Intimacies (Tra le nostre parole) by Katie Kitamura, both read in English and Italian. Such an atmospheric novel without a real plot line. The story is narrated by an unnamed narrator who accepts the job as an interpreter at the Hague. Our female narrator left New York after her father died and her mother left for Singapore. In her quest to get away from grief, she finds herself involved with a married man, which adds more complications and pain to her already stressful life. Still, I don't want to linger too much on the story line, this is not what actually captivated me. It's a story of silence and communication, many kinds of communication. At its core, the author wanted to give an intimate look about different ways of life. She has such an elegant prose with an unconventional plot. What I enjoyed most was how the author was able to give a dynamic view of thing happening all at the same time and how many interpretations we can give to to each of these. As readers we create Intimacies with one another. We personally give our interpretation of every page we read, the characters, every step they take, moving backwards and forwards. There are so many kinds of Intimacies. An invitation to somebody's house or party means we get acquainted, intimate with that person. A photograph or a painting reveals somebody's memories in a particular moment of his/her life. We can also become intimate with a town once we begin to associate our personal life to its streets and places. We can also become intimate with a person as an interpreter during a trial. There is something very personal into whispering into someone's ear in order to translate for an official meeting.
Kitamura's language seems simple, but it is so evocative and poetic. I cannot recommend it enough.
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