Paradise of the Blind

Today we are in the middle of a five-day national holiday to mark Victory Day, which is tomorrow. Thirty-eight years ago on this day, NVA tanks entered Saigon and famously rolled over the gates of the presidential palace, reunifying the country under a communist government after decades of war. Many of my friends have gone away to pass their holiday on the coast in Nha Trang, in the highlands of Dalat or overseas, in Thailand. I myself have been invited on a daytrip to the seaside at Vung Tau tomorrow with some friends. We will depart at 3am, in order to see the sunrise... Well, at least we will make the most of the day.

It is interesting that in the run-up to this huge national celebration, I have been reading a book that is banned in Vietnam for its political message that criticizes the Communist Party. Paradise of the Blind (Duong Thu Huong, 1993) is the story of a Vietnamese family that is torn apart by the Viet Minh party's land reform programme in the 1950s. The novel acts as a commentary on the devastating impact of political upheaval on the lives of ordinary Vietnamese. Considering this, I will have plenty to think about tomorrow as the country celebrates Victory Day. Please click here to read my full review of this book.