Viet Thanh Nguyen’s The Committed is spectacular. “Captain” has just immigrated to Paris, France, the birthplace of his father along with his friend, Bon. It’s 1981. What not many people know is that “Captain” is a spy and a communist sympathizer who was recently in a reeducation and then a refugee camp in America. “Captain” is caught between two identities and faces rampant racism in a post-Vietnam War society and he does whatever it takes to survive, including becoming a hash dealer. But under the main plot is a wonderful history lesson about the French colonization of Vietnam and the widespread ramifications. This is a novel about identity, loyalty and though all its complexities, it’s about survival. Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the advanced review copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read a digital copy of this book?

I want to start by saying, I've never read Nguyen's first book based on the main character, The Sympathizer. I wasn't sure if I wouldn't be able to catch on to the sequel, but the back story is summed up fairly well in detail, describing the reeducation camp during the Vietnam War. "...ever since the childhood moment when a Viet Cong cadre aimed the accusatory finger of a revolver at the back of his father's head, puncturing the fragile shell, revealing what no son should ever see..."

"Now the threads of the screw were stripped, having been placed under a great degree of being a spy, a sleeper, and a spook."

This book jumps in Paris, France, around 1981, post Vietnam War. While "Captain" is no longer a secret spy, he is now facing racial insecurities n a post war era in a foreign country where racism still runs rampant and the Vietnamese are struggling to survive, given the colonization between France and Vietnam.

This book isn't really a story about how the main, nameless character survives becoming a hashish dealer (from communist to capitalist society), but a history lesson in a very poetic prose about the Vietnamese living in post war France. There are torture scenes that are not the easiest to read and intense culture lessons on everyday survival, despite living a very torturous past.

There are a lot of comparisons between living in America, versus living in other parts of the world.
"My God, it must be awful to be a black person in America. You can stop being black in America."

I did not have a great time reading this and it was often times hard to understand. However, I did enjoy the history lessons and let's face it - Nguyen is an incredibly gifted writer. The writing is impeccable and beautiful, but the overall story was not for me.

"Being tortured was, in that sense, like going to church. after a while, neither taught anything new."
"The people of Vietnamese descent in France were quiet, discreet, charming, and most of all harmless."

I just reviewed The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen. #TheCommitted #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

A worthy follow up to his debut novel. An engrossing, perceptive, dramatic and absolutely enthralling literary journey.

I can’t quite put my finger on what makes Viet Thanh Nguyen’s writing so spectacularly unique. It must be in some (large?) part due to the complexity within simplicity. The writing is perfectly straightforward, full of dialogue and color. But the impact is always deep, visceral. Simple phrases conjure profound truths that go to the heart of human cravings and depravity.

I first met Nguyen when I was privileged with an early ARC of “The Sympathizer”. I had no idea what to expect. I loved it and talked it up everywhere. I was delighted when it won the Pulitzer in 2016. I decided that I was going to follow Mr. Nguyen closely from them on. Little did I know how difficult that would be. He is everywhere, now a MacArthur fellow and just recently appointed as the first Asian American member of the Pulitzer Prize Board. His criticism and commentary is rich, insightful, and compelling with a voice that is increasingly needed in these trying times.

When I initially heard that there was to be another major novel, I could hardly contain my excitement. When I read the pre-release narrative I had a feeling that this was going to be a most unusual sequel, now looking at the 20th century devastation of Viet Nam with a focus on France’s sins this time. “The Committed” is that and more.

“The Committed” can be read by in multiple ways. It will be a Gangster novel for some. For others, it’s a geo-political thriller reliving the history of the all Indo-Chinese imbroglios. What I most appreciate is the philosophical bent covering the insights of the Ancients to the Modernists. Violence, terror, and community gets reflected through multiple lenses, often in the space of a single phrase, sentence, or paragraph. It also has the duality of split personalities of the individual as well as societies.

Characters for Nguyen are archetypes, multi-layered avatars for generational complexity and trauma. Everyone is scarred by ethno-national and international misdeeds and greed. “The Committed” is rich in dialogue. This could translate to a great film or mini-series with Nguyen as the screenwriter. One word of caution – you may be hesitant to visit a Vietnamese restaurant after reading the book.

I hardly wait to see what the future brings for Viet Thanh Nguyen, but I know that I will be following closely.
Thanks to Grove Press and NetGalley for the DRC. Much appreciated.