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naomiestaller'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
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Rape, Torture, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, War, and Murder
danielnewberry'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? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Rape, War, and Torture
Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs
bookishcori's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Torture, War, Blood, and Xenophobia
harshada'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
4.25
I loved how Nguyen describes the events in such brutal honesty. How America used it's biggest weapon - Hollywood, to change the narrative and make it about them being the victim. This propaganda shows Vietnamese to be poor and in need of help even though they beat the uninvited Americans out of their country. The racism towards Asians in the 70s is relevant in many incidents in the book. I was especially surprised to read about one of Hollywood's most racist portrayal in which an American man plays a caricatured, irritable Japanese who is Holly's neighbor in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Not all that glitters is gold, or even diamond.
The plot and themes of this book are spectacular. But the writing is even more marvelous and beautiful. The book hooks you in from page 1 and is fast paced. The English is very rich. I'm not ashamed to admit I had to look up meanings of words several times. Who even knows words like hirsute, foolscap, onomatopoeia, palimpsest and chiaroscuro and uses sentences like "save the prelapsarian montagnard of a bucolic hamlet"?!
Graphic: Torture and Rape
natazabala's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Torture, Blood, Xenophobia, Rape, War, Murder, Gun violence, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Alcoholism
drewfead's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Graphic: War, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Colonisation, Torture, Rape, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Vomit, Xenophobia, Murder, Blood, Confinement, and Suicidal thoughts
jmbz38's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Graphic: Death, Rape, Torture, and Forced institutionalization
addierr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Rape, Torture, Murder, Violence, and War
veronicats's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Violence, Gore, Racism, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, War, Sexual content, Slavery, Misogyny, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Sexual violence, Vomit, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Murder, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Torture
stanro's review against another edition
5.0
The plot is interesting enough. A Eurasian intelligence officer (and communist spy) on the staff of a South Vietnam general. As Saigon falls they escape, eventually to the USA, where he continues to report to his handler.
The book is about friendship, betrayal, politics and the revolutionary mind.
Though I thoroughly recommend this, I warn that there is some troubling reading of violence, in war, in intelligence and in torture.
A friend wrote this to me about it.
The Sympathiser was a fascinating story. The notion of being able to live two lives, one inside your head and another you project to the world was fascinating. I found the protagonist's capacity to rationalise his decisions to betray and murder sadly familiar as it seems to be a common characteristic of true believers of any cause. Frighteningly I think we’re all capable of it given the right circumstances
Graphic: Gun violence and Torture