The Crystal Messenger

By Pham Thi Hoai, Ton-That Quynh Du (translator),

Book cover of The Crystal Messenger

Book description

This award winning book has been described as the 'renaissance of Vietnamese literature'. Written by a young woman in her twenties at the end of an era when Vietnam closed itself off from the world, it is widely regarded as one of the most important works of fiction ever to…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Crystal Messenger as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

The Crystal Messenger is a delicate melancholy tale about a girl who observes from her window the comings and goings of her family and the community around her.

Her sister is the local beauty who is wooed by many but cannot find the poet that she truly loves and she is courted by a dwarf who is a member of the communist party. The prose of this novella is like candy floss, it can melt on your tongue and I aspire to use language this way.

From Hoa's list on slippaging between worlds.

Want books like The Crystal Messenger?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Crystal Messenger.

Browse books like The Crystal Messenger

Book cover of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
Book cover of The Book of Form and Emptiness
Book cover of Anguli Ma: A Gothic Tale

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,172

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Vietnam, South Vietnam, and consumerism?

Vietnam 167 books
South Vietnam 17 books
Consumerism 32 books