logbook's review against another edition
3.0
The book is a memoir that takes place when the writer was a child, so I will not judge Troung's immediate history, which he had no control over. But I wish he delved into the intricacies of each "side" (or "non-side") more, although I realize that the majority of diasporic Vietnamese writing has an anti-communist bias.
Troung sometimes does touch upon the ills and corruption during the Diem presidency, but he always follows it with a line about the communists being worst than the presidency. And I, by no means, wish that this was a pro-communist book, but the Vietnam War involved so many complexities regarding how it affected familial structures, displacement/immigration, and Vietnamese society in general that it was disappointing to see a better-than/worse-than dichotomy. But, regardless, Such a Lovely Little War had captivating storytelling, and I would recommend it to anyone contemplating a Vietnam War book [written by an old white dude].
Troung sometimes does touch upon the ills and corruption during the Diem presidency, but he always follows it with a line about the communists being worst than the presidency. And I, by no means, wish that this was a pro-communist book, but the Vietnam War involved so many complexities regarding how it affected familial structures, displacement/immigration, and Vietnamese society in general that it was disappointing to see a better-than/worse-than dichotomy. But, regardless, Such a Lovely Little War had captivating storytelling, and I would recommend it to anyone contemplating a Vietnam War book [written by an old white dude].
andystone's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely wonderful book that blends personal memoir with historical understanding. The book presents a side of the Vietnam War that I’ve never heard of before in a memorable, heartbreaking and beautiful way. Highly recommended.
liralen's review against another edition
3.0
Fascinating for the perspective. Truong's mother was French and his father a Vietnamese diplomat who was posted to Saigon near the beginning of the Vietnam War. As such, Truong's perspective is one that I haven't heard much of in terms of the war: Vietnamese, but removed from the action of the war by both privilege and age.
Age is something of a disadvantage terms of the retelling, because Truong was so young at the time that much of the context was beyond him at the time and has clearly been filled in by much later research. This isn't a problem in and of itself (The Best We Could Do also relies heavily on research, and I loved how that was done), but in this case it slowed down the story quite a bit for me—more of a disconnect between Truong's family's story and the broader political story. Still really interesting but less compelling a read than I'd hoped.
Age is something of a disadvantage terms of the retelling, because Truong was so young at the time that much of the context was beyond him at the time and has clearly been filled in by much later research. This isn't a problem in and of itself (The Best We Could Do also relies heavily on research, and I loved how that was done), but in this case it slowed down the story quite a bit for me—more of a disconnect between Truong's family's story and the broader political story. Still really interesting but less compelling a read than I'd hoped.
heidibird's review against another edition
3.0
A perfect blend of historical events and personal details. This is a snapshot of a young family moving from country to country and briefly finding a home in Saigon, Vietnam during one of the most tumultuous periods in the country’s history.
This narrative didn’t give me everything that I was looking for in terms of emotional growth or personal development but it is a joy to read because of its factual information and stunning illustrations. Seriously, those watercolor panels are gorgeous.
This narrative didn’t give me everything that I was looking for in terms of emotional growth or personal development but it is a joy to read because of its factual information and stunning illustrations. Seriously, those watercolor panels are gorgeous.
ximajs's review against another edition
4.0
Wonderful drawings, I loved the style, but the story and language didn't engage me as much as I'd hoped. Having read the Arab of the Future books earlier this year, I couldn't help but compare this graphic novel to thode. I suppose there was something about the humour in Sattouf's memoir, that I missed in this.
chonkeyhong's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
3.5