Book Review: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

~ Book Club Mom

The Sympathizer
by
Viet Thanh Nguyen

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

I don’t think I’ve read another book with a character as conflicted as the unnamed narrator in The Sympathizer, a young Vietnamese man who works for the secret police to identify Communists in South Vietnam, who is also a double agent reporting to the Communist party. The story is set in South Vietnam around 1974, soon after the United States pulled out of the war. The narrator’s confession, to an unidentified captor, chronicles his life as a spy for both sides, and the endless situations that challenge his loyalties and force him to make decisions that plague his conscience.

Known as Captain to his South Vietnamese boss, a General for the secret police, he was trained by the American CIA. Along with the General and other connected dignitaries and citizens, including the narrator’s boyhood friend and patriot, Bon, they flee the country for the United States, where their lives as refugees completely change how they must work to overthrow Communist control.

At the same time, Man, the narrator’s Communist handler, and another boyhood friend, directs him to report all activities through coded letters to a Parisian “aunt.” As students, the narrator, Man, and Bon became blood brothers, and readers will wonder whether their political alliances will destroy their bond.

In many ways, the narrator is the perfect fit to be a double agent. Born a bastard son to a Catholic priest who did little to help him and his young and destitute mother, he has always felt like he is part of a worthless class. That’s what makes his friendship with Man and Bon, who were also outsiders, so strong.

Particularly moving are the narrator’s experiences in the United States, where he and his Vietnamese refugees must work in low-paying jobs to scrape by. Here he shows his sympathies to all Vietnamese living in the U.S., even as he writes secret letters to report on their anti-Communist efforts. When the General and his loyalists plan a campaign in Taiwan, the narrator must prove himself worthy to join them, actions that will forever torment him.

The story eventually leads to the narrator’s detainment which includes ruthless psychological torture designed to break him. This part of the book was disturbingly intense, but very hard to put down. Readers will have to get through this to fully understand the narrator’s feelings of extreme guilt.

There’s so much to discuss about this book, which I’d describe as both scholarly because of its ideological discussions and suspenseful because of its intriguing plot. Published in 2015, The Sympathizer was the author’s debut novel and recipient of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. He has since written a follow-up book, The Committed, published in 2021.

I highly recommend The Sympathizer to readers who want to learn more and think about Vietnam and the United States’ controversial role in the war.

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30 thoughts on “Book Review: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen”

  2. I did not like The Sympathizer and gave up after the first chapter. Many Vietnamese who have resettled in the US since the end of the war also did not like the book. The author said that they misunderstood him and that he was not a traitor. He may indeed be a very good writer, but his style can turn people off.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Neihtn – I was hoping you would see this review and comment. I am glad for your perspective, as I know little about the real-life experiences suffered by so many. Did you and others object to the character’s sympathy for the North Vietnamese communists? By the end of the book, I felt he was most sympathetic to the treatment of refugees in America, however that is just my opinion. Thank you very much for reading and commenting. As a reader who has led a sheltered life, I think it’s important to understand how things really are, which might not be from an award-winning book, even one I felt was good.

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  8. I’ve just finished reading Vietnam: A Reporter’s War by Hugh Lunn
    and am struggling with my review – it is such a huge topic. The Sympathizer sounds fascinating, with an interesting point of view.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Rose, I totally understand. I was just a girl during the Vietnam War and I didn’t understand what was happening. It’s such a complex period of history. Thank you for stopping by and commenting 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Sounds enormously compelling. You wonder why people become double agents – no moral compass or maybe just so into getting whatever they can for themselves that they don’t care.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Noelle – that’s what makes his character so interesting. In this case, I think the fact that he felt he didn’t belong made him a “good” candidate to be a double agent. But I also felt he did care a lot about both sides. He was very conflicted!

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