Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Sympathiser by Viet Thanh Nguyen

23 reviews

mshusky's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-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

5.0

This  dark, challenging Pulitzer prize winning novel explores the Vietnam war and the war's many legacies (public and personal) from the point of view of a unamed Vietnamese spy  as he writes his confession (to whom and for why is not clear until the last few very dark chapters).  The protagonist (as expected with a character experiencing the duality of being a spy, an unreliable narrator) is forever the outsider, the illegimate child of a French Catholic priest and young teen housekeeper, sent to the US (where he gets a university education and proves his prodigious intellect) and on his return becomes an aide to a General with ties to the CIA while being a mole for the communists.  

This is a sprawling book.  The fall of Saigon and the frantic wait for a plane to leave the country could have been a book on its own.  Or the gently paced section in the 80s and 90s settling into immigrant life in California with its fascinating asides into how even Vietnamese food is not quite right with Chinese ingredients, or the blinkered racism from a university professor, let alone the movie shoot section (both incredible and WTF part of the book), that could also be another novel or two.  The last section, where The Captain goes back with his closest friend (one of the few named men in the book) to help the communists and then subsequent capture and torture them - is just difficult, dark and heartbreaking.  It took me a considerable amount of time to finish the last few chapters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Torture, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Bullying

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

luciuh's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

4.0

this is a good ass book. read it for school and wrote an essay, and it is so good. it is very heavily loaded and takes a second to read but it’s totally worth it. it’s very blunt to the point where the satire becomes too real (but still very enjoyable), and is a very interesting exploration of the dynamics between the vietnamese and the american. it is a very unique story regarding the vietnam war, nice

 i  think it’s necessary to mention that you should def check trigger warnings especially for the last chunk of the book, especially for the rape scene.

edit:  it’s interesting because it’s more on the aftermath of the vietnam war from the perspective of someone not quite vietnamese but also certainly not american

edit again: forgot to mention, it is so sexist.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, and Death of parent

theunderstatement's review against another edition

challenging dark funny informative 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Child death

geilie's review against another edition

challenging funny informative inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Rape, Torture, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

kimmiereadsalot's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

So wow. What a ride. I sympathize with the Sympathizer. This story is really something. Way outside my normal genre. But I’m so glad I read it. It’s very cerebral but also written for the every man. 

The last third was really hard for me to listen to. I’m still glad I did. I really do think this is a great read. And worth reading. The way the author never stop playing on the duality of the narrator’s situation—superb. 

Highly recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Torture, and Murder

Moderate: Death

Minor: Body shaming and Child death

kshertz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

3.5

The writing is beautiful which is to say, way above my reading/intelligence level. But at the end it does say it’s not for the dominant white groups so that makes sense. It’s not for me. It’s not linear, there’s no way a book about the Vietnam war is going to have a happy ending. But I learned a lot, which is the whole reason to read it and it challenged me. So, I recommend it if you want to be challenged and learn a lot. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

alexhaydon's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, and War

ning_aling's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

4.0

A book that was absorbing to say the least, the main character's voice is really strong and the struggles that he faces within himself and with his environment and the people around him are incredibly compelling. It has some very dark scenes, as can be expected with a reflection of the brutality of the Vietnam War on the population. Really has all the makings of a modern classic, which looks at the absurdity of fate and the constant process of reinvention. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Rape, Torture, Murder, and War

Moderate: Gore, Racism, Excrement, Cultural appropriation, and Injury/Injury detail