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There are currently 18 member reviews
for The Headmaster's Wager
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Joan R. (Chicago, IL)
Very good book club selection
This is an engaging and often gripping story set in Saigon in the late 60's and early 70's. I was quickly immersed in the political turmoil of the times, feeling all the fear and suspicion of a world where brutality and cunning have the upper hand. Yet, against this backdrop several moving love stories emerge. This novel would be an excellent book club selection. My only reason for not giving this book a "5" rating was the writing style, which was straightforward but often wooden, in contrast to the compelling story.
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Elizabeth W. (Newton, MA)
Visit to another land . . .
The language of The Headmaster’s Wager is as intoxicating and seductive as the opium and morphine that trap the first father-and-son pair around whom the story centers. The plot is tight and fast-paced enough to make one tempted to read through the pages quickly, but it is worth taking time to savor Vincent Lam’s imagery and insights.
The book is set in Viet Nam during the time that United States military was fighting there. As a young adolescent at that time, I learned about the war through a limited perspective; this novel enlarges that view as much as the histories I’ve read since then. The Headmaster’s Wager not only tells a very personal story of love and loss but also reveals the intrusion of the Chinese and the French into the world of the Vietnamese and also the disparity between the excessive luxury enjoyed by the rich and the extreme deprivation of the poor.
Like protagonist Percival, I was surprised by the deception lurking at the core of his world and the extent to which political and philosophical connections trumped personal friendship. Lam presents moments of brutality that are all the more shocking because of their juxtaposition with serene domestic moments that Percival shares with his mistress and son.
Once I escaped the immediate pull of the story, my first thought was that there is no way a woman could have written this book. Even more than might have been dictated by the Chinese and Vietnamese cultures at its center, the book presents a man’s world. There are striking women, but they are important only as they are used by and affect the lives of the men; they seem to have no intrinsic value of their own. The deep emotional bonds are between son and father and between two male friends.
I enjoyed visiting the man’s world of The Headmaster’s Wager as I enjoy a trip to an unknown land—fascinating to see but very unfamiliar.
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Rayna T. (Auburn, CA)
My initial review of The Headmaster's Wager
I am not quite finished with the book yet as I got a late start on it. So far it is quite interesting and I will add to it later on. I find the 2 parents love and concern for their child touching as they will go to any lengths financially to get him back. I also find the parents relationship different considering that they are divorced and the wife is back biting him all the time. But at least they joined together to ransom him back.
I will add to this shortly.
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Caryl L. (Williamsburg, VA)
Headmasters wager
This book takes place during the period of 1966-1975 when American forces are leaving Vietnam and North Vietnam is attacking South Vietnam. How this effects the lives of the local people is the main storyline.
Chen Pie Sou now known as Percival is headmaster of the American Academy in the outskirts of Saigon. He is very proud of his heritage in China and his school in Vietnam. Too proud, in fact, as he refuses to admit all the signs of trouble around him.
The book is well written and is easy reading. The unfamiliar names in Chinese and Vietnam are bit daunting making it hard to keep track of at times.
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