The Committed: A Novel (Unabridged)
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3.7 • 15 Ratings
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- $29.99
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- $29.99
Publisher Description
The long-awaited new novel from one of America’s most highly regarded contemporary writers, The Committed follows the unnamed Sympathizer as he arrives in Paris in the early 1980s with his blood brother Bon. The pair try to overcome their pasts and ensure their futures by engaging in capitalism in one of its purest forms: drug dealing.
Traumatized by his reeducation at the hands of his former best friend, Man, and struggling to assimilate into French culture, the Sympathizer finds Paris both seductive and disturbing. As he falls in with a group of left-wing intellectuals whom he meets at dinner parties given by his French Vietnamese “aunt”, he finds stimulation for his mind but also customers for his narcotic merchandise. But the new life he is making has perils he has not foreseen, whether the self-torture of addiction, the authoritarianism of a state locked in a colonial mindset, or the seeming paradox of how to reunite his two closest friends whose worldviews put them in absolute opposition. The Sympathizer will need all his wits, resourcefulness, and moral flexibility if he is to prevail.
Both literary thriller and novel of ideas, The Committed is a blistering portrayal of commitment and betrayal that will cement Viet Thanh Nguyen’s position in the firmament of American letters.
This audiobook is a sequel to The Sympathizer.
Copyright © 2021 by Viet Thanh Nguyen. Recorded by arrangement with Grove Press, an imprint of Grove Atlantic, Inc. Epigraph by Rithy Panh with Christophe Bataille, excerpted from The Elimination, translated by John Cullen. Copyright © 2014 by Rithy Panh. Reprinted by permission of Other Press. “Seasons in the Sun.” Written by Jacques Brel and Rod McKuen. Published by Edward B. Marks Music Company (BMI). All rights administered by Round Hill Carlin, LLC. “Et Moi, Et Moi, Et Moi.” Words and Music by Jacques Dutronc and Jacques Lanzmann. Copyright (c) 1966 Alpha Editions Musicales. Copyright Renewed. All Rights Administered by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard LLC.
Customer Reviews
So So
Like all sequels, this one lives in the shadow of its predecessor and suffers under weight of expectations benchmarked against the novelty of the original work. That said, ‘The Committed, is a fun and engaging book in its own right but pales when measured against “The Sympathizer.” The narrative style that was so fresh and engaging the first time around is brought back along with the expansion of the conflict between rival sides of the Vietnamese community. Had I read it without having read ‘The Sympathizer’ first, I might have thought better of it. Yet, having thoroughly enjoyed the ‘The Sympathizer’ I can only muster the beige equivalent of emotional and intellectual reaction to it.
Some positive areas for ‘The Committed’ include the existentialist and geo-political questions and debates that could warrant a book of their own. Additionally, the comedic moments are amped up from the first book and the supporting cast of characters more diverse and flesh out the story well. The narrator’s internal monologue is Dostoevsky level criminal analysis and other times soap box droning. The real meat is in the obsessive commentary on symbolism and identity that makes the book worth reading. I wish Viet Thanh Nguyen had leaned more into that discussion with maybe even a new set of characters. Though, we may still get that, since there is a detail near the end that leaves a window for a sequel.
To summarize, the book was just average and in some moments a bit forced. Viet Thanh Nguyen is masterful in his style and the craft. There were no shortcomings in the dialogue, plot, and characters. It was just missing that special something that would set it apart from its predecessor. Although, it may be that Nguyen is trying to recreate what Achebe did with the ‘African Trilogy’ but this time for the Asian Diaspora. If that happens then we can take another look at ‘The Committed’ as part of an epic crossing generations and geographies.
Not for a road trip
I am sure this book is acclaim worthy but I do not recommend the audio for a road trip. My husband and I listen to a lot of audio books on our 16 hour drive to and from our second home. We tried several times to be engaged by this audio but finally gave up in the middle of Nevada. I think it may be the reader - he just reads the words, very monotone. Sorry, wanted to enjoy this book - I will just have to
try reading it myself.