The Shapes and Styles of Asian American Prose Fiction

This is the first formal literary criticism on Asian American literature. The existing studies emphasize sociological and historical backgrounds of the writers with only general summaries of individual works. The shapes and individual styles of prominent Asian American writers are analyzed in detail to see if they fit standards given to us by established critics like Aristotle, Henry James, Percy Lubbock, and Wayne Booth.

Comparisons to European and American writers are included to illuminate and provide insight into these representative writers. Their works are considered as literary achievements first and cultural artifacts second.