David Peace sees the trajectory of his own life in the forward motion of the literature of this country.

Patient X: The Case-Book of Ryunosuke Akutagawa, by David Peace.320 pagesFABER & FABER, Fiction.

"I'm in love with Japanese literature, particularly that from the late 19th century to the first half of the Showa Era (1926-1989)," says Peace. "My way to try to understand the country I've chosen to live my life in is through literature. Reading that literature is like poring over the history of Japan, rich and varied as it is, through so many different voices."