Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Sympathiser by Viet Thanh Nguyen

87 reviews

catebutler's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense slow-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

4.5

MENG 6510 Eminent Writers: Lahiri & Nguyen Fall Semester 2023

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, and War

randomman0880's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

4.5

This book occupies a very interesting part of literature in that it's an expectionally written book that handles Asian American identity and it's complexities well, exploring the historical and political contexts of the demographic without lecturing. However, occupying a niche that seemingly confronts Invisible Man and Miss Saigon, the book wields its own form of casual misogyny and unwieldy narrative that builds the main characters personality but seems unnecessarily excessive at times. The book sometimes uses its own brand of cruelty to demonstrate tragedy in contrast to the epic senseless violence that other Vietnam War stories often embrace, and I wish that this was less impactful on the story. The general treatment of several other side characters in the interest of atmospheric setting are in my opinion somewhat excessive.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Grief, Murder, and War

Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Racism

deals heavily with post traumatic stress and trauma generally

yaniji's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny informative tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Torture, and Murder

Moderate: Racism and War

jmcampbell57's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, and Murder

Moderate: Racism and War

jillaay_h's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Rape, and Xenophobia

hopscotchreads's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-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

4.0

As a wasian/hapa myself, this hit close to home. I still think about my favorite quotes. Lots of important conversations here. But some of the writing is pointlessly verbose and there's a men-writing-women feel that is super annoying sometimes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Racism, Rape, Torture, Violence, Murder, Cultural appropriation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Minor: Animal cruelty and Suicidal thoughts

crystaljohnsonb's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and War

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

danielnewberry's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Torture, and War

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism

iellv's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

Again I wish I had profound things to say about extremely important books. But here we are. It took me forever to finish reading The Sympathizer, but that’s because I always prefer to consume satire through film and TV. Just read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War

bookishcori's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, and War