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stingo's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the stories more the further I delved into the collection. The military and teachers seem to inhabit Nguyen's writings and this volume is no exception. Well-written and well told, the last 3 or 4 stories in the collection make it worth reading.
lets_get_books's review
Don't have time and I'll want to start reading it from the beginning again
kateb_libro's review
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
jasminevtnguyen's review
4.0
I am a hoe for short story collections and this hit all my Asian immigrant family dynamic soft spots.
lostinfrance's review
3.0
I have seen this book about and added it to my list because I always want to learn more about refugees coming into the US--- but also I wanted to better understand (is that even possible!) /get to know the Vietnamese culture. When I saw I need to read a book with a refugee/immigrant, I decided it was finally time to grab this book from the library...
Unfortunately, I did not realize it was a collection of short stories (not a fan), but this year, this reading challenge is supposed to be dragging me outside my comfort zone, so I decided to go ahead and give it a chance. I was pleasantly surprised in how creative and original the collection was--- the theme was obvious--- Viet nam and refugees, but outside of that, each story had me looking at these topics from a different angle and reexamining what it means to be a refugee. I was surprised to read of the different experiences and how each story rang a new truth for me to think about.
Read: if you enjoy short stories and want to think about life as a refugee (whether to the US or to Viet nam)
Unfortunately, I did not realize it was a collection of short stories (not a fan), but this year, this reading challenge is supposed to be dragging me outside my comfort zone, so I decided to go ahead and give it a chance. I was pleasantly surprised in how creative and original the collection was--- the theme was obvious--- Viet nam and refugees, but outside of that, each story had me looking at these topics from a different angle and reexamining what it means to be a refugee. I was surprised to read of the different experiences and how each story rang a new truth for me to think about.
Read: if you enjoy short stories and want to think about life as a refugee (whether to the US or to Viet nam)
jennswan's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jaclyncrupi's review against another edition
4.0
The Sympathizer was one of my fave novels of 2015. It doesn't then necessarily follow that Nguyen will be a strong short story writer but he truly is. These stories are so good and so varied.
lizzardbeth99's review
4.75
read for diversity in american literature class - such a wonderful anthology and the way that the characters are so different but encompass the same values is so special to them as a whole. favorite story was the black eyed woman or someone else besides you