The Sympathizer: A Novel (Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)
Viet Thanh Nguyen

The Sympathizer: A Novel (Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)

$8.42
Last updated Nov 4, 2026 at 2:32am
Viet Thanh Nguyen

About this product

Now an HBO Limited Series from Executive Producers Park Chan-wook and Robert Downey Jr., Streaming Exclusively on Max Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Winner of the 2016 Edgar Award for Best First Novel
Winner of the 2016 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction One of the New York Times ’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century One of TIME ’s 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time “[A] remarkable debut novel.”—Philip Caputo, New York Times Book Review (cover review) Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize, a startling debut novel from a powerful new voice featuring one of the most remarkable narrators of recent fiction: a conflicted subversive and idealist working as a double agent in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. The winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, as well as seven other awards, The Sympathizer is the breakthrough novel of the year. With the pace and suspense of a thriller and prose that has been compared to Graham Greene and Saul Bellow, The Sympathizer is a sweeping epic of love and betrayal. The narrator, a communist double agent, is a “man of two minds,” a half-French, half-Vietnamese army captain who arranges to come to America after the Fall of Saigon, and while building a new life with other Vietnamese refugees in Los Angeles is secretly reporting back to his communist superiors in Vietnam. The Sympathizer is a blistering exploration of identity and America, a gripping espionage novel, and a powerful story of love and friendship. Read more

Editor's Take

The Sympathizer gets strong critical praise for its sharp writing, political depth, and unusual Vietnam War perspective. Book Marks and Kirkus describe it as a major, insightful novel, while the New York Times calls it extraordinary and praises its fresh lens on the war.

Reader reactions are more mixed. Goodreads reviewers frequently highlight the book’s complex themes of loyalty, identity, and cultural dislocation, but some say the prose feels overworked or difficult to enjoy. One blog review at Lyndsay’s Lit Reviews was notably negative, saying it felt more suitable for a classroom than for pleasure reading.

Overall, reviews suggest this is a highly regarded literary novel that many readers admire for intelligence and originality, but it may not suit readers looking for a fast, easy, or purely entertaining read.

Price History

Specifications

Genre Fiction
Illustrated No

Product Details

Publisher Grove Press
Publication date April 12, 2016
Edition Reprint
Language English
Print length 416 pages
ISBN-10 0802124941
ISBN-13 978-0802124944
Item Weight 13.1 ounces
Dimensions 5.5 x 1.1 x 8.2 inches
Book 1 of 2 The Sympathizer
Best Sellers Rank #4,399 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #17 in Asian American & Pacific Islander Literature (Books) #67 in Espionage Thrillers (Books) #238 in Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Action Fiction (Books)
Customer Reviews 4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (27,814)