Litsy

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

pick

Really liked this #CampLitsy25 book about a disabled Nigerian woman who writes a best-selling science fiction book. Mostly her point of view interspersed with chapters from her book, and the occasional voices of family members and her boyfriend. Did not see where this book was going, a total surprise. Very enjoyable!

@Reggie

squirrelbrain Great review - I‘ve only just started it! 1h

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squirrelbrain

Audition | Katie Kitamura

#camplitsy25

It‘s been a perplexing first fortnight at camp, hasn‘t it?!

That new girl, Katie, I think she‘s called, seems to think she‘s an actress and she has all sorts of stories to tell, but she changes her mind every few hours as well! Hopefully we can figure her out between us. 😜

Don‘t forget we‘re only tagging the first question each week, so scroll down for questions 2 and 3.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Megabooks, BarbaraBB

squirrelbrain @Addison_Reads @AmyG @amiable @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @booknaround @BookwormAHN @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger @Cariashley @Caroline2 @CarolynM 8h

squirrelbrain @catgusmax @cbee @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @Debinhawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf 8h

squirrelbrain @flaneurette @fredthemoose @Gatheringbooks @gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @Jas16 8h

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squirrelbrain @Jenniferw88 @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @KarenUK 8h

squirrelbrain @karisa @Kitta @Kristy-K @Kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse @Lesliereadsalot @maggie4483 @maich @Mcctrish @MeganAnn @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @Monalyisha @Oryx 8h

squirrelbrain @peaknit @peanutnine @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville 8h

squirrelbrain @skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @youneverarrived @zuhkeeyah 8h

CarolynM I don‘t have a direct answer to the question, but I thought the passage at the beginning of Part 2 about the transition scene in the play was interesting as a metaphor for changes in our lives. Understanding, even enjoying, the change as it happens sets us up to make the most of the new life. 8h

RaeLovesToRead The book mentions a big scene in the middle of the play that the MC has to nail but struggles with, and that this is a transition between the first and second parts of the story. And structurally it feels like this is deliberately missing / not shown to us! The play she is acting in some ways reflects the actual book. 7h

TrishB I think it‘s reflecting how we all play parts in real life- not just on stage 🤷‍♀️ 7h

TheKidUpstairs Like @TrishB said, there are parallels between the roles played on stage, and the roles we play with different people in our life. In the second half, it felt like MCs various roles were collapsing in on each other. I also felt like comments in the first part about aging and memory and perception r were then reflected in the second part's fever dream - it felt like the nightmare of being thrust on stage, but you don't know the part or the lines... 7h

BkClubCare @RaeLovesToRead EXCELLENT observation 7h

TheKidUpstairs ... she was always trying to catch up to the story she found herself cast in, but was unsure of her role there. 7h

BkClubCare The book uses the play and probably the Shakespeare quote “All life is but a stage” etc as inspiration of the ways to be a mother or NOT be a mother and every day the roles are unpredictable. 7h

RaeLovesToRead @BkClubCare Also observe how I didn't actually answer the question 🤣🤣🤣 6h

mcctrish Now that I read this quote/question again and I think of @Bookwormjillk ‘s dementia idea I think it can refer to what part of it all she remembered and could take with her on the stage each night. The parallel being her real life too. She‘s so unreliable and there is so much underlying in the text I‘m just 🤯 6h

squirrelbrain @CarolynM @RaeLovesToRead @TrishB @TheKidUpstairs - I thought the fact that she had nailed the play in the second half, but then things started to go a bit awry was demonstrating that we can‘t always have it all. 6h

GatheringBooks @RaeLovesToRead everything that you said about the scene MC struggles with & how it is metaphorical of the narrative. Love the question as it captures in essence the strangeness of the book, a strangeness that makes a bit of sense structurally, and the fact that we have an unreliable narrator here who shifted from being a flighty wife to a devoted-yet-hard-to-please mother in the transition phase. A case where story form matches characterization. 6h

AmyG I question if there is a blurred line between the main character‘s acting on stage and living life. Does she live her actual life as if she is on a stage? Does she feel the need to get the “performance” in life correct as she does on the stage. I wonder if she can separate the actress from the person. 6h

AmyG @TheKidUpstairs what you just said….as in the play and in her life she is unsure of her role. In the play, she can‘t quite grasp, or perfect, that one scene. But one cannot live life as if it‘s a scene in a play as life is a “living, changing thing” where a play is the same, over and over. In a play you have an opportunity every night to make it perfect. Life doesn‘t always offer that opportunity. You know what happens in a play…not in life. (edited) 6h

vonnie862 I agree with many of you. The MC is unsure of her role in real life, so her life is a stage. Now, the idea of possible dementia did cross my mind. 5h

kspenmoll I did not pick up on possible dementia but then she could be hallucinating if that is the case in the 2nd half. Agree with all regarding blurting of lines between a role on stage & her actual life- is she always acting? I like @GatheringBooks “ a case where story for matches characterization” Who is she? Does she even know? 5h

BkClubCare @kspenmoll @GatheringBooks - great comments! She does NOT know who or how to be. 5h

Susanita When they were in the elevator together I thought: What if Hana is a serial killer? But that would be a totally different book! 🤣 5h

Deblovestoread Thanks @AmyG. I quickly read the second part last night before bed and my mind went so many places. I think you nailed it. 4h

Meshell1313 Anyone else thinking of this: "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts…” (edited) 4h

Butterfinger @TrishB I had the same thought. There are so many roles I have to play, and each different "audience" has different expectations. Ms. Dayton, Tammy, Tammy Lynn (my parents), and my favorite role - momma. I also find there has to be a transition between each act. It's hard to go straight to mothering from teaching. 4h

Butterfinger @TheKidUpstairs @AmyG I relate to the blurriness as well. Those quick moments of transition can make it seem that you have become insane. I think the dynamics of the small family of 3 changed when the woman arrived. The narrator became an observer, an audience member. She didn't know her role anymore. 3h

ChaoticMissAdventures @TheKidUpstairs I love this look on things. How she is always trying to catch up and figure out her role. The mirroring of herself and her characters self. 3h

ChaoticMissAdventures @RaeLovesToRead I have read and listened to a few of her interviews about this book and I think she would be elated at you not actually answering the question 😂 😂 she very much wanted people to go in for the idea of each part but just enjoy the ride and not find answers. 3h

AmyG To add to what I said….in a play, you have many opportunities to “get it right”. Not so in life. In life, there are no auditions. Definition if audition: an interview for a particular role or job as a singer, actor, dancer, or musician, consisting of a practical demonstration of the candidate's suitability and skill. Did the MC have skill in acting, life or both? Was she suitable to be a Mom or not? (edited) 3h

TheKidUpstairs @ChaoticMissAdventures your right, I think she'd love all the different interpretations people are offering here. It takes all to offer up a story that can be so open to ideas and interpretations and leaves so many questions, but its still so well crafted. I tip my proverbial hat to her! 3h

squirrelbrain I agree with @Deblovestoread - I think you nailed it! @AmyG And I love your take on the title too. 2h

squirrelbrain It‘s interesting that a few Littens thought of dementia, @vonnie862 - it hadn‘t even crossed my mind. 2h

squirrelbrain @Susanita - it might have made for a better book! 🤣 2h

squirrelbrain @Meshell1313 - I hadn‘t thought of that, but really it encapsulates the whole narrative, doesn‘t it? 2h

Maggie4483 @Susanita I had the same thought! Or, that Hana and Xavier were scam artists and this book was going to take a weird, violent turn. 48m

Maggie4483 I definitely agree that the MC is not sure of her place in life. And as a reformed theater kid, I can relate. People are always so surprised when I tell them that I did theater, because I am so shy. But if all my lines and stage directions (and the other characters' reactions) were laid out for me in life, I'd probably be a lot more talkative! 39m

Maggie4483 I think she likely stays in the background until she knows the reaction she will get - like when she intentionally spilled the wine to get out of dinner.
Dementia didn't cross my mind, but mental illness did. Especially the way Tomas was always trying to protect her. Like going along with her delusion was safer than contradicting her. 27m

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squirrelbrain

Audition | Katie Kitamura

#camplitsy25

What does the author mean by a family being a shared delusion or a mutual construction? Do you agree with this concept?

What did you think of the familial relationships in the two parts - did they differ?

What about the MC‘s husband - what is his role in all of this? And let‘s not forget about Hana - what impact did she have on the story, and on the other characters?

Megabooks, BarbaraBB

RaeLovesToRead Through a shared desire (and a transition scene that takes place off stage) they agree to give it a go as a family through a mutual desire for it to be the truth. They decide to accept Xavier as their son and pretend that this is how it has always been. Obviously this turns out to be harder than expected and eventually the mask slips. 7h

TrishB I thought it was a different reality. As in- this is what it could have been like. 7h

BkClubCare @TrishB - me, too. Part 2 was just another what if strand of reality. Hana was almost a third act (part 3)! 6h

See All 33 Comments

BkClubCare SO MUCH was going on in this slim book. I loved the writing style, just throwing it out there - maybe I didn‘t “get” or enjoy the story, the craft of telling it is amazing. (edited) 6h

TheKidUpstairs I'm in the "alternate reality"/sliding doors camp with @TrishB and @BkClubCare - I also felt like these "alternate realities" were another metaphor for memory and aging, and that surreal feeling of knowing something's not quite right, but not knowing what. 6h

peaKnit @BkClubCare 100% I didn‘t really get what the author may have meant but the style was good and the story was intriguing despite my own misconceptions. I may need to see sliding doors… (edited) 6h

mcctrish @BkClubCare it is crazy how much is packed into this slim book - I know I missed half of it but I enjoyed it like you 6h

AmyG I, too, thought of it as an alterate reality. And I view this as showing that memory and perception can dictate how a story plays out. In a play, the audience individually percieves what they view and makes judgements based on that. Same with life. Everyone‘s memories and perceptions are different …so the “life play” plays out differently for everyone. 6h

squirrelbrain @mcctrish - I‘m seeing so many things that I missed just from these first few posts and ideas! 6h

Reggie I agree with you @TrishB. I think that‘s why she kept meeting with him. I think she uses her skills as an actress to extrapolate what being a mother could have been like. And she has props from her real life. Like the scarf, and then like Rae mentioned there‘s the scene in the play she struggles with. That‘s used in talking about Xavier. There‘s a rift between them from him growing up but we don‘t know anything about it. 5h

vonnie862 This was weird to me. I kept questioning if he really was her son and, if so, why deny it so much in the first half. 5h

JenReadsAlot @BkClubCare @peaKnit Same! 5h

Reggie And the husband thing I think she made him into this guy to relieve the guilt of her cheating all those times. I know, I know, throw the tomatoes at me. When she says that line about it would be him to be the one that always leave, I was like, the guy who has the this is your baby as a fruit app guy?!!!!!Hana was a cheap device because I think as an insecure woman this actress couldn‘t think of any other way to create drama than to have herself go 5h

Reggie against a younger woman. And that‘s why I felt a little let down in that last quarter. 5h

JamieArc At first I saw it as a Sliding Doors thing (and that‘s one of my fave films from the 90s!). And then I thought of it the other way around- they take him in as their “son,” as if this had been their family all along. And with that, she got to reconstruct her history to be what she wanted, including erasing the affairs. 5h

JamieArc But I kept thinking about “the grass actually isn‘t greener on the other side.” 5h

JamieArc I think this quote speaks really well to the unraveling. Their shared delusion falls apart after Hana arrives and the MC comes home to find them playing their “game,” of which she‘s not a part. 5h

squirrelbrain @reggie - the husband thing was a bit odd. Clearly we were only seeing him from her perspective but she didn‘t seem to like him in either of her ‘lives‘. I‘m also not sure how he advanced the story. And I agree with you about Hana too - rather a cop-out. 5h

The_Book_Ninja @RaeLovesToRead Agreed 5h

Susanita I think @RaeLovesToRead makes a good point. They‘re all pretending to live the life they might have lived if Xavier was really her son. That kinda worked…until it didn‘t. 5h

Meshell1313 I keep asking myself about the role of the husband. Does the story even need him? Why is he participating in her delusions? 4h

Deblovestoread At first it was alternate reality or parallel universe and reading the author‘s interview that @ChaoticMissAdventures posted helped with that a bit. Or maybe the whole second part was a set up and it became Xavier‘s play or maybe it was just weird, messy life. I am all over the place with this one. 4h

Butterfinger I'm thinking of the quote - life imitates art - or vice versa. Why was she so worried about perceptions of age gaps? I read it as the narrator wrote a play - in her reality, the son is leaving, bringing home a girl who might replace her as the son's number one woman, so she uses writing as therapy. The 2 acts are happening at the same time. She wants the admiration of her son back, so she made up a character based on him. 3h

Butterfinger Shared delusion or Mutual construction??? Most families don't want to admit the problems they have. They sweep it under the rug and become offended at the word "dysfunctional." So the narrator and her husband pretend everything is alright when they should all be in therapy. If the narrator is suffering from dementia, the husband and son may construct a reality to keep the narrator calm. Hana could have been a nurse. I don't know what I am saying. 3h

ChaoticMissAdventures @BkClubCare I took the book in 3 parts also. beginning where she meets X, middle different reality where she has always known X, and then the end where the girlfriend comes in and makes thing real weird (I enjoyed it so weird is not derogatory here) 3h

ChaoticMissAdventures @Deblovestoread I am glad the article was helpful to you too! I read a couple this week to really understand the book better. And I think most people are getting what she was trying to do, she was pretty clear she wanted both halves of the book to be mirrors (fun house maybe?) to each other, they were not supposed to flow together. Which I think is interesting and not something we see in traditional writing so can be jarring to many. 3h

ChaoticMissAdventures @JamieArc I really like this idea, of her reconstructing history, that is not a lens I have heard it viewed from. I think that is great way to look at it. She she at first fights to bring him home and then things still go awry. 3h

Ruthiella I am really enjoying the discussion and the different ways of perceiving the novel. It just occurred to me that I might have a completely different take on it if the two parts were reversed in order. 🤯 3h

squirrelbrain @JamieArc - one of my favourite films too! And I always love a ‘sliding doors‘ type narrative, but this one was *too* confusing. 2h

squirrelbrain @ChaoticMissAdventures @Deblovestoread - I read a few interviews with the author too but I found her to be just as opaque in those as she was in the book. 🤷‍♀️ 2h

squirrelbrain @Butterfinger - I get what you‘re saying! 😊 I like the idea that she‘s craving the admiration of her son after he ‘replaced‘ her with someone else. 2h

Maggie4483 I didn't even consider the alternate reality/“Sliding Doors“ possibility. I think I might have enjoyed it more if I had read it from that viewpoint. 😆
I really thought she started pretending that X really was her son, and let the fantasy get away from her until it turned into delusion. X & T both knew she was delusional, and went along with it - T because he didn't want to upset her, and X because it served his needs. (1/2) 14m

Maggie4483 (2/2) I know a lot of you saw the introduction of Hana as a cop out, but I saw her as a necessary foil to break the delusion. Blinded by love, Xavier couldn't help but drop the act, which in turn made the MC realize that things weren't what they seemed.

(I may be completely wrong about all of this - I was pretty confused throughout the whole book). 8m

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squirrelbrain

Audition | Katie Kitamura

#camplitsy25

And, for our final question for this book and, as many of you have put in your reviews, WTF is going on?!

I know many of you have questions, so here‘s your opportunity and, hopefully, *someone* will have answers!

Here‘s a couple of questions from me to get us started:

Is one half real, the other fiction?
Is this meta-fiction?

Thanks for all your input and comments on this challenging book! 🏕️

Megabooks, BarbaraBB

Soubhiville From the reviews, I don‘t feel I‘ve missed much by having to skip this one. I am looking forward to reading everyone‘s responses later, to see if anyone thinks they‘ve figured this book out! 8h

Bookwormjillk I'm going to answer this one first. I liked this book even though I didn't understand it. I've been thinking about it all week.

One of the things I was really confused about was the ages of the MC and Xavier. At first I guessed she was maybe early/mid 50's and Xavier was around 23-25. But in the second half she read a lot older. I began to think that she had dementia, and that the first part of the book was before she was diagnosed. (1/2) 8h

Bookwormjillk (2/2) The second part I thought was after she was diagnosed and Xavier and husband were trying to take care of her but had been so used to living off her acting paychecks their whole lives they weren't doing a good job. So they had to bring in Hana.

The whole book was scary to me. Like at any moment something can happen to you and no matter how successful you are you'll have to depend on others.

Can't wait to hear how others interpreted it! (edited) 8h

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CarolynM My theory is Part 1 is basically true. The advent of Xavier makes the MC revisit her feelings about her pregnancies and Part 2 is her thinking about what life would have been like if she‘d had either child, which she is projecting over the reality of Xavier taking advantage of her by moving in. Or it‘s 2 versions of the same person one childless, one with a child. In Part 1 she‘s angsty about her age/appearance, sexual politics, work stuff ⬇️ (edited) 7h

RaeLovesToRead I've written a detailed rundown on Goodreads - I'll try and summarise... Part One is reality and Part Two is an agreement between the characters to live as if Xavier is really their son, motivated by mutual desire for it to be the truth. Initially it fulfils a deep need for all the characters and the arrangement seems to be working, but as it goes on the mask starts to slip and Xavier's presence in their life becomes less of a positive. 7h

RaeLovesToRead As @The_Book_Ninja phrased it on my Litsy review "Xavier failed his Audition" 7h

RaeLovesToRead I do feel like the book made sense to me. I didn't feel confused. Once it tilts and is revealed that Part Two is "acting" all the inconsistencies fell into place for me. 7h

CarolynM ⬆️ In part 2 the angst is about things like which parent does the child want approval from, is the child meeting expectations or slacking off, how does the child‘s partner fit into the family dynamic? 7h

CarolynM @RaeLovesToRead I like your idea too. 7h

mcctrish Ooo @Bookwormjillk @RaeLovesToRead both of these make sense of this book and I love the comment that Xavier failed his audition because he totally did - felt like he was a grifter 7h

TrishB When I started the second part I just thought- oh this is one of those clever books we‘re all supposed to be philosophical about now….I struggle enjoying books that have no likeable characters and no plot. 7h

Oryx My interpretation was the same as @RaeLovesToRead 's - it was an agreement to act like they had always been a family. And then it fell apart. 7h

Oryx I'm still so confused about what age they are meant to be though? They read 60s/70s to me. But that doesn't fit. 7h

Bookwormjillk @RaeLovesToRead good theory! Makes the title make sense. 7h

BkClubCare I, too, want to answer this question first. I can‘t find my original thoughts (WHERE OH WHERE did I write that?! Anyway, I now think it is alternate realities, those aligning threads but not, where part 1 she didn‘t have a child and how that affected her marriage and her career and the part 2 if she did have Xavier and how it affects her life. I know I am stating the obvious, but to me, it was her stories to herself and not being able 1/? (edited) 7h

BkClubCare To reconcile her feelings and hopes for self actualization and happiness. It is working through all her feelings about motherhood and being a wife while having a career. All delusions, all shifting with each time on stage even while playing the same part. I am liking the story (stories?) more with distance. 2/2 7h

BkClubCare @RaeLovesToRead - yes! Love this! “Xavier failed the audition.” 😂 as did the MC for role of “mother”. 7h

RaeLovesToRead @mcctrish @BkClubCare I can't take credit for the Xavier failed his audition wording - that was @The_Book_Ninja 😄 6h

RaeLovesToRead But yeah, I'm pretty cemented in my view of what I thought was meant to be going on. Love hearing the other interpretations though! 6h

squirrelbrain @Soubhiville - it was certainly a challenging book for sure, and I‘m not sure if anyone actually enjoyed it. 😬 6h

TheKidUpstairs Like @Bookwormjillk I saw a lot of themes and ideas of aging and dementia, and also the vulnerabilities and potential for abuse in these situations. But not in a straightforward narrative way, I read the two parts as alternate realities as an allegory for dementia, combined with a metaphor for the roles we play. I'm not sure if I'm explaining my thoughts well - this book definitely sent them into a spiral! 6h

squirrelbrain @Bookwormjillk - that‘s really interesting and something that hadn‘t even crossed my mind. 🤔 So, in her confused mind Hana is bossing Tomas around when, really, she feels bossed around by Hana, maybe? 6h

TheKidUpstairs @squirrelbrain @soubhiville I really enjoyed it! But I was definitely in the right place for a mind twisting, not really sure what's going on, read. I totally get how people didn't like it as much as I did! 6h

squirrelbrain I really like these theories / this theory @CarolynM @BkClubCare (I think you‘re both agreeing?!). In the second part her play is a success (because of her) and it almost feels like she‘s asking the question ‘Can women actually have it all?‘. With the answer being, yes, but you still have worries and are not necessarily happy with having it all. 6h

mcctrish @Bookwormjillk your dementia idea is making it make sense to me more when I think back to the first part when I kept thinking her husband was following her because of infidelity but maybe he was just checking on her - early stages dementia you are fine in familiar settings - and how I felt she wasn‘t using all her words ( explaining all her thoughts/moods/ideas/situations ) thereby creating unnecessary confusion/conflict (edited) 6h

squirrelbrain Hmm, I‘m not so sure @RaeLovesToRead @oryx 🤔 There‘s a line near the start of part 2 where the MC talks about the negotiations between Anne, X and her. She says ‘It was not possible to occlude the reality of my relationship with X, the affinities and understandings built over a lifetime.‘ If X isn‘t her son and they have an agreement to act as if he was, she wouldn‘t have said this. 6h

squirrelbrain @TheKidUpstairs - I definitely saw the aging allegories but didn‘t think to take it as far as dementia, as you and @bookwormjillk did. It‘s fascinating how we can all come up with different theories or, in some cases, the same theory! 6h

jenniferw88 I enjoyed it. However, I have a different interpretation. I think Xavier is her son, and the first part and most of part two is a dress rehearsal of the play he wrote (based on real people they know), up until the fictional play run's end. Then the rest of it is discussing the performances and him saying "Mum, look, this is basically you". 6h

jenniferw88 I also like @Bookwormjillk 's idea about dementia though! 6h

mcctrish @jenniferw88 I‘m starting to think, going with the dementia theory, that Xavier is her son and she‘s forgotten him and like you said he‘s come back and he and his dad are trying to provide some support so she can keep living her life a bit on her terms 6h

Bookwormjillk @squirrelbrain yes, and I think in that weird hide and seek scene they were actually looking for MC. 6h

Bookwormjillk Maybe this is one of those books that can be about whatever you‘re going through at the moment. We‘re dealing with dementia in our family right now and the dreamy everyone is out to get me feel really reminded me of our relative. 6h

RaeLovesToRead @squirrelbrain I don't necessarily agree because she is speaking through the lens of their shared deliberate "delusion". There was always going to be some baggage when it came to Xavier because he became known to Anne through his turning up and seeking out the MC. All of her internal narrative is obfuscating, jumbled and incorporating both versions of reality - their new arrangement overlaying the reality. So I think it still fits. 6h

RaeLovesToRead @Oryx Thoughts? 6h

AmyG I questioned whether part 2 is actually her (perhaps) fantasizing “finding” her son as an adult? At the end of part 2 she did ‘t seem as the wonderful Mom she thought herself to be. What if the entire past of raising him was skipped and he came into the story as her son? A rewrite of the play? I am thinking I liked this book way more than I thought I did because I have thought so much about the story. 6h

AmyG @Bookwormjillk I keep thinking this book has much to do with the audience perception or what you say….bringing into it each individual person‘s “stuff”. We all percieve things differently based on our life, emotions, beliefs etc. We can‘t control a situation, only ourselves. So….this story will be percieved differently by each person reading it. Same as a play. @jenniferw88 very interesting interpretation. (edited) 6h

vonnie862 I'm going to be honest, I have no idea. 5h

squirrelbrain @jenniferw88 - I really like that interpretation. Although it hurts my brain a bit to try to re-frame it in that way, and I‘m definitely not going for a re-read! 5h

JenReadsAlot @vonnie862 Same! Loving reading everyone's thoughts. 5h

squirrelbrain @Bookwormjillk - I‘d forgotten about that scene, as it didn‘t seem to fit with the rest of the book for me. I wonder if it was actually her playing hide and seek with her own memories, trying to find them? There was a sense of menace about it - it certainly wasn‘t a children‘s game they were playing. 5h

squirrelbrain I really like this idea of everyone bringing their own perceptions @AmyG - and we‘re certainly demonstrating that here! 😝 5h

Bookwormjillk @squirrelbrain yes very confusing and menacing at the same time 5h

JamieArc @AmyG I like that idea too, about the audience perception. I can picture the author excited to see what all the readers think it is about. 5h

JamieArc @Bookwormjillk I‘m glad you brought in that scene, and your interpretation is interesting. I could NOT figure it out. I was worried it was going to go into some weird sexual direction, especially with earlier subtle comments about the husband and Hana. 5h

Susanita @TrishB Yes! I just kept thinking I didn‘t get it. Even once I just accepted it was two different stories! Also, it‘s another book in which the characters don‘t talk to each other! 🤦🏻‍♀️ 5h

BkClubCare @squirrelbrain right? I keep wondering if…. If I hadn‘t read the book, and then read all these comments, would I want to read the book?🤣 because it really is twisty. (Will not be rereading it.) 5h

Jas16 Like @CarolynM I thought the 2nd part was her imagining if Xavier was her child. At first it seems rosy in her mind thinking they would have a close relationship but then her vision keeps shifting as all of her doubts about herself as a mother creep in and the possible family dynamics that would no longer have her at the center. Her thoughts keep spiraling until they flare into the over the top ending. But now seeing everyone else‘s thoughts… 4h

Meshell1313 I love reading everyone‘s theories! It‘s fun trying to interpret this unreliable narrator to figure out what is true and untrue and I think that‘s the whole point. There‘s def a message here about a woman‘s internal monologue and fulfilling these roles society places on us. 4h

Deblovestoread I didn‘t get dementia at all but could see where it can be viewed that way. It is so ambiguous that each reader is going to come away with a different idea of wtf actually happened and I think that was the point. 4h

Butterfinger I wish we could ask the author. I had forgotten about the hide and seek between Hana and the husband. It does show the insecure feelings of the narrator. Someone is trying to replace her. I think Hana is the one auditioning, in the narrator's mind, at least. I wonder if we will see this on next year's ToB. I have enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts and theories. Where our minds go to make sense of what we don't understand. 3h

ChaoticMissAdventures @Bookwormjillk just a question, do you think she read a lot older because she is shown as a more stable mother? I think often times we view women who do not have children a bit younger than those who do. I question this often in literature that compares mothers to child free women.. Just curious as I didnt' see her older in the second half, though there is a bit of time that goes by since we know that X has been working w/ Ann for a bit. 3h

ChaoticMissAdventures @RaeLovesToRead I really like this take of the parts, and how the mask slips as the actions become more and more fever dream. I like this take because then you can get the feeling at the end when she removes Hana from the home she is again taking control. 3h

ChaoticMissAdventures @mcctrish agree, through-out the book I felt Xavier was a grifter. Each reality he was scamming for something. 3h

ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain I am going to be the extreme outlier this month. I really enjoyed this one and I absolutely hated the next one we will talk about which everyone seems to adore so far 😂 I still am enjoying everyone's takes here though! 3h

Ruthiella My interpretation was the same as @Jas16 and @CarolynM . It‘s so interesting to think now about other interpretations. 3h

ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain the “can we have it all“ question is a great one. Through that lens looking at Hana it could feel like she is saying even if you work to have it all there will be outside forces that come in that you cannot control. 3h

Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger I really do wish we could ask the author. I wonder if she‘s reading all the speculation. @ChaoticMissAdventures I‘m not sure but I think it was because in the second part she seemed somehow more fragile and at the very end of her career. I agree Xavier is a grifter no matter what this book meant. 2h

Lesliereadsalot Having read all the comments, here‘s my take on the narrator. In the first half we see her as she wants to be seen: a recognizable actress, a husband who loves her, no children. Then Xavier appears, giving her something to think about outside of herself, what might have been. Then we segue to the second half: who she really is. She can‘t control her son or her husband. They‘re going to be who they‘re going to be and she has no power. 2h

RaeLovesToRead @ChaoticMissAdventures Yeah, the scenes do get very fever dream and exaggerated at the end and that's when it all comes back to reality. The way I saw it was she comes back in and they're all a bit giddy - like a drunken party where everyone takes things a bit too far - and she thinks her husband is groping Hana and it breaks the spell and she's like "RIGHT THAT'S IT. Show's over, guys." 2h

squirrelbrain @Jas16 - I‘m definitely drawn most to @CarolynM ‘s interpretation, although all of the others are just as feasible. 2h

squirrelbrain @Meshell1313 - it‘s so good to see all the theories isn‘t it?! It‘s great that a book most of us disliked has engendered so much discussion and I‘m starting to like it more now I understand it a bit more. 2h

squirrelbrain Oh, great thought about Hana being the one doing the audition! @Butterfinger (edited) 2h

squirrelbrain @ChaoticMissAdventures - I didn‘t see her as older in the second part either, which is why the dementia angle hadn‘t crossed my mind. 2h

squirrelbrain @Lesliereadsalot - so you think Xavier is actually her son, but in the first half she prefers to be known as childless? I wonder if that‘s why Tomas is such an insignificant, almost ghostly figure in the first half too? She wants to be the most important person in the room. 1h

Oryx @RaeLovesToRead @squirrelbrain replying to the convo in the thread above, I don't think it matters so much what she says, it can all be part of her act. Although the other theories are interesting. I'm not sure I'm clever enough for this book (and so my reaction is to not like it 😁). 60m

20 likes1 stack add65 comments

CarolynM

Audition | Katie Kitamura

pick

I agree this is an odd book, but I enjoyed it. I have an idea about what I think it‘s doing. I‘m looking forward to seeing what the campers think. #CampLitsy25

charl08 Intrigued by this one, looking forward to getting to read it. 10h

CarolynM For future reference, my take is that Part I is her reality - childlessness- Part 2 is her fantasy of what life might have been like if either of her pregnancies had been carried to term superimposed over the reality of Xavier taking advantage of her & Tomas by moving himself and his girlfriend in 10h

squirrelbrain Ohhhhh, great idea Carolyn! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the rest of the book. 8h

Ruthiella I read it the way you did Carolyn. @RaeLovesToRead did too. I am really enjoying other interpretations. 4h

38 likes4 comments

kspenmoll

Audition | Katie Kitamura

I finished Audition.
I am perplexed. Baffled. What just transpired? Parallel Universes?
#Camplitsy25

Megabooks, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

IriDas That sounds like a few of the reviews I‘ve read. 2d

kspenmoll @IriDas Now that I am finished, I will let myself read some reviews! I did not want to have any preconceived notions before I read this. 2d

Graciouswarriorprincess I wondered that too. 2d

See All 9 Comments

RaeLovesToRead My take was different! I wrote a whole big spiel on Goodreads if you wanna compare notes! 2d

kspenmoll @RaeLovesToRead Would love to read it! 2d

BarbaraBB An act in a play? I really can‘t say 😂 2d

squirrelbrain I‘m hoping we get enlightened at the weekend! 😝 2d

youneverarrived Haha my thoughts exactly 1d

RaeLovesToRead I can't link to the review for some reason, but my GR is: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/35995783-rae 1d

61 likes1 stack add9 comments

CogsOfEncouragement

Audition | Katie Kitamura

All done and ready to discuss with other campers.

#CampLitsy25

32 likes

ChaoticMissAdventures

Audition | Katie Kitamura

I am thinking about this book, and what our conversation on Saturday will look like, and there is an NPR interview with Kitamura that is super interesting. She talks about how she wants the 2 halves of the story to sit along side each other, and the idea of this image comes up.

Is it a rabbit or a duck?

NPR article here: https://www.npr.org/2025/04/16/nx-s1-5243214/katie-kitamura-says-a-solution-is-n...

BarbaraBB Thanks, that is a very interesting interview indeed! 3d

dabbe I see both! 🤩 3d

ChaoticMissAdventures @dabbe me too! I can't help but always see both. Have you seen the old and young lady one? I usually see the young lady first but then quickly see both and cannot unsee either. 3d

See All 6 Comments

ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraBB I thought so! I know a lot of people in #Camplitsy25 are struggling with "the point" or trying to reconcile the 2 halves and this really helped me look at it a different way. 3d

dabbe @ChaoticMissAdventures I know exactly which one you're talking about! The line is either the young lady's necklace or the older lady's mouth! 3d

BarbaraBB I am also a bit disappointed that there‘s no real answer to all my questions! (edited) 2d

30 likes6 comments

julieclair

Audition | Katie Kitamura

so-so

I am not smart enough to understand this book. Looking forward to the #CampLitsy25 discussion on Saturday, hoping for some enlightenment. Or at least some commiseration, lol. 🤪😳😵‍💫

Megabooks, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

CBee I couldn‘t keep reading. Couldn‘t concentrate and it didn‘t seem to have a point so, DNF for me 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️ 3d

BarbaraBB I didn‘t get it either! 3d

squirrelbrain I think we‘re *all* hoping that someone will know wha5 was going on! 3d

Megabooks I didn't get it either, but I think we may all figure it out together! 3d

kspenmoll Figuring it out together really helps with this book! 5h

36 likes5 comments

Read4life

Audition | Katie Kitamura

so-so

Well… I guess Saturday‘s #CampLitsy25 discussion will be interesting. 🧐 I am in the WHAAAT?? Group for this one.
I didn‘t have the strong feelings (positive or negative) that I‘m reading about in so many reviews for this book. I‘m really looking forward to the discussion to hear what the other campers have to say.

Megabooks, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

mcctrish I‘m looking forward to the discussions 3d

BarbaraBB I can‘t wait to be enlightened by other Littens 😀 3d

Megabooks I think it's going to be a great discussion. Can't wait to see you there! 3d

56 likes3 comments

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