December 16, 2004
The Sorrow of War
I had the simultaneously good and bad fortune to discover Boa Ninh's novel, The Sorrow of War while in Vietnam recently. Bao Ninh was a soldier in the North Vietnamese army and was present at the fall of Siagon in 1975. I say simultaneously good and bad because the novel is brilliant. moving, amazing. It is also so devastating to read that it might take you a day or two to recover.
Unfortunately, the fate of the interesting glut of writers to emerge from Vietnam roughly 15 years ago and who were starting to tell the story of modern Vietnam is not a great one so far.
Here's a brief interviewwith another contemporary and important Vietnamese writer, Duong Thu Huong. She has her own website here.
Posted by Morgan Meis at 09:08 AM | Permalink
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341c562c53ef00d8342c5f5b53ef
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference The Sorrow of War:
Comments
I also picked up this novel recently in Vietnam (2002).
It is truly a powerful and moving story - not for the "weak at stomach". It is a heartbreaking love story as well.
Being a combat veteran Marine of the same war, I can clearly see Mr. Ninh as deeply affected by 'post traumatic stress disorder'. His novel's style and content are froth with it.
I wish him well.
Posted by: ************** | Aug 1, 2005 1:59:05 PM
Post a comment