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juliw's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
alexander_'s review
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
It was fine, but it felt repetitive and overly direct with its symbolism.
pria42's review against another edition
3.0
The Sympathizer is one of my all-time favourite books so this one had big shoes to fill. Some truly lovely and fascinating stories but just can’t hold a candle to the breakneck pace of that earlier novel.
krisjenner's review
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
chezzreads's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
casebounder's review
4.0
What a good collection of short stories from Pulitzer winner Viet Thanh Nguyen! Centered around refugee and immigrant situations, these stories showcase a wide array of experiences amongst what is often referred to as a monolith in the US — and, more importantly, they tap into the universal. THE REFUGEES has got me more excited to finally tackle THE SYMPATHIZER, which has been sitting on my TBR shelf for way too long (considering it’s been recommended by a couple of friends). Of these, I especially liked “Black-Eyed Woman” and “The Other Man” but I LOVED “I’d Love You to Want Me.” UGH, yes. Another win for #aapiheritagemonth.
admorobo's review
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aileena99's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
meeranair_54's review against another edition
4.0
An author with a Pulitzer Prize award, Viet Thanh Nguyen’s writing imbues a sense of delicacy to the experiences of the Vietnamese immigrant and refugee communities. In capturing their diverse stories, he takes on the responsibility of letting their lived realities manoeuvre the direction of the narrative.
I was somewhat intimidated to pick up this short story collection simply because of the depth of the topics covered. I feared that it might be too emotionally exhaustive to read. But that wasn’t the case.
While hardships and loss are a recurring occurrence across several stories in this collection, Nguyen also focuses on certain simple aspects to paint a pragmatic picture about the lives of immigrants. From their romantic relationships to cultural assimilation, illnesses to political affiliations, you get a glimpse of various perspectives in these 8 stories.
I liked the first four stories in this collection the best. The ones after that weren’t as interesting – in the sense that it felt purposeless, like a few instances strung together to form a rough idea about characters.
Viet Thanh Nguyen’s writing is easy to understand. You’ll have no trouble trying to grasp what he intends to communicate. I’d say that the insight you get about the woes and aspirations of refugees makes it worth the read.
Rating - 3.5 stars
I was somewhat intimidated to pick up this short story collection simply because of the depth of the topics covered. I feared that it might be too emotionally exhaustive to read. But that wasn’t the case.
While hardships and loss are a recurring occurrence across several stories in this collection, Nguyen also focuses on certain simple aspects to paint a pragmatic picture about the lives of immigrants. From their romantic relationships to cultural assimilation, illnesses to political affiliations, you get a glimpse of various perspectives in these 8 stories.
I liked the first four stories in this collection the best. The ones after that weren’t as interesting – in the sense that it felt purposeless, like a few instances strung together to form a rough idea about characters.
Viet Thanh Nguyen’s writing is easy to understand. You’ll have no trouble trying to grasp what he intends to communicate. I’d say that the insight you get about the woes and aspirations of refugees makes it worth the read.
Rating - 3.5 stars