Well I am crying... I really loved your vlog and your being open about your struggles, it is such a valuable treasure, thank you for that 💜it means so much to me and many others I am sure. You do it with such openness and vulnerability that are radiating strength and kindness. Through sharing we are not alone anymore. I can not wait to read Intermezzo and after your vlog even more so because of the representation of chronic pain. Also that crochet is beautiful, you are so talented. I am also young and live with chronic pain and have lived with this invisible illness for about half of my life. Everything you said about life with pain I understand to my core, the lying down that is not resting, failed plans, the constant mourning the loss of parts myself and of life I worked for and dreamed of, but is not possible anymore (or for now, never lose hope🍀). And I think that we need to feel all of that in order to understand better ourselves, our situation and our illnesses even more so because they are invisible to others and their understanding and expectations (as well as our own sometimes) can often influence us to our disadvantage. As you said and that is my situation also, it seems that we carry it well so there is understanding that it is easy, when actually we do not have a choice, we can not give up, we wrestle with our bodies and minds, we strive and try for the best we can in every moment, to build the best life we can. So we lift our spirits and find new glimmers and meanings and joys and kindness within ourselves for ourselves, and find happiness, fun and peace and all the beauty in the world, but it is well earned, like you said it is really heavy. Once again thank you, I am sending you lots of healing, joyous and calming vibes💜
Oh Marija, thank you so much for such a thoughtful and kind comment 💛 I absolutely agree about your thoughts on sharing - I see little point in suffering in silence. I think community really is so important in whatever ways that we can find it. I hope that you find something to love in Intermezzo, too. I was surprised by the representation of chronic pain. Before picking it up, I hadn't heard anybody mentioning it. I felt it was dealt with quite tactfully and Rooney didn't try to 'fix' the character, which was refreshing. Thank you! I only learned to crochet last year and still feel as though I'm a (confident) beginner. I follow Sirdar's crochet along projects, and thanks to their videos online accompanying the patterns, I'm able to work my way through them. It's been such a nice craft to learn 🧶 I agree. It's so important to never lose hope, even if we momentarily mislay it sometimes. Yes, it's so easy to be influenced by others in terms of their expectations of how they think we should be or feel. I know that there's this stereotype about people in pain/with chronic illness being bitter and complaining all the time, but in my experience, I've been surprised to find people in all walks of life with pain/chronic illness. And often, they're some of the best people I've ever met. It brings a lot of difficult things into our lives, but it also trains us to recognise the good in our lives as a sort of anchor, in a way that other people might not have to, and that in and of itself rewires our brains to find peace and joy in the little things that we may have always overlooked in our lives prior to pain or sickness. I hope that today (and every day) is filled with tiny joys for you too, Marija 💛
I agree with every word you said, there is very little complaining and actually a lot of understanding and kindness towards others as well as wisdom in terms of knowing what is important in life. People with chronic pain/illness pay more attention to the beauty and everything good so we see it more clearly and find it everywhere. Exactly like you said - it is our anchor. Thank you for the beautiful words and wishes, Aisling 💚
I just finished the book and I cried a lot whilst reading it, but I first wanted to finish it and then grab a cup of cocoa and cuddle up to watch your video. I absolutely loved this book and I believe Sally has grown a lot, she has matured so much as a writer and I am very excited for her. I am sorry that you also live with chronic pain, I can’t imagine what you are going through, but I can sympathize having 2 autoimmune diseases and struggling to fit in with other people and pretend I am normal, while remembering how different I was before. I wish I could give you and everyone a big hug . 🧡
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the book so much. I really did love it, too. I think you’re right - you can see so much growth within her books as her writing skill expands and changes. I can’t even begin to imagine what she’ll write next. She makes me so excited for the future of literary fiction 💙 Obviously our experiences within our bodies are very different, but I think there’s so much that’s universal when it comes to living within a sick body. I hope that you’re managing okay, and that your body has been treating you kindly of late. It’s such a ridiculous experience, this double sided life where it feels like so many of our experiences are conflicted and conflicting. Thanks so much for your kind comment. Take care 💛
I'm also disabled and mainly ambling between two rooms in my house. I kept leaving stuff in the other room -- the one I wasn't in; so annoying! I grabbed a reusable bag and put all my stuff in there: book, 2nd emergency book, phone, chapstick, pad and pen, cough drops, regular pills, pain pills 🙄, snack, charger, etc. I didn't realize I invented a *thing*! Wish I had been thinking clearly enough to patent that idea! Ah, well.... 🤷🏻♀️ I've not yet read Sally Rooney, but am so excited to do so!
It’s amazing how the most obvious things just don’t come naturally to me. I’d been making two trips and dropping everything for years 😅 I hope you enjoy her books if/when you do! ☺️
♟️ I finished Intermezzo at the weekend so I've just circled back to watch your vlog and experience with it. I agree on so many levels, I think she's an author worthy of the hype and that the character exploration and representation was excellent. I'm still circling between the 4 or 5 star rating though but i didn't know if it's too high expectation or the ending ... Definitely one that will stay with me. Thank you for sharing your lived experience and snapshots of life 🌻
It's so difficult to not be haunted by our high expectations when it comes to an author like Sally Rooney, isn't it? I think I'd like to reread Intermezzo when the hype of it has died down to see if that affects how I feel about it. Thanks for watching, Eileen ☺️
I've never heard of a house bag, so I'm giving you credit for inventing it! 😊I haven't read any Sally Rooney but you've sold me on picking up this one as a start. Loved the vlog format, seeing some of your daily life.
Haha thank you. I won’t try to patent it just in case, though 😅 I hope you enjoy your experience with her works. She’s an author that’s not for everybody. Thank you - I much prefer making vlogs over sit down videos so I’m glad that some of you seem to enjoy watching them ☺️
Being outside with you for that moment was just so wonderful. Your crotchet project is beautiful too!! Just love the calmness you exude Aisling 🙏🏼 still haven’t picked up any Sally Rooney but I’ll have to get started soon..
Now that i officially dnfd intermezzo ( I know 😭😭, i really tried. I night pick it back up later), I'm here to watch! Wow just as you're taking about books arriving damaged, you get that note. Awesome customer service though! Yayyyy i hope they officially get rid of dust jackets!!! A HOUSE BAG!!! that is genius. I'm absolutely stealing that idea. I enjoy her writing, but it is very unique and definitely takes a bit to get used to. Side note, how are you liking your mic? It sounds amazing That quote you underlined by Ivan really hit me hard. Very relatable Thank you for your vulnerability speaking about your experience with chronic pain 💕
Maddie, I get it. I did really love it, but it’s a very specific kind of book that won’t appeal to the majority, I think. It seems like there’s so much hype about it, but plenty people haven’t enjoyed it either. The mic is really good. It came with my camera (Osmo Pocket 3) and it works beautifully with that. I haven’t tried it with any other cameras though. I use a cheap shotgun mic on my sit down camera and it works really well so I don’t see the need to mix it up. I had such a soft spot for Ivan 🥹 I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon - looks like you guys fit in LOADS. And your wedding photos - STUNNING 😍
I have an interesting relationship with Sally Rooney (only read Normal People and Conversations with Friends). I don't like her writing, or her stories, or her politics, or the majority of her characters, but I like reading her books 😂 Thank you for getting so personal. Sending you a big hug ❤ PS: your crochet blanket is stunning! ♟
That's so funny - those are literally all of the things that I really love about Sally Rooney books 😂 I think that's generally how I feel about a lot of books in the romance genre, and yet I still keep picking them up. I wonder what it is about reading books that we shouldn't like but somehow do 😅 Thank you! And as ever, thank you so much for watching 💛
Ugh so jealous of your copy of Intermezzo - I ordered the same one from Kennys and the damage on mine is so much worse, the front and back both have blue smudges all over it! I am glad they replaced it but it's a shame the replacement is not signed - I now have two copies and don't want to get rid of either the signed one or the undamaged one
Ahhh no way!? I very naively assumed that they would all be similar to mine. Mine does have quite a lot of smudges but they’re very faint so the camera doesn’t pick them up the best. I still haven’t gotten my unsigned copy but to be honest I don’t feel as though I really want it. I’d prefer to have a good signed copy rather than two books. It seems a bit wasteful to be getting another copy of the same book, but I appreciate that Faber were trying to fix their mistake as best they could. It is a shame, though.
So far, the only Sally Rooney book I read is Normal People. I love her writing style but felt that the miscommunication was ridiculous. Luckily, you pointed out many times that Irish people are actually doing that, and so I am intrigued in reading more by her😊. I just finished The wren The wren by Anne Enright, and it was one of my most anticipated books. Unfortunately, it disappointed me a bit, and for a stupid reason: all her other books had brilliant parts and parts that were unnecessary and boring. This one was so well balanced that it didn't have a big impact on me. I thought I should love it, but I gave it the same rating that I gave most of her other books: 3.5☆ One very funny (for me) paragraph mentions that Irish people don't say no. " They say: oh I shouldn't, I couldn't, no really, thanks, no really none for me." Is that true? If I don't want the tea offered, is that how I should answer? Anyway, you convinced me to read more Sally Rooney!
Honestly, Irish people are ridiculous 😅 we’re very good at saying a lot without really saying anything at all. The word “no” is rarely accepted as a full sentence. For example, offering and drinking tea while visiting is a huge thing here, particularly among my parent’s generation, and it pretty much goes as you mentioned 😂 I tend to just say “no thanks” now, and find it works remarkably well 😅 Such a shame about The Wren, The Wren. I wanted to read it when I first heard of it but heard a lot of middling reviews and removed it from my TBR. Hopefully you have better luck with your next read ☺️
I’m 50ish pages from the end of Intermezzo. It’s my first Sally Rooney (and probably my only one). I’m not loving it. I’m good with no quotation marks - I think she handles that exceptionally well - but the syntactical choices on a sentence level keep pulling me out of the story. I do like the characters but like you, I’d like to have seen more from Sylvia. She’s the character I was rooting for. Who knew I needed a vegan wanker mug!
I completely get where you’re coming from. I wouldn’t necessarily say that the language reads in a natural way, so I can see how it could pull you out of it. It’s a shame, but at least you know now ☺️ Haha of all the lovely mugs I have, I think that one’s my favourite 🌱
Hi Aisling, My house bag is on my walker so it goes all around the apartment with me. I can identify with what you said about disability. I work as a remote Life Coach. One type of client I work with are those with Chronic Health issues. If you are curious about working with me please let me know. I'm feeling more and more that we're kindred spirits. As for reading thanks for the deep dive into Sally Rooney. I now know she's not for me.
That works well, I’m sure ☺️ Thanks for the suggestion, Amy, but I’m not searching for any coaching at the moment. I’m glad I saved you some time and effort and you know now not to waste your time with Rooney.
“There’s this consensus that if somebody looks like they’re carrying something well that it’s not heavy, but it’s really heavy.” THIS THIS THIS!! You put it so aptly. As a high functioning neurodivergent person with depression and adhd, I get this feeling a lot as well. Rooney really does portray this frustration with a level of desperation which seeks to gather and join us all in our well of pain - whether mental, physical, emotional. Even if what gathers is our own fractured parts 🥹 And I’m sorry the ending didn’t stick the landing for you and left you wanting! Though it all sat right with me, I totally get your qualms, especially when you said you wished for Rooney to give you some personally long coveted answers 🥹 She definitely chose brevity over drama and left things unresolved where I also would’ve liked to see more (i.e. I really would’ve liked Sylvia’s pov, actually!) I suppose I found it so right as the incompleteness made me feel I could follow these characters forever, which means they do live on in me and continue to exist and transform. 🥹 As you said, 5 stars is a feeling and is all about timing. I’m so glad the timing was just right for me 🤧
It’s very possible that my expectations were much higher than they should have been in some ways. But I didn’t have a negative experience with the book at all. For me, Sylvia and Ivan were the most interesting characters. I’m glad we got so much Ivan, but I’d have loved so much more Sylvia, too. I’m so glad you loved it so much, Kali. Sally Rooney strikes again ☺️💛
Well I am crying... I really loved your vlog and your being open about your struggles, it is such a valuable treasure, thank you for that 💜it means so much to me and many others I am sure. You do it with such openness and vulnerability that are radiating strength and kindness. Through sharing we are not alone anymore. I can not wait to read Intermezzo and after your vlog even more so because of the representation of chronic pain. Also that crochet is beautiful, you are so talented.
I am also young and live with chronic pain and have lived with this invisible illness for about half of my life. Everything you said about life with pain I understand to my core, the lying down that is not resting, failed plans, the constant mourning the loss of parts myself and of life I worked for and dreamed of, but is not possible anymore (or for now, never lose hope🍀). And I think that we need to feel all of that in order to understand better ourselves, our situation and our illnesses even more so because they are invisible to others and their understanding and expectations (as well as our own sometimes) can often influence us to our disadvantage. As you said and that is my situation also, it seems that we carry it well so there is understanding that it is easy, when actually we do not have a choice, we can not give up, we wrestle with our bodies and minds, we strive and try for the best we can in every moment, to build the best life we can. So we lift our spirits and find new glimmers and meanings and joys and kindness within ourselves for ourselves, and find happiness, fun and peace and all the beauty in the world, but it is well earned, like you said it is really heavy.
Once again thank you, I am sending you lots of healing, joyous and calming vibes💜
Oh Marija, thank you so much for such a thoughtful and kind comment 💛
I absolutely agree about your thoughts on sharing - I see little point in suffering in silence. I think community really is so important in whatever ways that we can find it.
I hope that you find something to love in Intermezzo, too. I was surprised by the representation of chronic pain. Before picking it up, I hadn't heard anybody mentioning it. I felt it was dealt with quite tactfully and Rooney didn't try to 'fix' the character, which was refreshing.
Thank you! I only learned to crochet last year and still feel as though I'm a (confident) beginner. I follow Sirdar's crochet along projects, and thanks to their videos online accompanying the patterns, I'm able to work my way through them. It's been such a nice craft to learn 🧶
I agree. It's so important to never lose hope, even if we momentarily mislay it sometimes. Yes, it's so easy to be influenced by others in terms of their expectations of how they think we should be or feel. I know that there's this stereotype about people in pain/with chronic illness being bitter and complaining all the time, but in my experience, I've been surprised to find people in all walks of life with pain/chronic illness. And often, they're some of the best people I've ever met. It brings a lot of difficult things into our lives, but it also trains us to recognise the good in our lives as a sort of anchor, in a way that other people might not have to, and that in and of itself rewires our brains to find peace and joy in the little things that we may have always overlooked in our lives prior to pain or sickness.
I hope that today (and every day) is filled with tiny joys for you too, Marija 💛
I agree with every word you said, there is very little complaining and actually a lot of understanding and kindness towards others as well as wisdom in terms of knowing what is important in life. People with chronic pain/illness pay more attention to the beauty and everything good so we see it more clearly and find it everywhere. Exactly like you said - it is our anchor.
Thank you for the beautiful words and wishes, Aisling 💚
I just finished the book and I cried a lot whilst reading it, but I first wanted to finish it and then grab a cup of cocoa and cuddle up to watch your video.
I absolutely loved this book and I believe Sally has grown a lot, she has matured so much as a writer and I am very excited for her.
I am sorry that you also live with chronic pain, I can’t imagine what you are going through, but I can sympathize having 2 autoimmune diseases and struggling to fit in with other people and pretend I am normal, while remembering how different I was before.
I wish I could give you and everyone a big hug . 🧡
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the book so much. I really did love it, too. I think you’re right - you can see so much growth within her books as her writing skill expands and changes. I can’t even begin to imagine what she’ll write next. She makes me so excited for the future of literary fiction 💙
Obviously our experiences within our bodies are very different, but I think there’s so much that’s universal when it comes to living within a sick body. I hope that you’re managing okay, and that your body has been treating you kindly of late. It’s such a ridiculous experience, this double sided life where it feels like so many of our experiences are conflicted and conflicting.
Thanks so much for your kind comment. Take care 💛
I'm also disabled and mainly ambling between two rooms in my house. I kept leaving stuff in the other room -- the one I wasn't in; so annoying! I grabbed a reusable bag and put all my stuff in there: book, 2nd emergency book, phone, chapstick, pad and pen, cough drops, regular pills, pain pills 🙄, snack, charger, etc. I didn't realize I invented a *thing*! Wish I had been thinking clearly enough to patent that idea! Ah, well.... 🤷🏻♀️ I've not yet read Sally Rooney, but am so excited to do so!
It’s amazing how the most obvious things just don’t come naturally to me. I’d been making two trips and dropping everything for years 😅
I hope you enjoy her books if/when you do! ☺️
♟️ I finished Intermezzo at the weekend so I've just circled back to watch your vlog and experience with it. I agree on so many levels, I think she's an author worthy of the hype and that the character exploration and representation was excellent. I'm still circling between the 4 or 5 star rating though but i didn't know if it's too high expectation or the ending ... Definitely one that will stay with me. Thank you for sharing your lived experience and snapshots of life 🌻
It's so difficult to not be haunted by our high expectations when it comes to an author like Sally Rooney, isn't it? I think I'd like to reread Intermezzo when the hype of it has died down to see if that affects how I feel about it.
Thanks for watching, Eileen ☺️
I've never heard of a house bag, so I'm giving you credit for inventing it! 😊I haven't read any Sally Rooney but you've sold me on picking up this one as a start. Loved the vlog format, seeing some of your daily life.
Haha thank you. I won’t try to patent it just in case, though 😅
I hope you enjoy your experience with her works. She’s an author that’s not for everybody.
Thank you - I much prefer making vlogs over sit down videos so I’m glad that some of you seem to enjoy watching them ☺️
Being outside with you for that moment was just so wonderful. Your crotchet project is beautiful too!! Just love the calmness you exude Aisling 🙏🏼 still haven’t picked up any Sally Rooney but I’ll have to get started soon..
Thank you so much 💛
♡
I haven't read it yet, but I enjoyed the vlog. It is definitely on the list.
Thanks so much, Moira. I hope that you enjoy it when you do get to it ☺️
I'm picking my copy up this week...it's Week of the English Book here in Belgium an lots of bookstores offer extras, so yeah....great timing :D
Ah that’s amazing. I hope you enjoy it, Bart ☺️
Now that i officially dnfd intermezzo ( I know 😭😭, i really tried. I night pick it back up later), I'm here to watch!
Wow just as you're taking about books arriving damaged, you get that note. Awesome customer service though!
Yayyyy i hope they officially get rid of dust jackets!!!
A HOUSE BAG!!! that is genius. I'm absolutely stealing that idea.
I enjoy her writing, but it is very unique and definitely takes a bit to get used to.
Side note, how are you liking your mic? It sounds amazing
That quote you underlined by Ivan really hit me hard. Very relatable
Thank you for your vulnerability speaking about your experience with chronic pain 💕
Maddie, I get it. I did really love it, but it’s a very specific kind of book that won’t appeal to the majority, I think. It seems like there’s so much hype about it, but plenty people haven’t enjoyed it either.
The mic is really good. It came with my camera (Osmo Pocket 3) and it works beautifully with that. I haven’t tried it with any other cameras though. I use a cheap shotgun mic on my sit down camera and it works really well so I don’t see the need to mix it up.
I had such a soft spot for Ivan 🥹
I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon - looks like you guys fit in LOADS. And your wedding photos - STUNNING 😍
I have an interesting relationship with Sally Rooney (only read Normal People and Conversations with Friends). I don't like her writing, or her stories, or her politics, or the majority of her characters, but I like reading her books 😂
Thank you for getting so personal. Sending you a big hug ❤
PS: your crochet blanket is stunning!
♟
That's so funny - those are literally all of the things that I really love about Sally Rooney books 😂 I think that's generally how I feel about a lot of books in the romance genre, and yet I still keep picking them up. I wonder what it is about reading books that we shouldn't like but somehow do 😅
Thank you! And as ever, thank you so much for watching 💛
Ugh so jealous of your copy of Intermezzo - I ordered the same one from Kennys and the damage on mine is so much worse, the front and back both have blue smudges all over it! I am glad they replaced it but it's a shame the replacement is not signed - I now have two copies and don't want to get rid of either the signed one or the undamaged one
Ahhh no way!? I very naively assumed that they would all be similar to mine. Mine does have quite a lot of smudges but they’re very faint so the camera doesn’t pick them up the best.
I still haven’t gotten my unsigned copy but to be honest I don’t feel as though I really want it. I’d prefer to have a good signed copy rather than two books. It seems a bit wasteful to be getting another copy of the same book, but I appreciate that Faber were trying to fix their mistake as best they could. It is a shame, though.
Oh I am so sad we don’t get the limited edition here in the US! Beautiful cover!❤
I think I still prefer the US editions. The grass is always greener when it comes to Intermezzo, apparently 😅
So far, the only Sally Rooney book I read is Normal People. I love her writing style but felt that the miscommunication was ridiculous. Luckily, you pointed out many times that Irish people are actually doing that, and so I am intrigued in reading more by her😊.
I just finished The wren The wren by Anne Enright, and it was one of my most anticipated books. Unfortunately, it disappointed me a bit, and for a stupid reason: all her other books had brilliant parts and parts that were unnecessary and boring. This one was so well balanced that it didn't have a big impact on me. I thought I should love it, but I gave it the same rating that I gave most of her other books: 3.5☆
One very funny (for me) paragraph mentions that Irish people don't say no. " They say: oh I shouldn't, I couldn't, no really, thanks, no really none for me."
Is that true? If I don't want the tea offered, is that how I should answer?
Anyway, you convinced me to read more Sally Rooney!
Honestly, Irish people are ridiculous 😅 we’re very good at saying a lot without really saying anything at all. The word “no” is rarely accepted as a full sentence. For example, offering and drinking tea while visiting is a huge thing here, particularly among my parent’s generation, and it pretty much goes as you mentioned 😂 I tend to just say “no thanks” now, and find it works remarkably well 😅
Such a shame about The Wren, The Wren. I wanted to read it when I first heard of it but heard a lot of middling reviews and removed it from my TBR. Hopefully you have better luck with your next read ☺️
@aiscahill if I ever make it to Ireland, I think I will try the Oh-no-really-thanks-really-no version, just for kicks🤣
You’ll fit right in 😂
I’m 50ish pages from the end of Intermezzo. It’s my first Sally Rooney (and probably my only one). I’m not loving it. I’m good with no quotation marks - I think she handles that exceptionally well - but the syntactical choices on a sentence level keep pulling me out of the story. I do like the characters but like you, I’d like to have seen more from Sylvia. She’s the character I was rooting for.
Who knew I needed a vegan wanker mug!
I completely get where you’re coming from. I wouldn’t necessarily say that the language reads in a natural way, so I can see how it could pull you out of it. It’s a shame, but at least you know now ☺️
Haha of all the lovely mugs I have, I think that one’s my favourite 🌱
♟️🖤
💛
Hi Aisling, My house bag is on my walker so it goes all around the apartment with me. I can identify with what you said about disability. I work as a remote Life Coach. One type of client I work with are those with Chronic Health issues. If you are curious about working with me please let me know. I'm feeling more and more that we're kindred spirits. As for reading thanks for the deep dive into Sally Rooney. I now know she's not for me.
That works well, I’m sure ☺️
Thanks for the suggestion, Amy, but I’m not searching for any coaching at the moment.
I’m glad I saved you some time and effort and you know now not to waste your time with Rooney.
I AM SAT
“There’s this consensus that if somebody looks like they’re carrying something well that it’s not heavy, but it’s really heavy.” THIS THIS THIS!! You put it so aptly. As a high functioning neurodivergent person with depression and adhd, I get this feeling a lot as well. Rooney really does portray this frustration with a level of desperation which seeks to gather and join us all in our well of pain - whether mental, physical, emotional. Even if what gathers is our own fractured parts 🥹
And I’m sorry the ending didn’t stick the landing for you and left you wanting! Though it all sat right with me, I totally get your qualms, especially when you said you wished for Rooney to give you some personally long coveted answers 🥹 She definitely chose brevity over drama and left things unresolved where I also would’ve liked to see more (i.e. I really would’ve liked Sylvia’s pov, actually!)
I suppose I found it so right as the incompleteness made me feel I could follow these characters forever, which means they do live on in me and continue to exist and transform. 🥹 As you said, 5 stars is a feeling and is all about timing. I’m so glad the timing was just right for me 🤧
It’s very possible that my expectations were much higher than they should have been in some ways. But I didn’t have a negative experience with the book at all. For me, Sylvia and Ivan were the most interesting characters. I’m glad we got so much Ivan, but I’d have loved so much more Sylvia, too.
I’m so glad you loved it so much, Kali. Sally Rooney strikes again ☺️💛