The Sorrow of War
A Novel of North Vietnam
by Bao Ninh
Should I read this?
appears in Vietnam War and Vietnam War.
Bao Ninh, a former North Vietnamese soldier, provides a strikingly honest look at how the Vietnam War forever changed his life, his country, and the people who live there. Originally published against government wishes in Vietnam because of its nonheroic, nonideological tone, The Sorrow of War has won worldwide acclaim and become an international...
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Why recommended
appears in Vietnam War and Vietnam War.
Recommendation Signals
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Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen. Recommended by 4 sources.
“First-person voice is razor-sharp, talkative, and darkly funny; the narrator juggles confession, political critique, and spy-thriller beats, so reading feels intimate and restless. Most useful is the way scenes of exile and war reframe allegiance and identity through mordant irony and vivid set pieces. Limitation: the prose sometimes piles historical exposition and ideological debate onto long, winding paragraphs, which can slow momentum for readers who prefer lean plotting. Also, the narrator's moral ambivalence and repeated rhetorical asides can feel wearing.”
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