"This English version of Vietnam’s national poem will contribute to
a better understanding of the people of Vietnam and of their
traumatic experience in death and war, in exodus and
separation."—Nguyen Dinh-Hoa, Washington Post Book World
"The Tale of Kieu occupies a very special place in Vietnamese
literature… Thông should be commended for a very close rendering of
the original. His understanding of the Vietnamese language, its
subtleties, and its nuances apparently has no equal."—Truong Buu
Lam, Journal of Asian Studies
"Near perfect. . . . Should be read by those who want to know the
heart and mind of the Vietnamese people."—Tran Van Dinh, Asia
"The new notes add immensely to the richness of the translation,
allowing the careful reader a detailed glimpse into the author’s
world of literary images and deepening one’s appreciation for his
subtle skill of expression. Anyone seeking to understand the
Vietnamese people, their cultural outlook and mentality, can
profitably begin with this book."—K. W. Taylor, JSEAS
(Singapore)
"Of great interest to both scholars and admirers of Vietnamese
culture. . . . Kieu's undying love endears herself to the
Vietnamese, and poet Du is eulogized for creating a figure of
pathos with whom the nation can identify. Kieu symbolizes feminine
beauty and innocence; her tragic fate mirrors Vietnam's."—Nguyen
Ngoc Bich, Asiaweek
"This 3,254-line narrative poem is the national cultural treasure
of Vietnam—the equivalent of Shakespeare, Chaucer, the Holy Bible
and Bartlett's Quotations rolled into one. . . . No one with a
pretense of serious interest in Vietnam can afford to be ignorant
of this work."—Indochina Quarterly
"Huynh Sanh Thông’s splendidly controlled blank verse is as close a
representation as one could ask for of the concise, tightly
balanced, epigrammatic quality of the original poem; and his
marvelously thorough notes and introductory material plus the
bilingual text make this edition a continuous joy to use."—Eric
Henry, University of North Carolina
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