A review by alexiisnnguyen
A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, a History, a Memorial by Viet Thanh Nguyen

5.0

chu viet never fails to disappoint. the emotion in this book was so palpable, and it was almost like i was watching him work out the dilemma he had in front of me because the writing of the book was so detailed, realistic and personal. on that same note, the best word i could use to describe this book if i were only given one is *personal*. he really bares his soul to his readers, imbuing it with a quality that even the most soul-exposing memoirs i've read sometimes lack. perhaps i'm biased though, since this book feels so representative of myself. i've never felt so seen in a piece of literature that contains the word "american" in its description.

this book made me change my perceptions about vietnam, america, and myself. however, it confirmed my perceptions of my parents, or maybe even deepened them. the impact of the war on vietnamese refugees was very well elucidated and, as best as it could, explained the unexplainable. i have been contemplating my complex relationship with my ancestry and my family's roots since high school, and although reading this book did not show me out of that maze i realize now that there is glory in that shadowy nature. i came out even more confused about myself and my relationship to all i'm connected to, and i revel in it. there's only two things that i'm clear about at this very moment: 1) viet thanh nguyen is a legendary writer and 2) i want to hug my parents. also cry probably