Scan barcode
rachael_baker8's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bisoug150's review against another edition
5.0
Please read this via the website with moving elements. It's free and it is important. Just beautiful, I loved the way it was adapted into a 'comic'. The art and the way the story is set up is just beautiful.
Link: http://www.sbs.com.au/theboat/ (It takes at least 20 mins of your day, please read it.)
Link: http://www.sbs.com.au/theboat/ (It takes at least 20 mins of your day, please read it.)
michaelstearns's review
4.0
The stories I like in this collection I practically love; the few stories I didn't care for felt a tad mannered and tendentiously over-deliberate. So a mixed bag, but one that I generally thought excellent.
[First note, from April 2010] Three stories in and superb so far, though unrelentingly grim. Still, completely effing worthwhile.
[First note, from April 2010] Three stories in and superb so far, though unrelentingly grim. Still, completely effing worthwhile.
writerceliakim's review
4.0
Excellent use of visuals and audio to capture engagement. The story was rich and didn't skirt around the heavy topics about what Vietnamese refugees had to experience.
danajoy's review
4.0
This was unlike anything I've seen before and while the story telling in parts was unclear or disjointed the overall ecomic was so engrossing and captivating. The audio, the way things shifted if you moved your mouse were such amazing touches that I just loved. Just clarifying that I consumed the e-comic created by the SBS and not the collection of stories.
I think my experience was spoilt a bit by distractions so I would reccomended to others to put their headphones on and tell everyone to leave them alone for 30 minutes because stopping part way through because I had to leave for work really did removeme from that feeling of being there on the boat.
The production quality is a chefs kiss and while the art style is not my personal taste it complimented and enhanced the story telling.
With this audio visual experience I successfully completed Asian Readathon (with a few fun extras that didn't fill the prompts but we're moving nonetheless). This fulfilled the prompt of a book reccomended by an Asian person and was reccomended by Cindy herself.
I think my experience was spoilt a bit by distractions so I would reccomended to others to put their headphones on and tell everyone to leave them alone for 30 minutes because stopping part way through because I had to leave for work really did removeme from that feeling of being there on the boat.
The production quality is a chefs kiss and while the art style is not my personal taste it complimented and enhanced the story telling.
With this audio visual experience I successfully completed Asian Readathon (with a few fun extras that didn't fill the prompts but we're moving nonetheless). This fulfilled the prompt of a book reccomended by an Asian person and was reccomended by Cindy herself.
ssindc's review
4.0
OK, I should clarify - I did NOT really like this book. Rather, I appreciated it (immensely). This slender collection of seven short stories is exquisitely crafted, beautifully written, and, ultimately, profoundly depressing. At least for me, the author's greatest achievement lies in the strange combination of vignettes, in which the individual stories span different cultures, continents, eras, and voices (age, gender, experience, perspective), yet each - individually - felt credible and proved engrossing, enthralling. I did not plow through this; rather, I read the book over a long period of time. (Conversely, once I started each story, I wanted to finish it.) Frankly, I could not imagine reading more than a one or two of these stories in a day. I found it remarkable that a single, young author could summon up so much heartbreak, sadness, misery, disappointment, and pain in so many flavors, colors, and textures. An impressive piece of work, even if not one of the most enjoyable books that I've read.
kyleanderson's review
4.0
Although I never grew attached to the characters in the interactive, I appreciated the way that their stories were told. It was visually appealing, and the movement and audio enhanced the dramatic artwork. It was a quick but worthwhile read, and has left me seeking to learn more about the aftermath of the Vietnam War.
margreads's review
4.0
I don't often reread books but every now and again I will do so. It might be because I want to reread the story or it might be some other form of obligation. Over the last few days I reread The Boat by Nam Le because it was the October book for my book club.
I thought it might be fun to revisit my review of the short story collection that I wrote over three years ago and see what has changed and what has stayed the same.
To read further thoughts head to my review
http://www.theintrepidreader.com/2012/10/the-boat-by-nam-le.html
spxnningsxlver's review
4.0
4 stars!
This is an interactive graphic novel that you can find on SBS and I definitely recommend it! The Boat follows Mai as she travels to an unknown location (presumably Australia given the ending historical note and the fact it's written by a Vietnamese-Australian author) via refugee boat. The story is a little short and not much historical context is shown until the historical note at the very end. I would have like to have seen it. There were mentions of re-education camps.
The thing that really shines about this is the execution! The sound design, transitions, use of song, the full immersion into the claustrophobic nature of being on a refugee boat. I never knew that the sound of water splashing could be so haunting. Even when I knew it was coming I still tensed up hoping it wouldn't disturb me, but it did. The production quality is just *chef's kiss*
Seriously, we need more works like this.
This is an interactive graphic novel that you can find on SBS and I definitely recommend it! The Boat follows Mai as she travels to an unknown location (presumably Australia given the ending historical note and the fact it's written by a Vietnamese-Australian author) via refugee boat. The story is a little short and not much historical context is shown until the historical note at the very end. I would have like to have seen it. There were mentions of re-education camps.
The thing that really shines about this is the execution! The sound design, transitions, use of song, the full immersion into the claustrophobic nature of being on a refugee boat. I never knew that the sound of water splashing could be so haunting. Even when I knew it was coming I still tensed up hoping it wouldn't disturb me, but it did. The production quality is just *chef's kiss*
Seriously, we need more works like this.