They must submit to the failings and shortcomings of words, and yet we habitually forget this when we read, immersed as we are.Ī book like this one, about an interpreter, helps to remind us of this, just as a book that takes place in the Hague, at its court, detailing the true evil that is found there, must remind us of the gray areas of morality that we find ourselves surrounded by every day, those which we too habitually forget. I read so I can write reviews so I can have the serotonin burst that comes from getting likes on those reviews.Īnd sometimes, I read for realizations! This is one of those times.īooks are made up of language. I read because I am cursed with the knowledge of what a reading challenge is. I read because I like adding books to my reading tracker spreadsheet. I read because I have no hobbies and a lot of free time. I have many answers to the question 'why do you read,' which makes sense considering it's all I do to the detriment of my life, responsibilities, and personal relationships. She is soon pushed to the precipice, where betrayal and heartbreak threaten to overwhelm her it is her drive towards truth, and love, that throws into stark relief what she wants from her life. This woman is the voice in the ear of many, but what command does that give her, and how vulnerable does that leave her? Her coolly impassioned views on power, love, and violence, are tested, both in her personal intimacies and in her role at the Court. And she's pulled into explosive political fires: her work interpreting for a former president accused of war crimes becomes precarious as their relationship is unbound by shifting language and meaning. Her friend Jana witnesses a seemingly random act of violence, a crime the interpreter becomes increasingly obsessed with as she befriends the victim's sister. She's drawn into simmering personal dramas: her lover, Adriaan, is separated from his wife but still entangled in his marriage. A woman of many languages and identities, she is looking for a place to finally call home. A novel from the author of A Separation, a taut and electrifying story about a woman caught between many truths.Īn interpreter has come to The Hague to escape New York and work at the International Court.

Intimacies by Tee A. Corinne