The Sympathizer
16 hrs. 53 min.
Language
Russian
Author
Viet Thanh Nguyen
Author
Viet Thanh Nguyen
Narrator
Igor Knyazev
Narrator
Igor Knyazev
Description
The novel was nominated for 14 awards, winning 8 and finishing as a finalist in 5, and was recognized as “Book of the Year” in more than 20 publications, including the most influential.
This is a book about war and peace poisoned by war— precisely that kind we are all too familiar with: war in the name of justice and a bright future. The main hero is a “spy, an invisible man, a secret agent, a man with two faces”—someone who chose his thorny path not for double pay, but because he genuinely sympathizes with all the participants in this fratricidal slaughter. It’s impossible not to sympathize with him as well, even though his moral profile is questionable— but who among us can claim for sure?
The action unfolds in Vietnam and America, in Laos and the Philippines. It contains exciting twists and a leisurely description of interesting events; it also offers subtle ironic observations and passionate lyrical passages. One thing, perhaps, you won’t find in it—indifference.
This is a book about war and peace poisoned by war— precisely that kind we are all too familiar with: war in the name of justice and a bright future. The main hero is a “spy, an invisible man, a secret agent, a man with two faces”—someone who chose his thorny path not for double pay, but because he genuinely sympathizes with all the participants in this fratricidal slaughter. It’s impossible not to sympathize with him as well, even though his moral profile is questionable— but who among us can claim for sure?
The action unfolds in Vietnam and America, in Laos and the Philippines. It contains exciting twists and a leisurely description of interesting events; it also offers subtle ironic observations and passionate lyrical passages. One thing, perhaps, you won’t find in it—indifference.
