Voices from the Underground: Insider Histories of the Vietnam Era Underground Press

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Considered the most important writer of Vietnam's postwar generation, Ho Anh Thai brings an intimate knowledge of the Vietnam War into perspective with a style that is at once whimsical and sharp-sighted. In this first collection to be published in English, we meet characters such as the man who carries his mother's bones in his knapsack in "The Indian." Wherever he goes, the disapproving spirit of his mother seems to watch his actions, and when he extracts the bones from a pond that a lover has thrown them into, his guilt is multiplied upon finding that his mother's finger bones can't be found. In the story "Behind the Red Mist," a young man is magically transported into his own past during the war bombings. He meets his parents before they married and discovers that their generation is actually different from the way in which it had been portrayed to him as a child. Ananda, from "The Man Who Stood on One Leg," swears to pose on one leg, like the god Shiva dancing, until the factory director gives him 1 million rupees to build a temple. The director refuses, but when Ananda dies, the metaphoric temple that was Ananda becomes an emptiness in the town that the director feels compelled to fill. --Susan Swartwout

Customer Reviews:

imaginative.......2007-06-16

This collection comprises 9 short stories and 1 novella. All are imaginative and most examine the struggles of the postwar generation in Vietnam. There is a Kafkaesque quality to some of the stories and the novella is especially interesting. Worth a read.

a good read - great for a book club.......2003-12-02

The first story was good. The next one was better. I thought it was impossible, but each successive story is better than the prior one. An enjoyable read. A book that you'll want to share and discuss with others.

Voices from the Ho Chi Minh Trail: Poetry of America and Vietnam, 1965-1993

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Voices from the Ho Chi Minh Trail: Poetry of America and Vietnam, 1965-1993
Larry Rottmann
Manufacturer: Event Horizon Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Crossing the River (Voices from Vietnam, 5)

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An excellent writer, undermined by some poor translation and poor editing
Excellent group of universal stories
Captivating

Crossing the River (Voices from Vietnam, 5)
Huy Thiep Nguyen , Dana Sachs , and Peter Saidel
Manufacturer: Curbstone Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1880684926

Book Description

Crossing the River presents a wide range of Nguyen Huy Thiep's short fiction, both realistic stories in contemporary settings and retellings of folk myths that serve as contemporary parables. When Thiep's stories first appeared in the 1980s, they set off a chain of debate, not only within intellectual and political circles, but also within the society at large. Typically, the struggles of his characters were about survival, not survival in the context of war or revolution, but survival in the context of the emotional and psychological strength it takes to live within the harsh confines of post-war Vietnamese society. Thiep captured the emotional quality of Vietnamese life in a way no other author had done, and his importance can be recognized today by his enormous influence on younger writers.

Nguyen Huy Thiep, who was born in Hanoi in 1950, spent much of his youth in rural Vietnam where his mother worked as an agricultural laborer. By 1987, he began to be published in the major literary journals in Vietnam, and in 1988, more than 20 of his stories were published. He is widely considered Vietnam's finest short story writer.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent writer, undermined by some poor translation and poor editing.......2007-09-22

Nguyen Huy Thiep is a well known writer in Vietnam, remarkable for the way that his stories present the cruelties of man to each other (and themselves) and yet were widely circulated and popular. This collection from Curbstone Press collects together a wide range of stories that are translated by such writers as Linh Dinh and Dana Sachs. I first came across Nguyen Huy Thiep in the intriguing collection of Vietnamese fiction, Night, Again. The story in there, "Without a King," is the story of a woman marrying into a family that is both cruel and loving, with a myriad of inner struggles and rivalries, including a brother who has an eye for the woman brought into their home.

Many of Nguyen's stories are equally complex and wonderfully dark, examining the depth of their characters and allowing them to have their spiritual realizations and their moments of outrageous inconsideration and violence. Nguyen's writing is almost journalistic at times, with narrators who report the events of the stories, giving them an almost chilling verisimilitude. Another powerful story here is "The General Retires," the story of an old soldier who comes home only to face further wars there, only of a psychological kind. One of my favorite stories in here was "Rain," a rather short piece that examines love and separation.

While I found myself quite impressed by Nguyen's talent, I also found myself rather put off by the sloppiness of the collection and some of the translations. Aside from finding occasional gross grammatical errors ('lightening' instead of 'lightning,' for example), but the separations between stories were sometimes quite bare, with a mere translator's note crammed into the bottom margin. Translations by Linh Dinh and Brigit Hussfeld conveyed a highly competent writer with a tight hold on his craft and form, while others felt loose in a way that I would chalk up more to poor translators than Nguyen. The commentaries, including the sophomoric comparison of Nguyen to Dostoevsky and Faulkner on the back cover, are all rather bland. I gained for more respect for Nguyen as a writer from the competently translated stories themselves rather than the editorial package, which offered little of interest on this writer I would like to know more about.

Excellent group of universal stories.......2007-04-07

In the late 1980s, Vietnam was one of the poorest countries in the world. Combine post-war devastation with less-than-component running of the economy and the loss of a major source of aid, the Soviet Union, and the Vietnamese government started a process of renovation or "doi moi." The intention was to bring the economy more in line with market forces, but the government also eased its controls on Vietnamese literature. The author's stories created a huge sensation and open controversy with their depiction of a society full of individualism and greed. This was in great contrast to the proletarian, government-approved stories that had been published up until that time. Some of these tales take place in the present day, while others include famous figures from Vietnamese history. Even the historical stories are characterized by alienation and lack of patriotism.

This book is really good. These stories are about humanity, about people just trying to get through this thing called life. They are universal stories that could have been set anywhere in the world. It is very much worth reading, once the reader gets past the lack of familiarity with Vietnamese culture.

Captivating.......2005-01-29

Crossing the River is the largest collection of Nguyen Huy Thiep's literature available in an English translation. One word I would personally use to describe his work is lyrical, and yet another word would be stark. In fact he evokes a contradictory experience, which defies characterization. The stories seem simple, often depressing, and yet they have a grace and underlying imagery that is captivating.

A recurring theme explores the inadequacy of heroes and traditional beliefs. However, much of the imagery, surroundings, and events are steeped in Buddhist and Vietnamese moral philosophy and Vietnamese myth and history. In many ways, this juxtaposition of aware struggle and darkly humorous acceptance seems to be a quintessential feature of Vietnamese culture. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in literature or who wishes a glimpse inside modern Vietnamese imagery.

Average customer rating:

Revealing and Very Moving
CRAP
The Greatest Vietnam Book for Young People!
Great book!
Wow!

Voices from Vietnam
Barry Denenberg
Manufacturer: Scholastic Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

Asia | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0590442678

Customer Reviews:

Revealing and Very Moving.......2007-03-20

This book tells the story of the Vietnam War (in chronological sequence) by using a mixture of historical fact and the words of the people who served. The personal stories are poignantly told and incredibly moving and heartwrenching. I would not recommend this book to anyone who hasn't had at least an introduction to the war because it can be confusing without some background. I would also not recommend reading it before bed unless you like nightmares - in this regard, it may not be appropriate for the 9-12 year old age group. I would definitely recommend it for anyone wondering whether there are parallels between that war and the current one, especially since it was written long before the Iraq war and the elections of 2000 and 2004 (even John Kerry is referenced and quoted). You will be amazed - and quite sick.

CRAP.......2007-01-31

I didn't like this book because it was hard to find out what was really going on, and it was extremely confusing in most of the book. It was like waiting for paint to dry, but doing that would be more fun than reading this horrible book.

The Greatest Vietnam Book for Young People!.......2003-07-06

This book is great for adults too. It takes quotes and information from several books written for adult audiences and uses them to augment and develop the history of American involvement in Vietnam. Many books on the Vietnam War are so confusing I can't understand what happened. This book was clear, succient and introduced the opinions of people who were involved in the war. I came away from reading this with a better understanding and it was even more important now that we have gone into Iraq.

Great book!.......2000-10-25

I read this book for a school project. I had to learn about the culture in Vietnam. The book went into great detail about the culture and the way people live there. It told true stories about the people who went through the war. Great book for young readers who want to know about the war.

Wow!.......2000-08-21

For a history book, this was really good! I thought the quotations were well chosen and the bok as a whole was engaging and made me want to read more. It leaves a lot of questions, but for interesting and the Vietnam War, you can't do much better!

Voices from the Camps: Vietnamese Children Seeking Asylum

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Voices from the Camps: Vietnamese Children Seeking Asylum
James M. Freeman , Nguyen Dinh Huu , and Inh Hu Nguyen
Manufacturer: University of Washington Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Emigration & Immigration | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Southeast Asia | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0295983132

Book Description

Wave after wave of political and economic refugees poured out of Vietnam beginning in the late 1970s, overwhelming the resources available to receive them. Squalid conditions prevailed in detention centers and camps in Hong Kong and throughout Southeast Asia, where many refugees spent years languishing in poverty, neglect, and abuse while supposedly being protected by an international consortium of caregivers. Voices from the Camps tells the story of the most vulnerable of these refugees: children alone, either orphaned or separated from their families.

Combining anthropology and social work with advocacy for unaccompanied children everywhere, James M. Freeman and Nguyen Dinh Huu present the voices and experiences of Vietnamese refugee children neglected and abused by the system intended to help them. Authorities in countries of first asylum, faced with thousands upon thousands of increasingly frightened, despairing, and angry people, needed to determine on a case-by-case basis whether they should be sent back to Vietnam or be certified as legitimate refugees and allowed to proceed to countries of resettlement. The international community, led by UNHCR, devised a well-intentioned screening system. Unfortunately, as Freeman and Nguyen demonstrate, it failed unaccompanied children.

The hardships these children endured are disturbing, but more disturbing is the story of how the governments and agencies that set out to care for them eventually became the children's tormenters. When Vietnam, after years of refusing to readmit illegal emigrants, reversed its policy, the international community began doing everything it could to force them back to Vietnam. Cutting rations, closing schools, separating children from older relations and other caregivers, relocating them in order to destroy any sense of stability--the authorities employed coercion and effective abuse with distressing ease, all in the name of the "best interests" of the children.

Book Description

Unsure whether they would be greeted as traitors or heroes, POWs returning from Vietnam responded by holding tight to their chosen motto, "Return with Honor." "We're giving the American people what they want and badly need--heroes," said a Vietnam jungle POW. "I feel it's our responsibility, our duty to help them where possible shed the idea this war was a waste, useless, as unpopular as it may have been." In the first book to explore the entire range of memoirs, biographies, and group histories published since America's Vietnam POWs returned home, Craig Howes explores the development of a collective history. He describes how these captives drew upon their national heritage to compose a unified, common story while still in prison, and how individual POWs have responded to this Official Story. Examining what racial, cultural, and political assumptions support this shared Official Story, Howes places the POWs' experiences squarely in the center of American history, and within those larger clashes of opinion and belief which characterized the nation's response to the Vietnam War. The result is an engrossing study of what these captivity narratives can tell us about the POWs, their captors, and America's Vietnam legacy.

Voices from the Underground: A Directory of Resources and Sources on the Vietnam Era Underground Press

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Voices from the Underground: A Directory of Resources and Sources on the Vietnam Era Underground Press

Manufacturer: Mica Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Vietnam War | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Journalism | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1879461021

Voices of Vietnamese Boat People: Nineteen Narratives of Escape and Survival

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A wonderful book about real and courageous people
An aftermath of the war.

Voices of Vietnamese Boat People: Nineteen Narratives of Escape and Survival

Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Vietnam War | Military | History | Subjects | Books

20th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0786407859

Book Description

On April 10, 1975, the Hanoi government of North Vietnam took control over the South. South Vietnamese, particularly "intellectuals" and those thought to have been associated with the previous regime, underwent terrible punishment, persecution and "re-education." Seeking their freedom, thousands of South Vietnamese took to the sea in rickety boats, often with few supplies, and faced the dangers of nature, pirates, and starvation. While the sea and its danger claimed many lives, those who made it to the refugee camps still faced struggle and hardships in their quest for freedom.
Here are collected the narratives of nineteen men and women who survived the ordeal of escape by sea. Today, they live in the United States as students, professors, entrepreneurs, scientists, and craftspeople who have chosen to tell the stories of their struggles and their triumph. Each narrative is accompanied by a brief biographical note.

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful book about real and courageous people.......2005-05-01

This book is the most moving book I have ever read.

It presents the life a Vietnamese people after 1975 through the stories of 19 vietnamese boat people who immigrated to the US after sometimes several attempts. The stories are told in simple and humble terms. They describe the life under communist ruling and the fear and courage to escape it. The book shows the life in the refugee camps around South East Asia. It is also a book about hope of a better life and about the adjustement to the American language and the American way of life. It also shows how these admirable people integrated in the US society.

The author should be congratulated for telling this untold stories that everybody who heard of Vietnam should know. All my respect and admiration to the Vietnamese people who suffered so much for so long.

An aftermath of the war........2002-01-14

From 1975 to 1996, more than one million people have made the trip from Vietnamese shores to other Southeastern Asian countries braving weather, hunger, dehydration, storms, and pirates. About 500,000 others have drown or died at seas. In spite of these ordeals, these people keep rushing to the seas to flee communism. Had they had the means, the majority would have left their country.

These are the stories of 19 people who left their homeland on rickety boats, their ordeals at seas, their lives in refugee camps, and their relocation in western countries. They risked their lives to look somewhere else for FREEDOM they could not find in their country.

There are many waves of refugees throughout the years. People from the first wave were mostly professionals and went almost immediately to the U.S. or other western countries. Refugees from subsequent waves traveled in rickety boats, were less well schooled and spent a longer time in the Asian refugee camps.

Book Description

Through powerful personal narratives and photographs, this examination of the lives touched by the Vietnam War draws from the experience of those people, both American and Vietnamese, affected by the war on the battlefront and at home. Stories recounted include those of the soldiers, nurses, refugees, Amerasians, and of those who fearfully awaited the return of friends and family members. Ultimately, the stories reflect moments of history in the hope and despair that define individuals' lives.

Customer Reviews:

A True Masterpiece.......2005-01-16

The author is gifted with both lens and pen...the vivid photos coupled with poignant stories drags the reader through a twisting maze of emotions.
I believe that this is one of the very best books concerning a generation that is still trying to find it's way or perhaps come to terms with themselves...so many stories, so many unanswered questions....so much pain...so much heartbreak...so many tears.
Each story is filled with a vast spectrum of emotions.
Charlene Edwards is simply gifted...I can say no more to describe her talent.
I am unable to add more for fear of becoming redundant...I lack the words to offer a review that is worthy. I can only say that 5 stars is inadequet.
Eddie Delezen..author of...
Eye of the Tiger
Thoughts Etched in Jade
Red Plateau

An Essential Journey.......2004-05-11

Even if you couldn't read the words, the stunning photographs alone in this work would reveal the depth and range of emotion endured by everyone touched by the Vietnam conflict. Each personal vignette carries a similar theme - why were we there, how did the atrocities of the war effect me, where am I today? Sadly, there are more tragedies than triumphs, as with all wars, but so poignantly true in this one. Yet, you must go back with these people, imagine what it was like for them, remember how you experienced those times, and hopefully emerge with a compassionate understanding of what it all meant.

There are other books out there titled Voices from Vietnam, but Ms. Edwards has listened to these particular voices and played them back as a ringing chorus that will move you to forgive but never forget the victims on both sides of this war.

"Voices From Vietnam".......2003-02-13

Charlene Edwards has put together a wonderfully deverse and mosaic puzzle that refects the human side of the Vietnam War. She has captured the spiritual and emotional energies of those she interviewed and photographed in her book. The book not only has wonderful photos but the text bleeds with heart felt stories.

Her 10 year quest to share the feelings and images of those personal experiences was a gift to the rest of us. I found myself moved to tears at times, by the images and stories she has introduced us to in her book. I am richer for having had the experience of reading this book.

Understanding = Healing.......2002-12-07

Voices from Vietnam is a brilliant and riveting collection of images and essays that brought the Vietnam war alive to someone who was born at its conclusion. It is a must-read for anyone who served in the war or had loved ones who did. As the daughter of a Vietnam veteran, the stories in this book have been instrumental in helping me to understand some of the things my father experienced as a soldier in this war. This compelling book shares stories from every possible perspective, yet the themes of pain, suffering, survival and triumph are very much the same. This is a very personal, very human look at the affects of war. I highly recommend it as a tool for healing and for understanding.

Two Sides of The Same Face.......2002-12-06

Voices From Vietnam was written by someone who was very young when this war took place, but who was drawn to it and remained dedicated to the understanding of it for the rest of her life.This book is very special because it humanizes both sides and helps us to realize that it was a tragic mistake from the very beginning. Misguided but well-meaning Americans went into the abyss that was left behind by the French colonizers.The people of Vietnam were devastated by over 11 long years of fighting with the Americans .The most powerful nation in the world could not ultimately overpower the determination and tremendous courage of this tiny and poor country.One of the greatest and most profound lessons as demonstrated in this book is that the Vietnamese have forgiven us for the utter decimation of their country and are willing to help us heal the terrible wounds inflicted on both sides.The author introduces us to many people and their stories and shows us that it is possible to embrace your former enemies and work together towards a better future for all.For many Vietnamese the legacy of the war is saddness-the loss of time and place ,of family and friends ,of youth and innocence. If you turn the coin over you find once-young Americans burdened with those same loses.In the end we are a mirror image of each other. Perhaps we will never be able to fully make sense of what we endured on both sides for eleven years.The Vietnamese know they won the war but there was no real winner.The author shows us some of these people and how they have rebuilt their country and extended a hand to us in forgivness and friendship.The many beautiful photographs and interviews tell this story perfectly and for every one of us to understand perfectly.This is an outstanding testimony to the good we all have in us-if only we would try to remember it.

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