After she was killed during the war, her diaries were found by an American soldier who returned the journals to her family 35 years after the war. The journals were published in 2005 and became one of the best-selling books of all time in Vietnam. They are viewed similarly to the diaries of Anne Frank, one of the most interesting books that I have ever read. This book interested me because learning about the humanity and effects of the war on present-day Vietnam and the society's views of America and Western expansion was one of my main goals for the program.
Outside of Vietnamese literature, I have also been reading many American books in order to stay grounded while away from home. This week, I just finished maybe the least grounded but most American books ever: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. This book is a semi-autobiographical novel that pioneered “gonzo” journalism. Essentially, what Thompson does, and what gonzo journalism is, is place himself as the protagonist in the news story that he is writing. He then relies heavily on raw notes, minimal editing and subjective feelings to create the narrative. The book rejects the idea that journalism is objective in the first place, even adding in fictional details to create a new version of the truth. A character resembling Hunter S. Thompson appears in the opening scene of the children's movie Rango–you should try to find him.
