Summary
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen follows a half-French, half-Vietnamese man serving as a spy for the Communist forces in the final days of the Vietnam War. The novel is framed as a confession written by the narrator to a mysterious commandant, by whom he is being held prisoner. The narrator is forced to abandon Vietnam during the fall of Saigon in order to maintain his cover and to continue spying on the general whom he had been working under for the duration of the war. During his time in America, the narrator becomes a consultant on a Hollywood film about the war, continues spying on the General, and must make increasingly difficult decisions to maintain his cover and navigate his divided loyalties.
William Eichler ’19