In recent years, Irish author Sally Rooney, 33, has been considered a wunderkind of the literary world, thanks to the breakout success of 2017’s Conversations with Friends, 2018’s Normal People and 2021’s Beautiful World, Where Are You.

The Irish writer’s keenly intelligent new novel swaps her formidable female leads for two brothers summoned together by grief

She has been called ‘the voice of a generation’ – an adage she reportedly hates. Either way, Sally Rooney seems to have ditched her typical exploration of ennui-plagued love-lorn millennials for Intermezzo: A Novel,

Sally Rooney ditches the style that made her ‘voice of a generation’ - 5/5 With her fourth novel, Rooney has discovered her full literary prowess – the reward is transcendent

With 'Intermezzo' comes the latest wave of envy and desire to replicate the star author’s sales. But she stands alone

Starry authors often find themselves torn between conflicting demands. Readers generally want them to write books similar to those they adored. Publishers are inclined to agree. But novelists as talented as Ms Rooney aspire to do something new. They must negotiate the twin dangers of staleness and self-indulgent experiment.

Irish author Sally Rooney, hailed as the "voice of a generation" after the runaway success of "Normal People", examines modern love in all its glory and friction in her fourth novel "Intermezzo" released next week.

As influencers and celebrities vie for advance copies, buzzy books like Intermezzo are going viral long before publication. But what does it mean when a book becomes a status symbol?