Reviews tagging 'Rape'

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

187 reviews

janineledet's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

A tense and difficult read, but well worth it, including the interview with the author at the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Racism, and Racial slurs

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

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

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

vivi_fan's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, and Murder

cassreading's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This was wonderfully and thoughtfully written. It has so much to say about the Vietnam war, American imperialism, racism, the American Dream™, politics, language, representation. It's incredibly ambitious, and yet I think it manages to do what it wants well for the most part.

The ending was brutal to read (read TW). It definitely shows the brutality of war, the limits of sympathy, but I still feel unsure about it, and about the book's representation of women as a whole. Still working through that mentally.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Suicide attempt, Racial slurs, Rape, Racism, Suicide, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, and War

patchworkculture's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Racism, Murder, and War

katherine_shelton's review against another edition

dark tense 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

5.0

The writing is meticulous, the characters are complex, the story is fascinating, it's just an excellent book. It's also enjoyable to read, despite being dark and very violent. My Dad is a Vietnam war  veteran and I was exposed to all THOSE movies, including Apocalypse Now, at a weirdly young age (WTF, Dad!) and reading about them from the perspective of these fictionalized Vietnamese characters was really embarrassing. I definitely grimaced reading some of the scenes that I specifically remember seeing in film ages ago. The author has a really clever style of writing that evokes empathy without being self-pitying or preachy. It holds a mirror up to American Colonialism, and other atrocities, such as disco fashion, without beating you over the head. In fact, it's hard not to feel like you're on the protagonists side, even though he's very morally flawed. Anyway, I recommend it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Violence

friendlypoet's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, Gore, and Torture

Moderate: Racism and War

maviemerveilleuse's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective slow-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Torture, Rape, Racism, and War

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

claired01's review against another edition

challenging dark

5.0

I have nothing to say!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, War, Alcoholism, and Violence

sorceress_j's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape