Intimacies - Katie Kitamura

Intimacies

By Katie Kitamura

  • Release Date: 2021-07-20
  • Genre: Fiction & Literature
Score: 4
4
From 291 Ratings

Description

A NEW YORK TIMES TOP 10 BOOK OF 2021

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2021 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD IN FICTION


ONE OF BARACK OBAMA’S FAVORITE 2021 READS

AN INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER

A BEST BOOK OF 2021 FROM Washington Post, Vogue, Time, Oprah Daily, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Atlantic, Kirkus and Entertainment Weekly


Intimacies is a haunting, precise, and morally astute novel that reads like a psychological thriller…. Katie Kitamura is a wonder.” —Dana Spiotta, author of Wayward and Eat the Document

“One of the best novels I’ve read in 2021.” – Dwight Garner, The New York Times


A novel from the author of A Separation, an electrifying story about a woman caught between many truths.


An interpreter has come to The Hague to escape New York and work at the International Court. A woman of many languages and identities, she is looking for a place to finally call home.
 
She's drawn into simmering personal dramas: her lover, Adriaan, is separated from his wife but still entangled in his marriage. Her friend Jana witnesses a seemingly random act of violence, a crime the interpreter becomes increasingly obsessed with as she befriends the victim's sister. And she's pulled into an explosive political controversy when she’s asked to interpret for a former president accused of war crimes.
 
A woman of quiet passion, she confronts power, love, and violence, both in her personal intimacies and in her work at the Court. She is soon pushed to the precipice, where betrayal and heartbreak threaten to overwhelm her, forcing her to decide what she wants from her life.

Reviews

  • alright

    3
    By Cotlear
    Splice of life book i liked the words the author used and how she explained things but Seemed pointless and not rlly a page turner tbh
  • Spare and beautiful

    5
    By Marcy Sue
    Kitamura’s use of words is spare and beautiful. I was drawn into the quiet universe of our narrator where great drama was occurring without a ripple in the mood and atmosphere. I would highly recommend this book.
  • Disappointing

    2
    By matt-66
    No plot whatsoever. Several characters really have no point or impact to the story. I kept waiting for the “real story” to begin. I thought language had really nothing to do with the book.
  • Mixed Emotions

    2
    By Sweetlips329
    Wow! I'm not sure where to start but let's just say brace yourself. This was hard for me to get into and literally a slow rollercoaster ride filled with bumps of confusion. The titled, and summary is truly a disappointment.
  • Even more stunning that her previous novels

    5
    By Gdubya2000
    This is a novel about being unsure and uneasy. Our main character, a woman of skill and talent, is searching for her place and is undertaking the difficult task of creating a life in a world where the meanings of things aren’t so easy to translate. This novel will resonate with all those who have lived that experience. Kitamura’s insightful writing doesn’t merely weave those themes into the novel, but builds entire work upon them. There are few writers with her talent.
  • Gripping, in a quiet way.

    5
    By MP Henry
    I read this book in a few hours, gripped by silent tensions. lots of big questions to think about, and some unresolved aspects that feel entirely natural and true. The blunt, reportorial style was a bit odd at first, but then I saw it as a perfect fit for the narrator’s character, a reflection of her interpreter role.
  • So disappointing

    1
    By duggi ann
    The summary of this book looked great, but did nor deliver- at all. Severely lacked any story and character development. Writing was ostentatious and nothing really connected. So bad.