Viet Thanh Nguyen’s newest work, “A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial,” delves into memory and its connection to identity and history. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist’s unconventional memoir expands on his personal experiences as a son, father, and writer and the theme of how refugees are perceived in the United States. Nguyen’s iconic prose and deep understanding of the self creates a touching read, but the memoir’s irregular form and wandering focus ultimately distract from its unique take on memory.
The most moving parts of the memoir focus on Nguyen’s relationship with his parents, especially with his mother, who recently passed away. Nguyen recounts his parents’ sacrifices but also his complicated relationship with their rush to conform to what he calls the “AMERICAN DREAM.™” He expands on how refugees are more than just pre-packaged sob stories, and how they can contain contradictory stories and opinions. When reflecting on his own life, Nguyen also describes how selective one’s recording of the past may seem. The unreliable haze that clouds his recollections is remarkably similar to how memorizes commonly glaze over certain traumatic events while simultaneously highlighting other moments. Nguyen’s memories of family are deeply personal and ground the memoir’s narrative in a compelling story.
Besides Nguyen’s familial relationships, the memoir focuses on America’s larger relationship with immigrants and refugees, and how anti-Asian sentiment seeps into the smallest corners of America’s films, books, and culture. Nguyen recalls his early fascination with popular war films, such as “Apocalypse Now,” and how they affected his identity as an Asian American. He also reflects on his family’s experience with anti-Asian violence. Besides concentrating on the Asian-American experience, the book also discusses the ways that different groups of refugees are viewed: for example, Nguyen explores the recent…
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