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guinness74's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I’m not sure how this book made it to my TBR list, but there it was and despite the not great rating, it was short and I thought I’d give it a go. I should’ve known better. It was too short to give the characters a completeness. Some of the characters introduced, seemingly to drive the story forward, just disappear. The ones that remain are not in the least entertaining. 2 stars merely because it was short and there were some descriptive segments that I enjoyed.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Genocide, Violence, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War
linguaphile412's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Genocide, Gun violence, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Infidelity and War
Minor: Death of parent
galpalrachel's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
mai_books_nature's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
eralbesu's review against another edition
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I really want to enjoy this book, and there were elements I did enjoy. For instance, I enjoyed reading about The Hague and the trials and the work of an international court interpreter. However, the story felt a bit shallow. Every time I thought I’d discovered the plot line that was going to add more depth to the story, it plateaued.
All in all, it was a quick read that managed to feel light, despite moments of darker subject matter. Sometimes I need that in a book.
All in all, it was a quick read that managed to feel light, despite moments of darker subject matter. Sometimes I need that in a book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Hate crime, Infidelity, Violence, and Colonisation
Moderate: Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
literarysaara's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A reflective, easy-to-read story that is the combination of 3 main ingredients combined into the melting pot that is this book: self-reflection, people-watching, and a strong desire to feel as if you belong to a place.
The story is told through the eyes of a half-Japanese, half-Caucasian woman who has recently moved to the Netherlands for interpretive/translation work for a local court. As she adjusts to this life in a new country, she begins to notice the small moments of intimacy that occur both within her work as an interpretor/translator, but also within her personal life as she adjusts to this new place, amongst new people. A prolific people-watcher, she has a strong desire to feel as if she belongs somewhere. And as the story progresses, we as the readers accompany her on this journey of self-discovery, and the tumultuous nature of interpersonal relationships and encounters.
The story is told through the eyes of a half-Japanese, half-Caucasian woman who has recently moved to the Netherlands for interpretive/translation work for a local court. As she adjusts to this life in a new country, she begins to notice the small moments of intimacy that occur both within her work as an interpretor/translator, but also within her personal life as she adjusts to this new place, amongst new people. A prolific people-watcher, she has a strong desire to feel as if she belongs somewhere. And as the story progresses, we as the readers accompany her on this journey of self-discovery, and the tumultuous nature of interpersonal relationships and encounters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Cursing, Genocide, and Death of parent
parton4proletariat's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.0
I had high expectations for this book. The premise is exciting—a woman entangled in a relationship with a married man, her life intertwining with a violent crime victim, and interpreting for a war criminal. There is so much going on in this book just for nothing to happen. The court scenes feel like they take up most of the book and seem to drag on forever. Everything else fell flat to me. Her relationship with the married man was interesting but only really happened at the beginning and end of the book. The whole time I was just waiting for something to happen. I also didn't enjoy the writing style. The directness just wasn't for me.
however, I did appreciate the hopeful ending. I'm a sucker for ambiguous endings, and Kitamura did it in a way that felt satisfying, which I think is hard to do.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
this is a sparse, contemplative short novel. although much of the book was spent inside the main character's head and her ruminations, i liked it, and the subtleties of human interaction + constant lil revelations that peppered throughout as well. it's nothing grand, but its simplicity is grounded and real.
i also enjoyed how kitamura explored the titular theme of intimacies in different ways, esp through the paradoxical nature of interpretive work. however, the lack of quotations was confusing at times (although im aware that that might be precisely the point), and im not quite a fan of how the whole thing w/ adriaan turned out; he got off way too easy and i wouldve liked more clarity from his end.
i also enjoyed how kitamura explored the titular theme of intimacies in different ways, esp through the paradoxical nature of interpretive work. however, the lack of quotations was confusing at times (although im aware that that might be precisely the point), and im not quite a fan of how the whole thing w/ adriaan turned out; he got off way too easy and i wouldve liked more clarity from his end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Violence, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent