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welkinvault's review against another edition
- 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 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.
Graphic: Death, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Bullying
samarakroeger's review against another edition
- 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
this truly is about the duality of man.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Confinement, Death of parent, Excrement, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Racism, Gun violence, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Torture, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Stalking, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Violence, and War
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
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.
Graphic: War, Racism, Sexual violence, Body horror, Rape, Violence, Death, Torture, Murder, Colonisation, and Confinement
Moderate: Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Gun violence, Bullying, Racial slurs, Child death, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Suicide attempt and Death of parent
matcha_pages's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Rape, Gun violence, War, and Murder
fongyay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Racism, Physical abuse, Murder, Death, Body horror, Gore, Misogyny, Violence, War, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
Moderate: Body shaming, Vomit, and Racial slurs
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Fatphobia
lallalettrice's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Torture, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Gore, Gun violence, and Colonisation
aidrielle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Blood, Colonisation, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Stalking, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
bagxofxtricks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence, War, Rape, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Torture
merle98's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Rape, Gore, Murder, Vomit, Xenophobia, War, Violence, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Racism, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Mental illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Colonisation, Blood, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, and Abandonment
space_corgi's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.75
As told in other reviews, the writing is VERBOSE. At some points, it is gratuitously verbose. But that is the voice of our narrator. An intellectual who is trying to dissect himself, but doesn’t quite get there until he is confronted with his own sins. If that sounds cool to you, you would like this book. Otherwise, this is not a spy novel. I mean, it is, but it’s more a reflection on power, control and war.
Also, I would say calling this a thriller is a stretch. You’ll be thrilled by certain passages that you want to underline, frame and paste on the folds of your brain lobes. But the pacing is slow. Arduously slow. And that doesn’t fall in line with a “thriller”.
Now let’s hop into what wasn’t so great. The narrator’s view on women is complex and disgusting at points in the novel. The sexualization of war and disturbingly detached descriptions of women’s bodies is frankly tough to read through. It’s as if every male author who wants to be seen as intellectual subscribes to using sex/analogies to sex/sexual violence as a way to show the primitive nature of any action. Reverting to cavemen? What better way to illustrate than to bastardize all men through what (presumably) they all desire? Come on people. Let’s do better for all the women that have to read through this crap.
Graphic: War, Gun violence, Violence, Rape, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Racism, and Torture
Moderate: Vomit and Murder
Minor: Blood, Confinement, Classism, and Infidelity