When Sidney Vanoven is sent to occupied Japan, in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, it is his dream posting. By day, he works in the censor's office watching Japanese films; at night he immerses himself in the sensual pleasures of Tokyo.
His job leads him into the circle of the beautiful film star Shirley Yamaguchi, a passionate and indomitable woman, whose wartime secrets hint at deception and betrayal. As he becomes increasingly aware of her story, it seems to point at the dark heart of Japan itself.
In The China Lover, Ian Buruma has created a saga of modern Japan that is epic in scale, richly imagined and vividly populated. It is quite simply unforgettable.
- ISBN10 1843549042
- ISBN13 9781843549048
- Publish Date 1 November 2008 (first published 1 October 2008)
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 28 February 2014
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Atlantic Books
- Edition Main
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 320
- Language English