Rating: 
Summary: An excellent rading exprience
Review: American therapist Alex Thorn, on tour in Japan, is allegedly promoting his book Why Love Fails. However, Alex has a deeper reason for his trip here. He needs to learn what happened to his son who died while a student in Japan. Alex's son was a practicing Buddhist and thus did not believe in organ donation. When his son died, his body lacked a heart, apparently harvested for transplant use.The only clue Alex possesses is the cancelled check he made out to "Gone with the Wind," a Disney-like funeral service. Alex meets expatriate American Gaby Stanton, who informs him her company, has no record of his son and the bill is a clever forgery. Together they look for answers and Alex's grief lessens as he comes to care for his companion. She, in turn, learns that she wants to remain in Japan for more than just the medical coverage that helps pay for her health condition. Sara Barker has written a mainstream drama that is unusual and poignant. The audience gains a unique glimpse into Japanese culture while realizing that when East meets West, anything can happen. AMERICAN FUJI has cross-genre appeal to a wide range of readers who loyally will look for more novels by Ms. Barker. Harriet Klausner
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Summary: A mystery novel in modern day Japan
Review: An American teenager dies mysteriously while studying abroad in Japan and his father undertakes an odyssey to uncover the truth. Seemingly modelled after the chaotic Shinjuku neighborhood in Tokyo that many westerns find so alien, the story that unfolds is a whirlwind adventure in which the protagonist uncovers one shocking stone after another, made all the more strange when viewed through his occidental eyes. By the end of the novel, the story has taken a definite Dickensesque approach in which every single character has been inexorably linked a giant social tapestry to uncover the mystery. Although the book is fiction, it has been praised at portraying the social customs of Japan very well. Having just returned from an excellent trip to Tokyo during which I admired the sophistication of Japan, especially with regard to the ease at which gaijin seemed to be able to live there, I found a lot of the book's revelations shocking. By the end of the novel, this discord seems to be attributable to the fact that I was merely a visitor of the largest city in Japan - hardly representative enough for a generalization! In summary, this book is an easy read with interesting characters and an engaging plot. And as a side effect, you will learn something about the social customs of Japan.
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Summary: Spirited Look at Misperceptions among Japanese and Americans
Review: Biologists tell us that all human beings are remarkably similar. Yet we persist in emphasizing the differences. Let something unexpected occur . . . and we assume the worst. This lively novel does a fine job of exploiting that fundamental human failing in a humorous and interesting way. By the book's end, you will have lost many of your cultural blinders, and be open to appreciate others for who they are. There are few cultural gaps as confusing for Americans as the one between the patterns and assumptions of the U.S. mainland and the Japanese home islands. Simple things, like finding a street address, ordering something by telephone, or understanding what someone is telling you, become extraordinarily difficult. In the process, it is natural to criticize the other culture . . . rather than to see the differences as a gap without making judgments. Like Shogun, American Fuji casts you deep into the Japanese culture, as you try to think your way through whatever happens. You will find yourself identifying with the challenges that face two Americans, Dr. Alex Thorn (in Japan for a book tour and to find out more about the death of his only son) and Gaby Stanton, former English professor who finds herself excluded in a culture that strongly favors Japanese males. Although this same book could have been written in a very heavy way that left you feeling drained emotionally, I was impressed that the book make me feel very upbeat and energized. Ms. Sara Backer has a talent for finding the ridiculous, and building it into a crescendo of imagery that will leave you feeling both relieved and enlightened. Her use of toilet facilities in Japan is just one such device. If you are thinking about working in Japan, you might want to read this book in order to get some additional background on what the transition issues can be like. If not, I still think this book will narrow the cultural gap between the two nations far more than any diplomacy can hope to achieve. After you are done with this fine, humorous novel, I suggest that you think about where you assume the worst about people who behave differently than you do. Is your assumption borne out by experience? If not, why not change your assumption? Assume the best . . . and you may well experience it more often!
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Summary: Brilliant first effort by a master storyteller
Review: Fresh, witty, poignant, exotic, Sara Backer's successful fiction opus runs the gamut of human drama. Whether or not you have ever visited Japan, American Fuji will enlighten you about the Japanese character while it entertains. The story unfolds with Zen-like balance, showing with remarkable accuracy the unforgiving Japanese culture that demands the best from Gaby Stanton and Alex Thorn, and that provides a powerful backdrop for their tantalizing relationship. The author weaves vivid but subtle descriptive passages with skillful dialogue in a way that immerses us in Japan's sweltering heat, Spartan accommodations, and odd juxtaposition of natural beauty with industrial blight. We're given a special window on the daily life and strife of an unpredictable, upside-down culture. A great read, compelling and memorable. Get this book.
Rating: 
Summary: An Incredibly Effective Look at Expat Life...
Review: Having read just about every book that deals with foreigners living in Japan, I think that Sara Backer's book probably captures the ambiguity, the contradictions and the conceptual gap between the English-speaking world and Japan better than any other novel or travelogue I have read thus far. That said, the plot does leave something to be desired.
The protagonists of the book are a recently fired American professor of English living in Shizuoka, near Mt. Fuji (obviously, as you can see from the title, Mt. Fuji imagery plays an important part in the book) and an American novelist visitng Japan near the anniversary of his son's death - an exchange student who died during his year abroad. Both characters deal with their situations very realistically: Gaby, the professor, who has lived in Japan for years, finds herself running up against racism and misogyny frequently, both subtlely and bluntly, but never stops finding the time to appreciate the aspects of her life that make her life in Japan worth living. Likewise, Alex, the novelist, finds himself overwhelmed with the imagery, the arrogance and the cultural confusion of Japan, but still struggles (frequently unsuccessfully) to find a point of connection in almost every Japanese person he meets. Even the country itself is portrayed very effectively - sometimes elegantly, sometimes ludicrously and sometimes as one great contradiction. She even balances these three aspects of life in Japan, something most authors forget to do. However, the plot itself rapidly devolves into overused plot devices and even a few stereotypes by the middle third of the book. Needless sentimentality is shown, not just on the part of the main characters, but even in the authors descriptions of character reactions. Likewise, many of the supporting characters (such as Marubatsu, Alex's son's sponsor in Japan who is a professor at Gaby's old university and Lester, an expat friend of Gaby's stuck teaching for Berlitz) begin as very interesting people, but rapidly become predictable and one-dimensional. However, no one should really read this book for the plot. If you do, you're missing the only really valid reason for reading it. The plot aside, though, Backer provides a more balanced, a more knowledgeable and ultimately a more believable Japan as seen through the eyes of Americans than of any author I've read thus far. She avoids the sermons given by such supposedly reputable authors of Japanese culture such as Bruce Feiler or T.R. Reid. She avoids overplaying the kitsch of Japan in ways that authors like William Gibson fail to do and she offers Japanese that are capable of failure and who don't even necessarily understand their own culture in a way that James Clavell never succeeded in showing. Perhaps, in fact, this is where her novel shines best: it balances the contradictions of Japan and the difficulties of life there while not making a value judgement on the culture as a whole. It shows Japan as a fascinating culture, not a 'good' or a 'bad' one. So, if you enjoy reading about Japan or about East Asia in the 20th/21st centuries, definitely give this book a try. It describes the lives of Westerners in Japan today more effectively than any other book I've seen so far. Just don't read it for the plot.
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Summary: An emotional and cultural journey....
Review: I loved this book! The main character is so real....as I read it, I felt her humaness, her pain, her triumphs. What I liked even more, though, was the perspective of an American woman living in Japan. It was so interesting to read about American misconceptions of Japanese culture, as well as to learn about what an American would view as "quirks" of that culture. The reader even gets a taste of the British perspective on Japanese culture. This is a very interesting read.
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Summary: A fascinating and humorous glimpse into contemporary Japan l
Review: I loved this book. It was great to look at Japan and Japanese through the eyes of fictional Americans. I wish this book had been longer and I hope that soon Sara Backer will share more Japan with us. Japan's a place I've always been fascinated in for the culture, history etc. So often, we only are shown the glamourous side, but this book made me experinence a new more down to earth side! Thanks Sarah
Rating: 
Summary: At the risk of offending people...
Review: I must honestly say that I really disliked this book. I would guess that the author had a very negative experience in Japan because there is a great deal of anger and frustration directed at a lot of people. Japanese male characters are scheming, slimy, and even sinister. Japanese females are bubble-headed bimboes. And American men who live in Japan are the worst, no better than animals, driven only by their desire to corrupt the "easy" Japanese women, and emotionally unprepared to handle "adult" western women. The lead male character in the book makes a comment that he would never date a Japanese woman because he only wants to be with adults, or something like that. And the whole book is filled with characters and statements like that. I found it blatantly offensive, bordering on racist. I can speak from the experience of more than 7 years living in Japan that her characters are not an accurate representation of Japanese people. Of course there are people who fit into those categories, but no more so than in America. I am sorry that Ms. Backer obviously had such a terrible time in Japan, but this novel is not a good way to deal with her frustrations. Others will read this book and assume that it is an accurate representation of the people who live in Japan. It is not. If you are looking for a much better book in this genre, I recommend either Learning to Bow, or Audrey Hepburn's Neck.
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Summary: The Real Unreal Japan
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed American Fuji. I have lived in Japan, and found the book to be a "virtual reality" experience, recreating most accurately the Japan I knew. I believe Backer's writing will be vivid for those who've never been there, as well. The book worked for me as both a mystery and a romance. I liked the ambiguity and complexity of Gaby and Alex, culminating in the suspension of the ending: some things are resolved, but others are irresolvable. They (and Eguchi, too, who starts out as a clown but is revealed to be a lot more) felt very real. The ending was satisfying without being too satisfying, just as the book as a whole has much of the appeal of genre fiction, but with the depth of 'literature'. American Fuji is a mature and complex novel you'll read cover-to-cover non-stop and then go back and read again.
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Summary: From a real Japanese - this is hilarious
Review: I was born and raised as a Japanese in Japan and now live in the US. This book is hilarious. The author knows the subtle nuance of Japanese language, people, and culture, by reading this book I just laugh so hard for its accuracy and at the same time I'm so embarrased. One of the reader in this section had a negative feedback saying the author had a bad experience in Japan. I disagree. With so many bizzare Japanese ways (thinking, talking, behaving, and believing, etc.) make you want to question how in the world this society indeed operates such a high-tech country, but at the same time this bizzare society is too cracking up to the point that is beyond any hope for changes, it's also so funny and it makes you appreciate that you don't live there unless, of course, you are there for whatever the reason. Very well researched, studied, and understood by the author. Believe me, it's not easy to grasp this society in such a short time as much as she did.
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