitchen in the past, which is a similarly SMALL and satisfying book!
i am so thankful that i discovered your page and decided to subscribe and to read your other posts before i made another decision to follow up on reading whatever you write!
you write so well—that’s how i feel—in the sense that from top to bottom it’s you talking like you! as someone whose first language is not English, i find the way you talk(write) about your reading and the process of writing and sharing tiny insights with us of this experience, so encouraging! it makes me want to understand my own voice. you have a strong sense of your style. it feels bold and i love that feeling! there’s no gooeyness to what you’re saying.
i think that when we write on books, it’s easy to become too comfortable to end up write something silly and what sounds generic. and it shadows our authenticity because of how comfortable we’ve become there—can that be bad writing? i don’t know. it’s vital to care about our writing and our thoughts and that’s the difficult part like Levy says in her Things I Don’t Want To Know.
i don’t know what i am going on about! i loved reading this. this is a great way to start my new week now—feeling encouraged. 🤎
I too started this Substack for practice. I’m glad I’m not the only one. Thanks, Celine. I don’t know what the real work is yet but I just want to keep writing and articulating my thoughts. for something, someday.
I love reading your reading! Thank you for the shout! 📚
God I love your substack post, haven’t been into Rooney’s work but this just convinced me while growing my TBR list 😂