Ruth Dershowitz belongs in the latter category. Her standing amongst the community owes more to her sexual allure than to her writing prowess but nonetheless, she dreams of one day writing the bestseller that will make her famous. Unfortunately she lacks the inspiration she needs until a chance encounter with Mr Tanaka sparks her creative juices and leads in turn to a whole series of misunderstandings, accidents and catastrophies. If this all sounds wildly confusing, don't worry. Corraghessan Boyle pitches the story perfectly, developing his characters to such an extent that they seem to leap off the page at you.
East Is East is an object lesson in how to create appealing and compulsive fiction.
You can also read Philip Caveney's Six Best Books of the 1990's and an exclusive short story Assassin . Pure Fiction Classic Reviews are an opportunity for our reviewers to enthuse about a book they have read and never forgotten. They're also an opportunity for our readers to discover books they might never otherwise have read. Other books that we have featured are The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty and Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott.