Viet Thanh Nguyen

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

An Asian American professor and author who shares cultural elements through his many award-winning novels

 Biography

Viet Thanh Nguyen was born in Ban Mê Thuột, Vietnam and came to the United States, more specifically Pennsylvania, with his family in 1975. They started off in a Vietnamese refugee camp until they moved to Harrisburg, where they lived for three years. Later, they moved to California, where Nguyen would attend school and eventually go on to get his doctorate degree in English. His novel The Sympathizer has earned him a multitude of awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, the Asian/Pacific American Literature Award, and many more (1).

Synopsis

The Sympathizer is described as "the story of a man of two minds, someone whose political beliefs clash with his individual loyalties". The novel is set during the time of the Vietnam War, and is based around a South Vietnamese war general and North Vietnamese captain who is a sleeper agent. They all escape Vietnam with a few other people to begin a new life in Los Angeles. None of them know that the captain is watching their every move and relaying all of the information to a higher-up. The story allows the reader to step into the shoes of the captain and see how he navigates living this double life. You'll be left on the edge of your seat while reading this incredible novel (2).

Reviews

One of the most insightful ideas presented throughout The Sympathizer is “this joke, about how a revolution fought for independence and freedom could make those things worth less than nothing.” The New York Times states that the novel “reaches beyond its historical context to illuminate more universal themes: the eternal misconceptions and misunderstandings between East and West, and the moral dilemma faced by people forced to choose not between right and wrong, but right and right.” I could not agree more (3). 

Another topic the novel is largely based around is guilt, more specifically, the guilt of betrayal. According to The Washington Post, The Sympathizer is “even more than a thoughtful reflection about our misguided errand in Southeast Asia. Transcending these historical moments, Nguyen plumbs the loneliness of human life, the costs of fraternity and the tragic limits of our sympathy" (4).

Personal Reflection

I was intrigued to find out Nguyen had lived in Pennsylvania for a short period of time. Regarding his work, I had no idea how influential The Sympathizer was. Also, I find it very interesting that it is being made into a series on HBO. Personally, I think it gives the reader a very different viewpoint of the war by telling the story from the eyes of the captain. Check out the trailer below!

Works Cited

    (1) “Biography.” Viet Thanh Nguyen, Creative Capital / Warhol Foundation, 22 Aug. 2023, vietnguyen.info/author-viet-thanh-nguyen.
  (2)  “The Sympathizer, by Viet Thanh Nguyen (Grove Press).” The Pulitzer Prizes, 2016, www.pulitzer.org/winners/viet-thanh-nguyen. 
   (3) Caputo, Philip. “‘The Sympathizer,’ by Viet Thanh Nguyen.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Apr. 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/books/review/the-sympathizer-by-viet-thanh-nguyen.html.
   (4) Charles, Ron. “‘The Sympathizer’: A Cerebral Thriller about Vietnam and Its Aftermath.” The Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2015, www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/the-sympathizer-a-cerebral-thriller-about-vietnam-and-its-aftermath/2015/03/31/64a0fde6-d3ed-11e4-a62f-ee745911a4ff_story.html.