Book Review: Katie Kitamura’s new novel about an actor explores idea that 'all the world’s a stage'

News Room
By News Room 3 Min Read

A woman meets a man half her age at a sleek Manhattan restaurant for lunch. Is he her lover or her son? If the former, then you might expect her to wield the power, like the character of Mrs. Robinson in “The Graduate,” Mike Nichols’ 1967 film about a young man who has an affair with one of his parents’ friends. If the latter, then you might expect the young man, Xavier, to wield the power because youth outshines age and parents, for the most part, are willing to go to almost any length to make their kids happy.

In her latest novel, “Audition,” Katie Kitamura exploits all the tension and ambiguity inherent in that opening scene to craft a short, propulsive novel that suggests that at work and in life, we are constantly trying out roles and making it up as we go along. Or, to quote Shakespeare, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”

Share This Article
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *