Han Ong has a fresh writing style. The masquerade of William Paulinha as William Chao, a Feng Shui expert, takes us into the culture of wealth, artifice and superficiality. As the plot masterminded by Shem who spots William at a dive bar unfolds, we are presented with a world where even the nicer folks are bent on revenge. The issues of rascism where Filipinos are treated as second-class citizens and actresses are forced to take roles where they grunt in topless costumes on Broadway is contrasted with the differing Asian perceptions of Master Chao who passes himself off as Chinese although he is Filipino. What William's being gay contributed to the novel eluded me, other than a love-hate relationship with one of the characters, Kendo, the wealthy son of one of Chao's marks. The idea of using Feng Shui negatively to harm was a unique approach. The novel works well as a darker piece, but is frustrating because there is no real goodness. For someone who is not a crook, it's hard to identify with the characters. Ong does have a good command of story, language and pacing. You will enjoy the unmasking of motives as the novel unfolds.

Angry and filled with sarcasm towards the great white society of upper crust Manhattan, writer Shem C expected greatness bestowed on him by now. Instead, he feels as if he received butkas. When Shem meets Filipino William Paulinha, a two-bit hustler working men's rooms, he concocts a plan to make some cash and to shish kabob all who scorned him.

Shem enlists William to pretend to be Master Chao, a "highly renowned" Eastern practitioner of Feng Shui, the harmonious way to peace and prosperity. As Master Chao, William provides "enlightened" advice to the disgruntled wealthy in exchange for money. Quickly, he becomes the flavor of the moment. However, along the way, William learns that the path he chose is filled with the lonely seeking to connect with anyone, including a con artist like him. However, his enlightenment may be too late as the scam spirals way beyond the control of the two fixers.

If Jonathan Swift lived today he would have written a novel like FIXER CHAO, an acerbic satirical look at the two sides of Manhattan. The characters, not just the lead duo, but the entire cast including the willing victims drive the story line. Han Ong shows how powerful the pen is as he skewers the modern American castless class system.

Harriet Klausner

There were books that defined aspects of America in the 1980's: Liar's Poker, Less Than Zero, and Bonfire of the Vanities. This book by Han Ong will be a defining classic for Manhattan in 1999, on the cusp of the Millenium and Y2K.

This is the first novel by one of the youngest MacArthur Genius grant recipients, the playwright, Han Ong. In this story, we meet our narrator, William Narcisco Paulinha, a Philippine-American. William has always felt himself to be a loser; he is no piranha in Manhattan's waters. Even though he types perfectly at a speed of 120 wpm, he charges 75% of the market rate, instead of a premium. He types manuscripts for New York's lesser, aspiring writers, or those with poor grammar and run-on sentences, like the Holocaust survivor for whom he takes dictation. But taking dictation and typing are better tasks than his former job, that of a Port Authority Bus Terminal Men's Room hustler and sex worker (No, the book's author never turned tricks at Port Authority). William is a good person. He doesn't correct his elderly clients' grammar and he cares for an elderly Filipino neighbor who suffers from an injured hip.

One evening after work, William meets Shem C., a peculiar Jew in a squalid, Times Square bar, the Savoy (used to be at 41st and 9th). Shem asks Paulinha to buy him a shot, calls him a Chink, and reports that he never heard of the Philippines. (can he be trusted?) Shem is recovering from being thrown out of his home by his nagging wife. She is the daughter of a famous Jewish novelist. Shem is a social climbing, unsuccessful author of book reviews and celebrity profiles. Having been been spurned by Manhattan's elite, he wants to exact sweet revenge. Shem has a proposal for William, who he sees as a down and out Asian. Shem wants to front him as a Chinese Feng Shui expert, a fixer, from Hong Kong, Fixer William Chao, living secretly in America under an assumed name. Shem wants The Fixer Chao to always make one feng shui error, in order to injure the despised elitists. Together they will bilk Manhattan's elite, separating them from their extra money, fixing their unhappy but wealth-filled lives. Shem is a Shem-Sham Man. When William joins him, the reader is left with an enjoyable story and biting commentary on Manhattan life, celebrities, and the lemming-like behavior of those New Yorkers with artistic sensibilities. This is a must read, as each page contains an insightful nugget. Also, a feng shui expert may tell you that reading this book will lead to peace which will lead to clarity and help you get what you deserve and desire.