Kim Thuy

Sheila Fischman

Briar's Reviews

Kim Thúy's beautiful short story, Vi, is a must read for fiction lovers!

I won't lie, the fact that this book is so short was what drew me to it. I needed a quick read to keep me occupied while I was in a waiting room and this book was short enough to devour in one sitting. While this book might lack in quantity, it hits a real punch on the quality. I'm honestly surprised Kim is not a bigger author, because this book was mind-blowingly awesome. And yes, I am making mind-blowingly a word.

The cultural impact is probably the best part of this novel. Often, you can see silly cultural stereotypes in novels but this one did it right. You could tell Kim knew what she was talking about with the depth and nature of her words. It didn't feel cheap or obnoxious, it felt oddly satisfying to read about another culture that was not my own. Watching Vi's story take place over these pages was a fantastic adventure, since Kim wove her words so beautifully and made this story dance in my mind. I absolutely loved it!

I would have liked a better ending, I found it kind of "blah" compared to the rest of the novel. This book had me hooked and obsessed with Vi's journey and then the end just fell...well, flat. I would have liked something more. That was my only real issue with this novel. It is a translation (and my copy was an ARC) so there were some weird sentences with the translation but that wasn't a con for me. I moved passed those issues really easily when reading it.

Overall, this charming read is a great option if you want a story that will move you and impact your understanding of culture. I 100% recommend this book!

Four out of five stars.

I received an ARC of this book through Goodreads First Reads.

Kim Thúy

Mon prénom, Bào Vi, illustrait l'intention de mes parents de « protéger la plus petite ». Si l'on traduit littéralement, je suis « Précieuse minuscule microscopique ». Comme dans la plupart des cas au Vietnam, je n'ai pas su être à l'image de mon nom. Souvent, les filles qui s'appellent « Blanche » ou « Neige » ont le teint très foncé, et les garçons nommés « Puissance » ou « Fort » craignent les grandes épreuves. Quant à moi, je grandissais sans cesse, dépassant de loin la moyenne et, du même élan, me projetant en dehors des normes. --Quatrième de couverture.

Izza

4 stars | Once again, Kim Thúy gifts us with a beautiful, well-crafted novel.

Mon prénom, Bào Vi, illustrait l'intention de mes parents de " protéger la plus petite ". Si l'on traduit littéralement, je suis " Précieuse minuscule microscopique ". Comme dans la plupart des cas au Vietnam, je n'ai pas su être à l'image de mon nom. Souvent, les filles qui s'appellent " Blanche " ou " Neige " ont le teint très foncé, et les garçons nommés " Puissance " ou " Fort " craignent les grandes épreuves. Quant à moi, je grandissais sans cesse, dépassant de loin la moyenne et, du même élan, me projetant en dehors des normes.

Emelie

Mariane

"Canada Reads-winner Kim Thúy returns with Vi, once more exploring the lives, loves and struggles of Vietnamese refugees as they reinvent themselves in new lands. The youngest of four children and the only girl, Vi was given a name that meant "precious, tiny one," destined to be cosseted and protected, the family's little treasure. Daughter of an enterprising mother and a wealthy and spoiled father who never had to grow up, the Vietnam war tears their family asunder. While Vi and many of her family members escape, her father stays behind, and her family must fend for themselves in Canada. While her mother and brothers put down roots, life has different plans for Vi. As a young woman, she finds the world opening up to her. Taken under the wing of Hà, a worldly family friend and diplomat lover, Vi tests personal boundaries and crosses international ones, letting the winds of life buffet her. From Saigon to Montreal, from Suzhou to Boston to the fall of the Berlin Wall, she is witness to the immensity of the world, the intricate fabric of humanity, the complexity of love, the infinite possibilities before her. Ever the quiet observer, somehow she must find a way to finally take her place in the world."--

Marie

Talissa Rodriguez-Ramos

Jorge Amigo

MacKenzie Hamon

Andrew Louis

Zoe McKenna

emmanuelle major

Tran Thai Ha

Vi es la única hija de una familia vietnamita muy singular: una madre trabajadora, de extracción humilde, y un padre rico y mimado que nunca tuvo que crecer. La Guerra de Vietnam destruirá el equilibrio familiar conseguido por la madre, un personaje «de otro tiempo». Vi, junto a ella y sus hermanos, huirá a Canadá, tras pasar por un campo de refugiados; su padre no tendrá la misma suerte...Hay novelas que suelen ser llamadas «perfectas» en cuanto parecen mecanismos de relojería suiza; en otras, sin embargo, la vida se cuela por todas partes y la realidad, que es imperfecta, se impone sobre el artificio. Verdad y verosimilitud se confunden entonces. Ésta es una novela sobre la vida de una mujer joven que nació en un antiquísimo Vietnam, en rotunda transformación, y que creció en un Occidente de emigrantes atados a tabúes y contradicciones sin fin. Es una novela sobre refugiados y emigrantes, pero tambiÉn sobre el amor y el misterio de la existencia en cualquier lugar de la Tierra. Flores y lecturas, comidas y viajes, además de ternura y nostalgia, van conformando la idiosincrasia de Vi, que recorre nuestro extenso mundo como si en realidad fuera diminuto, tanto como indica su propio nombre: Vi, que en vietnamita significa literalmente «preciosa minúscula microscópica».