Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

Il simpatizzante by Viet Thanh Nguyen

10 reviews

dreadpiraterudis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

Such a breathtaking read. Engaging, painful, poignant and just a fucking good book. It engages with politics, philosophy, history and media through a protagonist who felt so alive. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

stalfos's review against another edition

challenging dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism and Death of parent

sofxaim's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I just could not get into this book. Like at all. It wasn't particularly interesting nor engaging. To me it reads more like a really long, kind of boring (sorry) journal entry. I might come back to it one day, though. 

Edit: I did in fact end up coming back to this book. While it was still painfully slow sometimes, it was beautifully written. It was insightful, dark, and humorous.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Torture, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

fkshg8465's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Finally a book about the Vietnam War by a Vietnamese person. Took a while to finish this. Wanted to savor it but also, it was a lot to digest. Strongly recommend reading the op-ed and Q&A at the end too. Gives me a much greater in depth insight into the book by seeing it from the author’s perspective.

PS, have a dictionary handy. There were a LOT of SAT words!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

badmom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Genocide, Gore, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Infidelity, Excrement, and Pregnancy

anarmandameg's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.75

Just gonna recycle my review from The Hanging City and say 'Weirdly Horny'

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Blood, and Classism

veronicats's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

samarakroeger's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

a very solid book that actually made me somewhat curious about the Vietnam War and the fall of Saigon, thus prompting me to do some research about a topic I previously found quite dull. 

this truly is about the duality of man.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Excrement, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

dark funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

it's extraordinary that this is nguyen's first novel, for the sympathizer is a blistering tale that examines dual worlds and perspectives, while also being a memorable story about friendship, all helmed by an unforgettable narrative voice.

tbh i dont feel qualified to critique this book, for it's obvious that its story, construction, ideas, and author operate on a higher plane entirely. i cant offer sh!t to it, only it to me, and boy it certainly does. what truly distinguishes the novel is its incisive dissection of identity and politics, as well as its ability to read america - w/ its contradictions, hypocrisy, iniquitous superiority - to absolute filth. i literally lost count of the quotes i like, so unstoppably the book barrels on from one thing to another, giving voice to truths most american readers harbor only in their subconscious or are overly accustomed to as to now be oblivious to them. 

aside from its themes and msgs, the story also stands well on its own. im surprised by how touching the self-labeled three musketeers' friendship is, and i cant rmb the last time male friendship moves me this much, this one bc of its devotion and mental sacrifice. my fav thing abt this book, however, def has got to be the unnamed narrator's voice, so genuinely funny yet oft dark. the way he says, describes, compares things are simply humorous, while also offering a deeper look into his character. it might not be a LOL kinda humor, but it's endlessly snort- and chuckle-inducing for sure, which is quite a feat in such a dark novel.

this novel isnt for those averse to serious subject matter, and some are advised to stay far away bc it can veer into macabre territory very quickly esp towards the end. but for those who can stomach the aforementioned, the book will reward u w/ a thought-provoking and truth-spilling story told thru an oft humorous and equally melancholic voice.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child death, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicide attempt and Death of parent

merle98's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

Great book but I am detracting 0.5 stars for the fact that every single female character in the book is either a food-providing wife/mother, a love interest or sexual partner or being brutally raped/tortured/killed off to advance the male protagonist's plotline (or a mix thereof).  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail