The narrator drives the general to a country club in anaheim where the congressman has invited them. The sympathizer summary and study guide supersummary. A profound, startling, and beautifully crafted debut novel, the sympathizer is the story of a man of two. This 52page guide for the sympathizer by viet thanh nyguen includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 23 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Book club questions for transcription by kate atkinson. Viet thanh nguyens the sympathizer was one of the most widely and highly praised novels of 2015, the winner not only of the 2016 pulitzer prize for fiction but also the center for fiction first novel prize, the edgar award for best first novel, the andrew carnegie medal for excellence in fiction, the asianpacific american award for literature, and the california book award. Congressman, an anticommunist republican representative of orange county, who later organizes a meeting at a country club with other western sympathizers of the south vietnamese plight.
Told in firstperson, the narrator addresses this storyhis confessionto the commandant, who is holding the narrator in a solitary confinement cell somewhere in the commandants camp. Robert olen butler, pulitzer prizewinning author of a good scent from a strange mountain the sympathizer is a remarkable and brilliant book. It is only fitting that the fall of saigon, which observed its 40th anniversary last year see beyond the book, serves not as bookend, but as the opening act for viet thanh nguyens spellbinding debut, the sympathizer. This study guide consists of approximately 100 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the sympathizer. Its thrilling, rhythmic, and astonishing, as is the rest of nguyens enthralling portrayal of the vietnam war. A guide for book clubs the reading room book group notes ebook. Another update 2nd update ive been reading through my kindle book again the last few days of this book looking over my notes taking new ones. Before moving to washington, he edited the books section of the christian science monitor in boston. Hosting means preparing a treat for club members to eat and conducting the discussion on the months book. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. The sympathizer by viet thanh nguyen overdrive rakuten. The sympathizer by viet thanh nguyen, paperback barnes.
The sympathizer is a person who is able to see many sides of a story. The sympathizer by viet thanh nguyen plot summary litcharts. The sympathizer examines the legacy of the vietnam war through the eyes of one man who has conflicting beliefs and loyalties winner of the 2016 pulitzer prize for fiction. Our local book club is meeting to talk about the sympathizer. It is a bestselling novel and recipient of the 2016 pulitzer prize for fiction. Book club kit discussion guide the sympathizer by viet thanh.
Replete with ambushes, betrayals, double agents, espionage, freedom fighters, refugees, and taboo sex, viet nguyens debut novel the sympathizer has what readers have been trained to expect from war narratives and spy thrillers. I am a spy, a sleeper, a spook, a man of two faces. The sympathizer, by viet thanh nguyen, is the story of a communist spy who is conflicted about where he. Last week, andrew carnegie medalwinners viet thanh nguyen and sally mann accepted their awards at the ala annual conference in orlando, florida. It is a very interesting and worthwhile book, with some sections that are captivating and others that are more philosophical. The sympathizer defines the idea of a world citizen.
In the beginning, the sympathizer seems like another version of a war americans would like to forget. How much did you know about the vietnam war era before reading this book. Which brings me to viet thanh nguyens remarkable debut novel, the sympathizer. Each volume in the worth books catalog presents a summary and analysis to help you stay informed in a busy world, whether youre managing your toread list for work or school, brushing up on business strategies on your commute, preparing to wow at the next book club, or continuing to satisfy your thirst for knowledge. Book club kit discussion guide the sympathizer by viet thanh nguyen author. If you are a club that generally does adventurous and challenging reads, by all means go into the sympathizer blind. By turns harrowing, and cut through by shards of unexpected and telling humor, this novel gives us the conflict in vietnam, and. Kindle books kindle unlimited prime reading bestsellers kindle daily deal kindle monthly deals free kindle reading apps buy a kindle content and devices kindle support. He came to the united states as a refugee in 1975 with his family and was initially settled in fort indiantown gap, pennsylvania, one of four such camps for vietnamese refugees. Viet thanh nguyen was born in vietnam and raised in america.
His novel the sympathizer won the 2016 pulitzer prize for fiction, as well as five other. The sympathizer is a pulitzer prizewinning novel by viet thanh nguyen about a man who is living among leaders of the south vietnamese army while spying for the viet cong. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. This brief overview of the sympathizer tells you what you need to knowbefore or after. Viet thanh nguyens the sympathizer brilliantly draws you in with the opening line. One suggestion i would make to book clubs taking this on is a little contrary to my usual advice, which is read the book, and then do the research. Join the leading website for book clubs with over 35,000 clubs and 20,000.
The sympathizer is the 2015 debut novel by vietnamese american professor viet thanh nguyen. Chugging through the story one is nearly derailed but the denouement spectacularly realigns a listeners direction and destination. Part of the we the people book club, a yearlong program contemplating americas past and possibilities, this guide was created for individual and group use. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the sympathizer. Hes the kind of person, brotherinlaw dave mockingly notes, who has an assigned chore for each day. It is a bestselling novel, and recipient of the 2016 pulitzer prize for fiction.
What book is asia soo reading when the narrator approaches her by the pool in chapter 10. His novel the sympathizer won the 2016 pulitzer prize for fiction, as well as five other awards. The sympathizer explores more complex ground, from the life a spy who feels genuine affection for those he spies upon, to resettling in america and the refugees experience. The sympathizer is the breakthrough novel of the year. Summary and analysis of the sympathizer ebook by worth.
Our book selection was the sympathizer by viet thanh nguyen. I am not some misunderstood mutant from a comic book or a horror movie, although some have treated me as such. Ron charles ron charles writes about books for the washington post. This is one a very few books to explore the viet nam war by a vietnamese author. Transcription by kate atkinson is a historical fiction novel full of spies, deception, conflict and wit. This week, we present you with reading group discussion guides for each book, put together by members of the carnegie committee. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The story of a south vietnamese captaina man brought up by an absent french father and a poor vietnamese mother, a man who went to university in americawho returns to vietnam to fight for the communist cause. Chapter 1 the sympathizer begins with a declaration by a nameless narrator. Print word pdf take our free the sympathizer quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test. And in fact, if you do adventurous, challenging reads, you probably have a lot of. This is a great way to start any discussion of this book.
The sympathizer is a novel of literary, historical, and political importance. The sympathizer, by viet thanh nguyen the new york times. The sympathizer is a stellar debut by a writer of depth and skill. Whether you are a member of a reading group, or simply reading the. Read summary and analysis of the sympathizer based on the book by viet thanh nguyen by worth books available from rakuten kobo.
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