Up Country
by Nelson DeMille
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Book Summary Information
Author: Nelson DeMilleReader: Scott Brick
Edition: Audio Cassette
Format: Audiobook, Unabridged
Published: 2002-01-01
ISBN: 0788797921
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Book Reviews of Up Country
Book Review: Not recommended for Vietnamese readers...
Summary: 1 Stars
That's besides the pompous main character's use of racial slurs, which the Vietnamese by and large dismiss as the mouthing-offs of immature children. Name calling doesn't impress them much. What troubled me more about this book were the many errors in language, culture, customs, etc. that it made me wonder how an experienced author like Mr. DeMille failed to catch these in his research. He did not acknowledge any Vietnamese person at the end, so I would have to deduce that no Vietnamese person was consulted for a book that was 90% about everything Vietnam and Vietnamese. So you can learn from this mistake, Mr. DeMille, let me point out a few of the errors you made.
1. Ethnographical error: There are NO Montagnards in northern Vietnam. Montagnards are a generic grouping of a few dozen ethnic groups living exclusively in the Central Highlands of southern Vietnam.
2. Linguistic error: "Biet" means "to know," but the author seems to think that it means "to understand" (the word for which is "hieu"). "Biet" is misused not only by the non-Vietnamese speaking main character, but also by the "native" Vietnamese characters in the book.
3. Cultural error: Vietnamese women are properly respected in Vietnamese culture. They are not ignored when men talk (what?). They do not walk on their knees with bowed heads to bring tea to their husbands (ridiculous!). I'm surprised Mr. DeMille missed the patriarchal/matriarchal balance of Vietnamese culture, despite having spent time there both as a combat soldier and when researching for this book. Read about the Trung Queens and Lady Trieu Au, Mr. DeMille, and you'll understand what I mean. Vietnamese culture is not at all like the more strictly patriarchal cultures in the Sinosphere.
4. Personal name error: There is no Vietnamese name spelled "Lee." The nearest sounding equivalents are "Ly" and "Le."
5. Locality description error: Hoi An is NOT a Chinese town. It was once a Cham port, which attracted settlers from all over Asia, including different groups of Chinese, but also Japanese, Indians, Malays, and the majority Vietnamese.
6. Historical error: The Citadel of Quang Tri was built in 1824 during the reign of the famously Francosceptic Emperor Minh Mang. It was NOT built by the French, who didn't successfully occupy the city for another 4+ decades.
And on and on it goes. Next time, just have someone who understands the subject culture edit your manuscript first, Mr. DeMille. Yes?
Summary of Up Country
In Up Country, Nelson DeMille cannily revives the army career of Chief Warrant Officer Paul Brenner, the cynical, hardworking Criminal Investigation Division man who was forcibly retired after solving the high-profile killing in The General's Daughter. Brenner's called back to investigate the murder of a young army lieutenant by his captain. The catch is, the crime took place during the heat of the Tet Offensive, and the only living witness was a North Vietnamese soldier who described the incident in a 30-year-old letter that has only recently come to light. Soon Brenner, a Vietnam vet, is on an ostensible nostalgia tour of his old stomping grounds. The trip immediately turns dangerous as he heads "up country" to search for the letter writer, accompanied by a gorgeous American businesswoman, who's hiding more than even the smartest CID officer could imagine.DeMille, who saw his own tour of duty in Vietnam (and even found a letter on a dead Vietnamese soldier), intersperses historical facts and chilling political possibilities with enough local color to provide some serious flashbacks for his fellow veterans. To non-vets the book may seem very long, but the payoff at the end is worth a couple hundred extra pages. --Barrie Trinkle
In Up Country, Nelson DeMille cannily revives the army career ofChief Warrant Officer Paul Brenner, the cynical, hardworking CriminalInvestigation Division man who was forcibly retired after solving the high-profile killing in The General'sDaughter. Brenner's called back to investigate the murder of a youngarmy lieutenant by his captain. The catch is, the crime took place during theheat of the Tet Offensive, and the only living witness was a North Vietnamesesoldier who described the incident in a 30-year-old letter that has onlyrecently come to light. Soon Brenner, a Vietnam vet, is on an ostensiblenostalgia tour of his old stomping grounds. The trip immediately turns dangerousas he heads "up country" to search for the letter writer, accompanied by agorgeous American businesswoman, who's hiding more than even the smartest CIDofficer could imagine. DeMille, who saw his own tour of duty in Vietnam (and even found a letter on adead Vietnamese soldier), intersperses historical facts and chilling politicalpossibilities with enough local color to provide some serious flashbacks for hisfellow veterans. To non-vets the book may seem very long, but the payoff at theend is worth a couple hundred extra pages. --Barrie Trinkle
The last thing Paul Brenner wanted to do was to return to work for the Army's Criminal Investigative Division, an organization that thanked him for his many years of dedicated service by forcing him into early retirement. But when his former boss calls in a career's worth of favors, Paul finds himself investigating a murder that took place in Vietnam thirty years before. Now, returning to a time and place that still haunts him, Paul is swept up in the battle of his life as he struggles to find justice.
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