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17 Jan

‘Intimacies’ by Katie Kitamura – The Trials of an Interpreter

Posted January 17, 2022 by Anokatony in Book Reviews. Tagged: .

 

‘Intimacies’ by Katie Kitamura    (2021) – 226 pages

 

‘Intimacies’ is the second novel by Katie Kitamura which I have read, the first being ‘A Separation’. To both novels, Kitamura brings a forthright clear style that is easy to like.

In ‘Intimacies’, our first-person narrator is a female interpreter at the U.N. International Court of Justice or as it is often called, the World Court, in The Hague, Netherlands. This court mainly deals with cases of war crimes or genocides or other crimes against humanity perpetrated by leaders of nations.

“The record was unfortunately blunt: the Court had primarily investigated and made arrests in African countries, even as crimes against humanity proliferated around the world.”

The case she is called on to act as interpreter involves the former president of a, yes, African country for terrible atrocities committed in his former country. This is “her first true encounter with evil”.

“Although she knew there was nothing the man could do to her, she could not deny that she was afraid, he was a man who inspired fear, even while sitting immobile he radiated power.”

Meanwhile our interpreter, new to The Hague, moves into an apartment, meets a couple of new friends, and begins a relationship with a man, a still-married man who has children.

Being an interpreter, especially for this type of World Court, is a particularly fraught experience. She must interpret the words of this African leader as he tries to defend himself against these brutal charges.

“He is petty and vain but he understands the depths of human behavior. The places where ordinary people do not go. That gives him a great deal of power, even when he is confined to a cell.”

Interpreting is more than just translating word for word. There are subtleties that must be taken into consideration.

“If a joke was made, it was the interpreter’s job to communicate the humor or attempt at humor; similarly when something was said ironically it was important to indicate that the words were not to be taken at face value. Linguistic accuracy was not enough.”

What I found most impressive about ‘Intimacies’ is the steady plain clarity of its prose style. Often the best style is one that does not call attention to itself and proceeds ahead in a reliable straightforward manner. This lucid style as well as the interesting story sold me on ‘Intimacies’, and I will be eagerly awaiting the next novel by Katie Kitamura.

 

Grade:    A

 

 

 

 

6 responses to this post.

  1. Janakay | YouMightAsWellRead's avatar

    Posted by Janakay | YouMightAsWellRead on January 17, 2022 at 7:40 PM

    Hi Tony! I read this one last summer and had mixed feelings about it (unlike you, this was my first novel by Kitamura). I thought it was extremely well done and agree that Kitamura is a very skilled stylist. I almost found the subject (the act/art of interpreting) and setting fascinating. My reservations? It was a just a little too cool and emotionally detached for me. That being said, I’ve just added Kitamura’s A Separation to my TBR. As you remarked, she’s definitely a writer to watch!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Anokatony's avatar

      Posted by Anokatony on January 17, 2022 at 8:09 PM

      Hi Janakay,
      So many extraneous factors unrelated to the work can affect one’s reaction to the work, I’m beginning to think this reviewing of books is a fool’s game, but, fool that I am, I will keep at it. :)
      I expect someone working in a trial for a war criminal would need to maintain some detachment from the proceedings.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Janakay | YouMightAsWellRead's avatar

        Posted by Janakay | YouMightAsWellRead on January 17, 2022 at 8:48 PM

        Oh, I think you’re right about the necessity of professional detachment; also that Kitamura is skilled enough to consciously reflect this in her own style for this particular novel. But still, I found a certain lack of — warmth? engagement? involvement? — in the protagonist relationships with the other characters. I admired the writer and liked the novel well enough (I’ll definitely read at least one more of her works) but Intimacies just didn’t quite connect for me. I agree that our reactions are frequently colored by extraneous factors, which is why I’m always so hesitant to completely pan a book, not that there was any question of that here.

        Liked by 1 person

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