In 2015, Viet Thanh Nguyen was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his debut novel, The Sympathizer. Now, nearly a decade later, the book has been adapted into an HBO miniseries of the same name. This week, Michael sits down with Viet for a conversation about his latest book, A Man with Two Faces, which expands beyond the familiar beats of memoir, and features the author’s trademark interest in the broader political and colonial implications of the personal.

Reading list:

The Sympathizer, Viet Thanh Nguyen, 2014

The Committed, Viet Thanh Nguyen, 2021

A Man of Two Faces, Viet Thanh Nguyen, 2023

Dune, Frank Herbert, 1965

Portnoy's Complaint, Philip Roth,1968 

Quarterly Essay: Highway to Hell, Joëlle Gergis, 2024 

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Viet Thanh Nguyen

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