A review by joshlynjavier
Intimacies by Katie Kitamura

mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

interpretation can be profoundly disorienting, you can be so caught up in the minutiae of the act, in trying to maintain utmost fidelity to the words being spoken first by the subject and then by yourself, that you do not necessarily apprehend the sense of the sentences themselves: you literally do not know what you are saying. language loses its meaning.

overwhelmingly impersonal yet somehow so intimate. what do we turn our backs to? 

i'm not entirely sure how kitamura achieved the effect, but this quiet, ordinary story reveals so much about complex dynamics, power struggles, and the significance of language and interpretation as a medium for connection/understanding. what goes left unsaid can often speak more to a situation, rather than the explicit. i enjoyed the exploration of loneliness, isolation, displacement, and the invisible yet tangible sense of yearning. unlike others, i actually really enjoyed the main character's perspective and behavior. 

fair warning that this is not a plot-driven novel. it's a series of events and reflection examining beauty, authenticity, horrors, deceit, vulnerability, and power that's interwoven within every relationship we have.