writer made more real by her fiction

The opposite of fate by Amy Tan(Flamingo, (pounds) 15.99) The opposite of fate seems to be hope, at least it is for Amy Tan in her first book of non-fiction. Tan came to prominence with her debut novel, The Joy Luck Club, a bestseller about a group of Chinese women who had settled in the US and the cross-over between the two cultures. It was made into an acclaimed Hollywood film, and her subsequent three novels all effortlessly glided on to the bestseller lists too.

Tan's success lies partly in her inheritance. In a Western world full of blandness, there is little a Chinese-American needs to do to stand out from the crowd. But she also has an ability to be both intelligent and approachable, attracting readers without simultaneously repelling them. One telling account she includes in this collection is a list of errata that are included on various websites and interviews about Tan, "writer of colour", as she is sometimes insensitively described.

She registers mock-horror at finding a website selling essays on both her life and work: "How dismal to think I can be summed up for $25.99. These papers could not be correct. I've paid psychiatrists $200 for 50 minutes many times, and I still don't understand who I am."

Tan pokes fun at the notion that her books mirror her life: "People ask after my imaginary children. They tell me they can give me a referral to a top-notch naturopath who cures multiple sclerosis " Likewise she is amused by critics and students who read too much into her work, one of whom felt "that my book was based on my numerous bad experiences with men. I showed that essay to my husband, who has been my constant companion since 1970". Nor is she any more amenable to demands that she be a "voice" for Asian-Americans. Her impatience, however, is laced with good humour and understanding. Clearly, she does not take herself too seriously.

However, there are many reflections of her life in her novels, reinforced by the revelations here of her family's history. A grandmother was raped and kidnapped by a rich man after the death of her husband and made his concubine. After she gave birth to his son, she killed herself by swallowing raw opium. Tan's own mother married an abusive man, who had her imprisoned when she ran away to be with the man who was to become Tan's father. Only on her release from prison in Shanghai was she able to escape her husband and marry John Tan.

These life stories have found their way into Tan's fiction, dominated by demanding mothers and ghostly grandmothers. However, it is the presence of a father in this volume that has the greater impact. She shows a handsome, charismatic man who adapted to the American way of life easily; an affectionate individual who coped with his highly-strung wife. That both he and Tan's brother died so young is a tragedy and one that her mother, who tormented Tan with threats of suicide, could barely absorb.

These events have not really made their way into the fiction, perhaps because they are too painful. They may be used in future reviews to shore up even more of the over-interpretations that Tan has merrily poked fun at here. But that would be a pity. For when it comes to certain family tragedies, readers may be surprised to find Tan has worked hard to draw a line between the fictional and the real. She has chosen which to novelise and which to leave to history. We should respect her choice.

Copyright 2003 SMG Sunday Newspapers Ltd.
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