The second book I read this year easily earned a spot on my favorites list. I loved Intimacies by Katie Kitamura so much! It’s just the kind of quiet, character-driven novel that I’m drawn to these days. The tone was reminiscent of Rachel Cusk’s Outline trilogy, but much more personal. Intimacies is about a woman who recently moved to The Hague to work as an interpreter at the International Court. She’s there on a one year contract. Over the course of the year, she translates for a high-profile case involving a former president / war criminal who has committed horrible crimes. She balances work with personal relationships, including her lover, a married but separated man. After her year is up, she must decide if she wants to renew her contract and stay in The Hague. 

 

The narrator is untethered and searching, contemplative and still hopeful. I enjoyed reading about the difficulties of interpretation. It felt so human that the narrator found herself subconsciously rooting for a war criminal due to their shared language connection. And I was drawn in by another central tension of the book - what will happen with Adriaan, the narrator’s lover? Would he choose to divorce his wife? Would the narrator even want to stay in The Hague? 

 

I really loved this one. I highly recommend it, especially if you enjoy books focused on one character and their daily life. This book is not plot-driven, and it doesn’t have a lot of action. Instead it’s measured and reflective. Let me know if you’ve read this one! I know reviews have been mixed, but it’s exactly the type of writing I love.