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Saturday 31 March 2018

The Sympathizer - Viet Thanh Ngyen

A novel that begins in the last days of Saigon, and then continues within the expat Vietnamese community in Los Angeles.
A complex story that weaves through questions of loyalty - to national liberation, to friendship, to colonialism.  Through the main character, the book also presents some interesting social criticism of both Vietnamese and American societies, and of both political regimes.  It brings in events from the underbelly of CIA operations in Vietnam, as well as conditions in the "reeducation camps"  post war in Vietnam.
One of the best novels I have read in a while - compelling narrator, good story, some interesting references to and thoughts on history and politics.

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