A colourful, suspenseful depiction of chinese living in vietnam during the war. What has been your own greatest wager in life so far. Enjoying his position as the headmaster of saigons best english school while indulging in a gambling and womanizing lifestyle, percival chen becomes aware of the local violence when. The headmasters wager by vincent lam published by doubleday canada publication date. With the headmasters wager, lam has produced a grand, sweeping saga that vividly recreates 40 crucial years of asian history from japanese invasion to the freeing of south vietnam. The headmasters wager gives us a picture of life for the common people in and around saigon during the war. Buy the paperback book the headmasters wager by vincent lam at indigo. Find books like the headmasters wager from the worlds largest community of readers.
The headmasters wager takes us through all the historical developments that lead up to the vietnam war from the perspective of percival chen, a chinese headmaster of saigons most prestigious english language academy, and the view isnt flattering. Author vincent lam poses for a portrait on gerrard st. Vincent lam on his new novel the headmasters wager youtube. Soon he must confront the tragedy of all he has refused to see. Buy the paperback book the headmaster s wager by vincent lam at indigo. In your opinion, which is the most significant of the headmasters wagers. The headmasters wager, by vincent lam the globe and mail. Aug 29, 2014 the headmasters wager, an epic set in vietnam. San antonio express in his first novel, lam provides both an unusual perspective on the vietnam war and a sweeping story of one man s brutal education in realpolitik. The chinese headmaster of an english language academy tries to keep body, soul and school together in saigon during the vietnam war. Well accustomed to bribing government officials, he is quick to spot the business opportunities rife in a divided country. The headmasters wager is shortlisted for 20 commonwealth book prize commonwealth writers, april 09, 20. Cultural, fiction, historical in 1930 percival chens father left him and his mother in mainland china to go to vietnam and seek his fortune. The headmasters wager, by vincent lam open this photo in gallery.
The headmasters wager by vincent lam hogarth hardcover, 2012 426 pages a copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher through tlc book tours the headmasters wager is a book that will take days, if not weeks, for me to absorb. Fiercely proud of his chinese heritage, he is quick to spot the. The headmaster s wager by vincent lam is a great page turner. A first novel of astonishing force, craft and beauty. The headmasters wager ebook the seattle public library. The headmasters wager by vincent lam, paperback barnes. The headmasters wager international dublin literary award. Buy a cheap copy of the headmasters wager book by vincent lam. Vincent lam is a page turner project bookmark canada, april 10, 20.
Buy a cheap copy of the headmaster s wager book by vincent lam. Vincent lams novel is the kind of book that takes some time for me to process. Percival chen is the headmaster of the most respected english academy in 1960s saigon and is well accustomed to bribing a foreverchanging list of government. In his longawaited new novel, vincent lam seems to argue that there can be. The headmaster s wager kindle edition by lam, vincent. Aug 14, 2012 from giller prize winner, internationally acclaimed, and bestselling author vincent lam comes a superbly crafted, highly suspenseful, and deeply affecting novel set against the turmoil of the vietnam war. In the headmasters wager, lam has created a genuine pageturner. Any page references refer to a usa edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other. I especially admire lams ability to transport a reader. The headmaster s wager is a novel full of surprises and excitement. Vincent lam is from the expatriate chinese community of vietnam.
The headmasters wager, book by vincent lam paperback. The narrator was very skilled at reading what could have been a very complicated book. A superbly crafted, highly suspenseful, and deeply affecting debut novel about one mans loyalty to his country, his family and his heritage percival chen is the headmaster of the most respected english academy in 1960s saigon, and he is well accustomed to bribing a foreverchanging list of government officials in order to maintain the elite status of his school. Vincent lam percival chen is the headmaster of the most respected english school in saigon. Digital audiobook 82012 paperback 51420 paperback 412012. Im going to enjoy the rest of the summer with my wife and kids, go on lots of bike rides, do some book touring in the fall, and then write another novel. A first novel of astonishing force, craft and beauty, the headmasters wager conjures up a dizzyingly evocative wartime saigon in the story of percival chen, a chinese schoolmaster in vietnam. The headmasters wager by vincent lam overdrive rakuten. He was able to keep my interest and helped me enjoy the book even more.
Percival chen is the headmaster of the most respected english academy in 1960s saigon, and he is well accustomed to bribing a foreverchanging list of government officials in order to maintain the elite status of his school. April 24, 2012 here is a video clip of the author, vincent lam, speaking a little about his book, the. Namely, the headmasters wager is a book set from the mid60s to mid70s in vietnam, and deals with the expatriate chinese community living there a. The protagonist is well developed with many characteristics, a dutiful son and loving father, an educator who believes in fate and worships ancestral spirits. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Graced with intriguingly flawed but wonderfully human characters moving through a richly drawn historical landscape, the headmasters wager. Lee, author of the new york times bestseller the piano teacher. The montreal gazette its the streetlevel view of a story were more accustomed to viewing in panorama that ultimately makes lams novel so effective and affecting. In your opinion, which is the most significant of the headmaster s wagers. From giller prize winner, internationally acclaimed, and bestselling author vincent lam comes a superbly crafted, highly suspenseful, and deeply affecting novel set against the turmoil of the vietnam war. The headmaster s wager longlisted for 20 andrew carnegie medals for excellence in fiction american library association, april 23, 20. Blessed with intriguingly flawed characters moving through a richly drawn historical and physical landscape, the headmasters wager is a riveting story. He is also a bon vivant, a compulsive gambler and an.
The headmasters wager hardcover garden district book shop. He is also a bon vivant, a compulsive gambler and an incorrigible womanizer. The present tense of vincent lams the headmasters wager opens in 1966, the most recent vietnam war already under way and american involvement beginning to increase. The story of percival chen, an expatriate chinese, the headmaster of the best english academy in viet name, is fascinating. His bestselling novel, the headmasters wager, was a finalist for the governor generals literary award for fiction in 2012. Apr 27, 2012 the headmaster s wager, by vincent lam open this photo in gallery. Reading guide for the headmasters wager by vincent lam. Canadian authors get naked for bare it for books calendar national post, february 19, 20. A superbly crafted, highly suspenseful, and deeply affecting debut novel about one mans loyalty to his country, his family and his heritage. A superbly crafted, highly suspenseful, and deeply affecting debut novel about one mans loyalty to his country, his family and. The headmasters wager by vincent lam is a great page turner.
Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. He is also the coauthor of the flu pandemic and you, which received an award from the american medical writers association in 2007, and author of a biography of tommy douglas, published as part of the extraordinary. Percival chen is the headmaster of the most respected english school in saigon. His bestselling novel, the headmaster s wager, was a finalist for the governor generals literary award for fiction in 2012. Chen, the protagonist of this novel set during the vietnam war, is a chinese immigrant who heads the most.
May 14, 20 the headmaster s wager by vincent lam percival chen is the headmaster of the most respected english academy in 1960s saigon, and he is well accustomed to bribing a foreverchanging list of government officials in order to maintain the elite status of his school. Aug 07, 2012 graced with intriguingly flawed but wonderfully human characters moving through a richly drawn historical landscape, the headmaster s wager is an unforgettable story of love, betrayal and. Chen pie sou, also known as percival, is supremely aware of being an outsider. April 24, 2012 here is a video clip of the author, vincent lam, speaking a little about his book, the headmasters. What lengths will one go to, to protect all that he holds dear. A superbly crafted, highly suspenseful, and deeply affectin.
He never returned and so, after his mothers death, percival left their province to go to school in hong kong. Praise for the headmasters wager a sumptuously plotted first novel. Jan 01, 2012 the headmaster s wager gives us a picture of life for the common people in and around saigon during the war. The headmasters wager, by vincent lam kevinfromcanada. In bloodletting and miraculous cures, vincent lam holds in delicate and skillful tension black humour, investigations of both common and extraordinary moral dilemmas, and a sometimes shockingly realistic and matteroffact portrait of todays medical profession. There was a lot of money to be made as a result of the war, but the stakes were high, and certain classes of people. Chen, the protagonist of this novel set during the vietnam war, is a. Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of hogarth books. There was a lot of money to be made as a result of the war, but the stakes were high, and certain classes of people were destined to lose regardless of who won the war. What is the price to be paid for family pride and cultural heritage. The headmaster s wager is shortlisted for 20 commonwealth book prize commonwealth writers, april 09, 20. Here are my fashion choices for the book, the headmasters wager by vincent lam. But the novel starts with a short memory passage from 1930.
Vincent lam enjoying his position as the headmaster of saigons best english school while indulging in a gambling and womanizing lifestyle, percival chen becomes aware of the local violence when his son lands in. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the headmaster s wager. Blessed with intriguingly flawed characters moving through a richly drawn historical and physical landscape, the headmaster s wager is a riveting story of love, betrayal and sacrifice. The author takes full advantage of the inherent suspense as the fall of saigon looms and chen finally realizes that he and his family may not survive the violence of the viet cong. Different vietnam war perspective where does the headmasters wager rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far. The headmasters wager ebook by vincent lam rakuten kobo. The headmaster of the most respected english school in saigon, percival chen is also a bon vivant, a compulsive gambler and an incorrigible womanizer. The headmasters wager is a novel full of surprises and excitement. From internationally acclaimed and bestselling author vincent lam comes a superbly crafted, highly suspenseful, and deeply affecting novel set against the turmoil of the vietnam war. Jul 24, 2012 namely, the headmasters wager is a book set from the mid60s to mid70s in vietnam, and deals with the expatriate chinese community living there a culture which lam hails from, as his. Inspired by lams own family history, the headmasters wager. The headmasters wager kindle edition by lam, vincent. Graced with intriguingly flawed but wonderfully human characters moving through a richly drawn historical landscape, the headmasters wager is an unforgettable story of love, betrayal and sacrifice. Percival finds solace in jacqueline, and laing jai, a son born on the eve of the tet offensive.