cover image Reuben

Reuben

John Edgar Wideman. Penguin Books, $7.95 (224pp) ISBN 978-0-14-010595-7

Reuben is an attorney who dispenses wisdom and gratis legal aid from a beat-up ghetto trailer. PW said that Wideman ``has done a masterful job of character portrayal,'' adding that ``this novel confirms the author's reputation as an important American writer.'' (Dec . )