Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Sympathizer | 2015 | Viet Thanh Nguyen | Buy |
| 2 | The Refugees | 2017 | Viet Thanh Nguyen | Buy |
The Sympathizer is listed here as a standalone as well as the start of its own duology, reflecting the way it functions both as a complete novel and as the first part of a larger project. The Refugees, published in 2017, collects stories written over twenty years and feels quite different from the satirical intensity of the novels.
Both books reward close reading, though they ask different things of the reader. The Refugees is more accessible as an entry point; The Sympathizer is more challenging and more rewarding for readers prepared to engage with its formal ambitions.