Hanif Kureishi has been described as a master of the "depiction of a lost generation of men". This most recent publication, Intimacy and Other Stories, includes the eponymous novella, first published in 1998, and three further stories, all of which provide the basis for the award-winning film by Patrice Chereau. Kureishi's description of his collaboration with Chereau and the process of making the film kicks off the selection. 'Intimacy', as well as the other pieces in this collection, concerns the male libido and craving for joy in life in sharp conflict with the shackles of monogamy and the traitorous longing for the warmth and affection of family and children.
Kureishi's narrative voice eloquently lays bare the torment of his inner life and longing, his painful disillusionment through different kinds of rejection and betrayal, the loss of love and sexual excitement in congealed relationships. Unfortunately, his disparaging attitude toward women throughout all the stories cheapens his desires, which smack more of pubescent confusion than existential searching.