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A review by tivvny
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.75
"While the distance to return to our lost country was far but finite, the number of years it would take to close that distance was potentially infinite. Thus, for displaced people, the first question was always about time: When can I return?" Viet Thanh Nguyen in The Sympathiser. (Such a slay quote that I had Viet sign this quote on my copy of the book when I met him.)
As the child of Vietnamese refugees who, by boat, had fled south Vietnam in the mid-late 70s - the height of the Indochina Refugee Crisis - The Sympathiser is a critical piece of literature that I think all members of the Asian (and particularly Vietnamese) diaspora should read (or now watch), especially those who have experienced (or a descendants of those who did) forced displacement.
Similarly, having studied refugee law and interned at an international refugee law research centre, The Sympathiser is a compelling narrative that though itself is fiction, it sheds light on the true experiences of refugees and asylum seekers across the world and across time. As Viet Thanh Nguyen noted at their recent event for the Sydney Writer's Festival (which I had attended), his parents' escape from Vietnam and that of The Captain in The Sympathiser though extreme is not extraordinary - if you speak to any other Vietnamese refugee about how they fled Vietnam, they will share the exact same thing, for all the millions of refugees displaced by the Vietnam War have suffered.
Aside from the deeply personal connection I have with The Sympathiser, the novel is a DEEPLY dark and witty, yet HIGHLY introspective and critical, commentary on Western perceptions of the Vietnam (or American) War. You find yourself laughing, crying, reflecting and questioning your previous views of Western society, refugees, life in general, all the while aghast at the sheer boldness and unfettered character of Nguyen's writing. Although you may think you know what a story about the Vietnam War and Vietnamese refugees may entail, there is so much beyond that which Nguyen explores to capture just some of the many faces of this moment in history. Like nothing prepared me for thesquid flesh light scene, and honestly I still don't know if it has any other deeper meaning but it sure slapped me awake. At the next moment, Nguyen pivots to explore much darker and nuanced themes of politics and the nature of war. The Sympathiser will definitely leave you with whiplash. Admittedly, a lot of the period-relevant references were lost on me and there were instances that fell a bit flat with The Captain's occasional ramblings, there is not a dull moment in The Sympathiser.
Nonetheless, at its conclusion, Nguyen highlights what is truly the most important takeway from his novel; that is, the story of the refugees. It may be easy to characterise Nguyen's depiction of the plight of Vietnamese refugees as a pity party meant to evoke (white) guilt in the Western reader. However, such a reflection of this story is again a Western narrative, one of the "sad" and "poor" refugee victimised by the imperialism of the West. Instead, The Sympathiser is intended to make you feel uncomfortable and spark a re-questioning of not only how we see war and Western society, but how we see and treat refugees - recognising the tragedy and hardship displaced peoples have faced and continue to face not to characterise them as helpless victims, but resilient survivors who simply want to live.
As the child of Vietnamese refugees who, by boat, had fled south Vietnam in the mid-late 70s - the height of the Indochina Refugee Crisis - The Sympathiser is a critical piece of literature that I think all members of the Asian (and particularly Vietnamese) diaspora should read (or now watch), especially those who have experienced (or a descendants of those who did) forced displacement.
Similarly, having studied refugee law and interned at an international refugee law research centre, The Sympathiser is a compelling narrative that though itself is fiction, it sheds light on the true experiences of refugees and asylum seekers across the world and across time. As Viet Thanh Nguyen noted at their recent event for the Sydney Writer's Festival (which I had attended), his parents' escape from Vietnam and that of The Captain in The Sympathiser though extreme is not extraordinary - if you speak to any other Vietnamese refugee about how they fled Vietnam, they will share the exact same thing, for all the millions of refugees displaced by the Vietnam War have suffered.
Aside from the deeply personal connection I have with The Sympathiser, the novel is a DEEPLY dark and witty, yet HIGHLY introspective and critical, commentary on Western perceptions of the Vietnam (or American) War. You find yourself laughing, crying, reflecting and questioning your previous views of Western society, refugees, life in general, all the while aghast at the sheer boldness and unfettered character of Nguyen's writing. Although you may think you know what a story about the Vietnam War and Vietnamese refugees may entail, there is so much beyond that which Nguyen explores to capture just some of the many faces of this moment in history. Like nothing prepared me for the
Nonetheless, at its conclusion, Nguyen highlights what is truly the most important takeway from his novel; that is, the story of the refugees. It may be easy to characterise Nguyen's depiction of the plight of Vietnamese refugees as a pity party meant to evoke (white) guilt in the Western reader. However, such a reflection of this story is again a Western narrative, one of the "sad" and "poor" refugee victimised by the imperialism of the West. Instead, The Sympathiser is intended to make you feel uncomfortable and spark a re-questioning of not only how we see war and Western society, but how we see and treat refugees - recognising the tragedy and hardship displaced peoples have faced and continue to face not to characterise them as helpless victims, but resilient survivors who simply want to live.