What readers think of The Headmaster's Wager, plus links to write your own review.

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.

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.

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.

Vincent Lam’s novel The Headmaster’s Wager seemed to be a bit slow and I had a hard time keeping my mind from wondering off and thinking of other things, then would have to come back and re-read the paragraph. However, the story did seem to pick-up somewhat after he meets Jacqueline and has a son with her and a surprise I never expected. All in all, I could easily have given this book a pass.