The China Lover: A Novel by Ian Buruma

Buruma’s plot strays all over the map, and that’s part of the problem with this ambitious book. He seems to have tried to work in every theme he’s every contemplated about Japanese history and identity: the problematic relationship between East and West, the Japanese underworld, anti-Semitism, the role of the foreigner in Japan, the web of connections and obligations that knits together Japanese society. The episodic narrative, packed with celebrity walk-ons (Pu Yi, the puppet emperor in Manchuria; Truman Capote), is always fascinating but sometimes dizzyingly unfocused. Moreover, as the story unfolds, Buruma’s attitude toward his protagonist remains hazy. Yamaguchi rarely emerges as more than an enigma. As a symbol of Japan’s often awkward — and sometimes destructive — relationship with the rest of the world, she could hardly be more effective. But as a character in a novel she can seem as brittle as a porcelain doll.

Book Review - ‘The China Lover,’ by Ian Buruma - Review - NYTimes.com.