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Pros & Cons
Pros
The sympathizer by viet nhanh nguyen is both horrific and brilliant, the narrative so strong it carries you along as if the writing were effortless. It's kind of, sort of darkly funny in parts. Don’t believe the critical reviews calling it “savagely f... Read More
Duality is a novel about a man torn between two cultures. His mother is an innocent north vietnamese peasant while his father is a lascivious french colonialist and catholic priest. In the fall of saigon, he demonstrates his authorial expertise, as he... Read More
Cons
The narrator is never sympathetic and we never really know who he is. The plot *, as the author refuses to sully his protagonist with any characteristic but nobility and misfortune.
The sympathizer is, in all earnestness, the worst book i have read since high school—quite possibly ever. Made it through 1/4 of the book before calling it quits. Otherwise, the book is non-stop drivel.
The writing is unpleasing, halting, jejune and amateurish. I have no idea why this was given the prize or what the committee was thinking. Toward the end of the book, it becomes apparent why the book is so wordy. This is yet another awful pulitzer win... Read More
Highlights
Quality
The description for the book is excellent both in terms of content as well as the quality of the novel
Duality also abides in friendship with the narrator cherishing two antithetical childhood friends
The title character was the product of a french priest’s rape of a south vietnamese woman in the 1950’s
There are a few narrative strands that are not satisfactorily resolved such as the narrator’s affair with the general’s daughter
Overview
- How are reviewers describing this item?
vietnamese, novel, south, written and general. - Our engine has profiled the reviewer patterns and has determined that there is minimal deception involved.
- Our engine has determined that the review content quality is high and informative.
- Our engine has discovered that over 80% high quality reviews are present.
- This product had a total of 24,597 reviews as of our last analysis date on Aug 6 2023.
Helpful InsightsBETA
Posted by a reviewer on Amazon
Perhaps not surprisingly i am also a man of two minds…sometimes i flatter myself that this is a talent and although it is admittedly one of a minor nature it is perhaps also the sole talent i possess
Posted by a reviewer on Amazon
After all a talent is something you use not something that uses you
Posted by a reviewer on Amazon
The talent you cannot not use the talent that possesses you—that is a hazard i must confess
Posted by a reviewer on Amazon
The theme of doubleness permeates almost every aspect of this novel
Posted by a reviewer on Amazon
The title character was the product of a french priest’s rape of a south vietnamese woman in the 1950’s
Posted by a reviewer on Amazon
At some point he was fortunate to go to the usa for an education then return to south vietnam to aid in the south vietnamese war for independence becoming the captain of a special forces unit and reporting to ‘the general’—many characters in this novel are never named only referred to by their role in society
Posted by a reviewer on Amazon
The sympathizer is a double agent ostensibly aiding the south vietnamese cause but covertly reporting back to his communist north vietnamese handlers in letters sent back to his “french aunt” in which messages between the lines are written in invisible ink
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