11 min
How 'The Sympathizer' confronts Hollywood's version of the Vietnam War Consider This from NPR
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Hollywood depictions have long helped inform America's understanding of the Vietnam War.
But there was usually one thing missing from these Vietnam War stories: the Vietnamese perspective.
For Vietnamese Americans, like author Viet Thanh Nguyen, that experience left him feeling confused as a child.
In his Pulitzer-winning debut novel The Sympathizer, Nguyen filled that gap by telling the story of a Vietnamese double agent who struggled with his involvement in all parts of the conflict.
And with the release of a new HBO series adapting the story, one question arises: Can The Sympathizer subvert the long-standing narrative on the Vietnam war in Hollywood?
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Hollywood depictions have long helped inform America's understanding of the Vietnam War.
But there was usually one thing missing from these Vietnam War stories: the Vietnamese perspective.
For Vietnamese Americans, like author Viet Thanh Nguyen, that experience left him feeling confused as a child.
In his Pulitzer-winning debut novel The Sympathizer, Nguyen filled that gap by telling the story of a Vietnamese double agent who struggled with his involvement in all parts of the conflict.
And with the release of a new HBO series adapting the story, one question arises: Can The Sympathizer subvert the long-standing narrative on the Vietnam war in Hollywood?
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
11 min