Real Rating: 4.5* of five

My 5* review of The Sympathizer from 2016 is here: https://tinyurl.com/2p9he4wj.
"The American Way of Life! Eat too much, work too much, buy too much, read too little, think even less, and die in poverty and insecurity. No, thank you. Don't you see that's how Americans take over the world? Not just through their army and their CIA and their World Bank., but through this infectious disease called the American Dream?"
–and–
But the only revolution you can commit to is the one that lets you laugh and laugh and laugh, because the downfall of every revolution is when it loses its sense of absurdity. This, too, is the dialectic, to take the revolution seriously but not to take the revolutionaries seriously, for when revolutionaries take themselves too seriously, they cock their guns at the crack of a joke. Once that happens, it’s all over, the revolutionaries have become the state, the state has become repressive, and the bullets, once used against the oppressor in the name of the people, will be used against the people in their own name. That is why the people, if they wish to survive and to dodge those bullets, must be nameless.

Home truths, not dodgeable conversational bullets, but full-on machine gun nests of home truth.

It is Author Viet Thanh's stock in trade, isn't it? Follow the link to my 2016 review if you haven't encountered him and his cleaning-vinegar acidulated prose. Powerful the takedowns, sick the burns, and no human is spared from the collateral-damage list:
Those who believe in revolutions are the ones who haven’t lived through one yet.
–and–
......you, yourself, human and inhuman, are demented enough to believe that if the human species does not self-destruct—an IF that should be capitalized, it is so big—then one day the nobodies of the world with nothing to lose will finally have enough of not having enough and realize that they have more in common with the nobodies on the other side of the world, or just the other side of the nearest border, than they do with the somebodies of their own kind, who care nothing about them, and when these nobodies with nothing finally unite, stand up, take to the streets, and claim their voices and their power, the only thing that the somebodies with something must do is nothing, realizing that their Ideological State Apparatus cannot stop all these people, because for all of its might their Repressive State Apparatus cannot kill them all. Can it?"

It can now. It hasn't started to yet. But AI-plus-facial-recognition drones? You'll see 'em soon enough. I guarantee you they're being or have been prototyped and now can be deployed...what's a few extra dead who were "innocent" whatever that means? "God" will know her own, after all.

I have never been a chirpy optimistic sort. I fall into the Butlerian Jihadist camp these days. I do not know Author Viet Thanh, so I speak without certainty of his opinion on matters facing us today. I think, having read his exploration of revolution in these two (to date) novels about the Sympathizer, that it is likely to be the case that he does not view anything that increases the capacity of humans to oppress and exploit each other ever more efficiently in a positive light.
...what the most sympathetic Federico García Lorca, assassinated by the Spanish fascists, once said, “I will always be on the side of those who have nothing and who are not even allowed to enjoy the nothing they have in peace,” an empathetic principle that, if followed with action, whether it is doing something or doing nothing, depending on the dialectical need of the situation, will never lead you in the wrong direction, even if that direction is death, since so many people are committed to the exact opposite principle, to side with those who already have something and want everything, and if you were sane you would side with them, too, but revolution is always an act of insanity, because revolution is not a revolution unless it is committed to the impossible.
–and–
There was only one solution to this alienation that was created not by the Negro or the bastard, but by the real bastards, the racists and colonizers who blamed the victim for the conditions that the victimizer created. And that solution was “to rise above this absurd drama that others have staged around me, to reject the two terms that are equally unacceptable, and, through one human being, to reach out for the universal.”

That is exceedingly well-put and inarguably accurate; it's also the next thing to impossible to achieve. In reality, no one escapes reaching out for the universal's darkest spot:
Organized religion was the first and greatest protection racket, an economy of perpetual profit built on voluntary fear and coerced guilt. Donating money to churches, temples, mosques, synagogues, cults, et cetera, to help ensure a spot for one’s soul in the express elevator to that penthouse in the sky known as the afterlife was marketing genius!
–and–
This was the silence my father encountered every day during his prayers, the silence that hundreds of millions heard every day as they beseeched God to say something, anything. He always said nothing, which hardly disabused His legions of fans. For someone who never said anything, God certainly spoke to a lot of people.

Religion has become the Way and the Life for those too scared to rebel, too lazy to think, too smug to see past their own privilege.

No, of course I'm not bitter and rage-filled, why ever would you ask?

There remains the matter of my missing half-star. I've quoted the book at you to show how deeply I liked the read, to give the percentage of you who won't read it a taster of the treasures you're disinclined to see for yourselves. I was not as utterly swept up in this part of the Sympathizer's tale for several reasons. One was, I'm not coming to it fresh; I've been in his head before, so the impact is lessened as the flint cores of meaning flake into eye-surgery-grade blades. Another is deeper: howinahell did these men get into this awful, messy business? "Why not" is the only answer I can find in the story. It allows Author Viet Thanh to ladle on the Perils-of-Pauline hairsbreadth rescues and other coincidences. I'm not a massive fan of that kind of storytelling. It shows the author, unlike in The Sympathizer, already knows the ending, so we're along for the (entertaining) ride.

I forgive it all, almost unreservedly, for this moment where I felt so Seen: "You are upset because I made you see yourself. You like to think of yourself as just a man, not a white man, unless you call yourself white, with a certain kind of self-aware irony. But for me to call you a white man is unacceptable, downright racist, even if you yourself and all white people routinely say of someone “an Asiatic woman” or “a black man,” as if a black man were not just a man as you are just a man. So what if I noticed your whiteness—how unforgivable!"
Ouch...yes.

A worthy sequel to a fantastic book, if a little uneven at times. I recommend starting with first things first, but this works as a standalone, too.

The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen is a absorbing and thrilling novel that is a perfect fit for readers who appreciate complex, layered storytelling and are interested in exploring themes of post-colonialism, new ideas, and the complexities of identity, as well as those who enjoy literary fiction with a dark and humorous tone.

After reading Nguyen's first book, The Sympathizer, I was excited to read The Committed. This has been a difficult read for me in that I've started and stopped several times. While the overall writing is strong, I felt the plot meandered in confusing ways - at times it was so abstract/philosophical, I lost track of what was actually happening. It was also hard to relate to the characters (which I expected given The Sympathizer), but this made it harder to feel connected to the story.. This might be the type of book where you just need to be in a certain state of mind to fully appreciate and I'm not there yet.

An ambitious novel and a sequel to The Sympathizer, The Committed was a hard novel to finish. I know the author was indebted to the thinkers he mentions in the acknowledgements section but the frequent expositions, for me, seemed to slow the narrative. Other than those instances, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Highly recommended.

Viet Thanh Nguyen's "The Committed" is a tour de force that captivates from beginning to end, delivering a gripping narrative that delves deep into the complexities of identity, politics, and morality. Building upon the groundwork laid in his Pulitzer Prize-winning debut, "The Sympathizer," Nguyen crafts a sequel that not only lives up to its predecessor but surpasses it in depth and scope.

Set in 1980s Paris, "The Committed" follows the journey of the nameless narrator as he navigates the treacherous underworld of crime and revolution. With his razor-sharp wit and keen observations, Nguyen skillfully explores themes of colonialism, communism, and capitalism, providing a nuanced examination of power dynamics and the human condition.

What sets "The Committed" apart is its multifaceted protagonist, whose moral ambiguity and existential struggles resonate deeply with readers. As he grapples with questions of loyalty and identity, the narrator's internal turmoil mirrors the broader societal upheaval occurring around him. Nguyen's ability to weave together personal narrative with larger historical and political context is nothing short of masterful, creating a rich tapestry of interconnected stories that keep readers engaged from start to finish.

Moreover, Nguyen's prose is as elegant as it is evocative, transporting readers to the gritty streets of Paris and immersing them in the sights, sounds, and smells of a city in flux. His vivid descriptions and vivid characters breathe life into the pages, making it impossible to put the book down.

"The Committed" is more than just a gripping thriller; it is a profound meditation on the nature of identity and the enduring legacy of colonialism. Nguyen's fearless exploration of taboo subjects and his unflinching commitment to truth-telling make this a novel that demands to be read and discussed. In a world where the lines between right and wrong are increasingly blurred, "The Committed" serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of empathy, compassion, and the search for meaning in an often chaotic world.

I couldn't get through this title. It ended up not being for me, but I hope it finds a hope with other readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was an engaging sequel to The Sympathizer. It 2as thought-provoking and as usual very well written by this brilliant author. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

It started well but I couldn't finish it, perhaps it's the prose or writing style. I give this book only 3 stars.

Thanks for the review copy. This was a nice sequel to The Sympathizer. I learned a lot about refugees. Thanks again and I’m sure others will learn a lot too and enjoy it.

I think Nguyen is an amazing writer. Overall this was fun and thought provoking. What an intelligent, crazy, enjoyable read!

Beautifully written, thoughtful, compelling work. I really look forward to more from this author. This book has a lot to say, and says it so well.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this title, but my reading interests have changed. I will not be finishing this book, but look forward to others in the future.

The Committed is a sequel to The Sympathizer, it follows the consequences of the history so deftly portrayed in the first book. Now in 1980s France, this book is about the dichotomies of main character, something that would be interesting to discuss with a book club. It could be read on its own, but I still highly recommend reading The Sympathizer as well.

I really loved the Sympathizer, and the Committed is the sequel. This book gives the perspective of a refugee fleeing Vietnam and I really enjoyed the political discussions throughout the book. There is a lot of darkness to this book, but with a tinge of satire. Very enjoyable read.

A much improved sequel to Nguyen’s more famous The Sympathizer, The Committed expands on Nguyen’s gift of voice to tell a much more personal tale of half French half Vietnamese existence. It’s a good tale for the bicultural minded, and a good exercise in how to plot well without throwing away emotion.

The Sympathiser flees the USA and heads to Paris with his friend Bon. Once there, he soon falls into a milieu just as violent as what he has been fleeing; the drug trade. He also falls in with his communist-sympathising aunt and her left-wing intelligentsia friends. As an apostate who changed sides during the war, he is anxious to hide his true political leanings from both the murderous Bon and his aunt's circle, while defending his lack of orthodoxy to the latter group.

This leads to the book containing a great deal of narrative monologues and debates between characters about war, revolution, colonisation, political ideologies, and the challenges of assimilation. That's fine if those discussions are what you are looking for; I wasn't.

This is a writer that I will read / no matter what they produce. So good. Such an interesting concept and execution of a story - I asked myself questions like -‘what does it mean to belong ? Complex and nuanced and written in such an interesting way. Bravo!

Viet Thanh Nguyen brings a much appreciated darkness and satire to some of the most incorrigible moments of Vietnamese history. Strong as his other novels, this is a must read.

I loved The Sympathizer and so had high expectations for this one, and it did not disappoint! Nguyen's writing is so mesmerizing, it draws you in ways that I wish I could do myself, in my own writing. I'm happy that stories like these exists, it gives so much credence to Vietnamese voices.