Katie Kitamura's newest novel, Audition, begins with an enigmatic encounter in a New York restaurant where a woman meets Xavier, a young man claiming to be her son. As their ambiguous relationship unfolds, elements of suspense reminiscent of Hitchcock emerge, revealing the protagonist's intertwined roles as an actress and mother grappling with identity and authenticity. Kitamura draws on themes of uncertainty and emotional dislocation, continuing a trilogy that includes her earlier works. The narrative delves into parent-child dynamics, performance in daily life, and the search for genuine connections amidst deception.
I'm always interested in moments between people who know each other intimately, when a kind of sliver of uncertainty or indeterminacy introduces itself.
The action of Xavier, his whole character, is deeply destabilising. How did the idea of someone claiming to be another person's child present itself to you?
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