‘The Sympathizer’ is full of Park Chan-wook’s much-loved themes

Vietnamese-American professor and novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen recalled an unforgettable dinner at home in Los Angeles back in 2009 when he talked to South Korean movie director Park Chan-wook about making his novel "The Sympathizer” into images. It was a great honor for him to see his book change into a TV series very soon, he said.

Professor Nguyen, grinning from ear to ear, shared his special memories of the dinner with Park in a press conference at Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on Thursday. He was obviously filled with expectations about an HBO TV series with the same title as his book to be released next year. Directed by Park, the series stars Sandra Oh and Robert Downey Jr. Describing himself as a big fan of Park's Vengeance Trilogy – “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002),” “Oldboy (2004)” and “Lady Vengeance (2005),” he noted that the theme of his novel is in line with the director’s main interests dealt with by his movie stories such as memories, vengeance, and violence. Given Park’s outstanding storytelling skills, the author strongly believed that the director would satisfy his expectations.

Born in Vietnam, he was brought into the United States in 1975 at the age of four with his parents and other “boat people.” Majoring in English and Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, he is not only a novelist but also a professor in the English Department of the University of Southern California. He looked back on the heartbroken past when he struggled with his two-faced identity – an immigrant who arrived in the United States.

He remembered the day he dropped by his parents’ grocery store when he was 11 years old. Coming across a phrase written in front of another grocery store next door – “Run by a U.S. citizen but screwed up by the Vietnamese” – left one of the most shocking memories with him.

“The Sympathizer,” the winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize, clearly mirrors what the author has struggled with in his personal life. Born to a French father and a Vietnamese mother, the novel’s main character, a spy for North Vietnam, moves to the United States and becomes a double agent after joining the CIA.

“Unlike ‘The Sympathizer’ where a man has a hard time while sympathizing with socialism and democracy, ‘The Committed’ focuses on asking questions as to what deserves dedication and commitment, the author explained. "I am preparing a third novel following ‘The Committed.'"

Professor Nguyen is scheduled to give a speech at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul this Sunday as part of the Seoul International Book Fair.


hoho@donga.com