A review by j_m_alexander
Intimacies by Katie Kitamura

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

 Beautifully written atmospheric intimate scenes. There is a plot, but it's kind of beside the point, this is much more of a book about mood and language, mood created by language. Largely a very quiet novel with an interior focus, that while built around these relationships and intimacies, it often left me with a feeling of distinct loneliness. Kitamura does an amazing job exploring different sorts of intimate moments: being vulnerable with a romantic partner, the act of interpreting language for an individual, watching a couple interact in public, inhabiting another's space, getting to know a new friend. The whole story floats along quickly, feeling almost ethereal, ungraspable, and rudderless.