Ivan and Peter Koubek are brothers grieving the death of their father from cancer. Ivan is a 22-year-old chess champion with a degree in theoretical physics and former “incel” tendencies, while Peter is a human rights lawyer in his 30s pining for his former girlfriend, Sylvia. Peter is also sleeping with Naomi, a student in her early 20s who sells nude pictures of herself online and who regularly taps him for cash.
Set in Dublin and rural west Ireland, this fourth novel from the Normal People author Sally Rooney draws on familiar themes of modern relationships, though here they are underpinned by grief. While Ivan tries to understand and process the loss of his father, Peter prefers to distract himself from his feelings with alcohol and prescription drugs.
