Portrait of the artist as Philip Roth - in Lisa Halliday's novel

Reading the Lisa Halliday debut novel, Asymmetry, for one reason: A unique chance for an intimate look at the private life of one of the greatest living American writers, Philip Roth. OK, this is a novel and not a memoir (and a second half of then novel, which I haven't read yet, apparently goes off on a whole separate plot course), and the male characters is named Ezra Blazer, but nobody, least of all Halliday, is claiming that Ezra is not Roth incarnate (despite the ludicrous "this is a work of fiction" disclaimer from the publisher). Even Roth has copped to it, and why not? He comes off quite well here: Famous, witty, brilliant, widely read, but also caring, generous, loving, tender - a portrait of the artist as a nice old man. To her credit, LH writes a smooth prose, easy to follow, fast-moving, witty (esp when quoting "Ezra" of course), trenchant, an easy and pleasant read. And she includes just enough quoted passages, name checks, bits of gossip, and topical references to keep the writing fresh. The plot such as it is involves Ezra meeting "Alice" by chance (actually, by act of will - he sets next to her on a bench and inquires as to what she's reading - he, by the way, is clearly recognized and noticed by passers by, which I take as quite accurate) and they quickly begin a relationship of mutual benefit: Roth has in Alice a young (half is age of younger!), attractive, sexually compliant, yet not clingy or hung up or threatening in any way; she has in him a celebrity, a way into the literary world (she has a low-level job in publishing, like millions of others of her gen.), a generous benefactor (he lavishes her w/ gifts and $100 bills and with access to a way of life far beyond her means), a father figure (her father, whom we don't meet, is apparently a right-wing, paranoid bigot), and a tutor: Ezra introduces her to lots of works she could or should be reading (the Pygmalion myth), so we get a lot of name checks, more than enough to satisfy our own ego (yes, I recognize that quote, have read that author, etc.) as someone much more in the literary know than Alice (but obviously, here's the joke, no more in the know than the author). And of course he also provides her - subsequently - with the subject for a novel whose success has largely been fueled by the selfsame celebrity culture that Ezra apparently eschews and avoids (like Roth, btw). The problem w/ Asymmetry, to this point (about 1/4 in) is that Alice is a complete cypher: We know virtually nothing about her - her background, her private life, her goals and ambitions, her anxieties, her experiences - aside from what we see of her via her assignations with and visits to Ezra. Ultimately, the success of this novel as a work of art will depend on her ability to develop her central character as someone seen not only through the light cast by another but in her own right (or light).