| The Boat | |
| Country: | Australia |
| Language: | English |
| Genre: | Short Stories |
| Publisher: | Alfred A. Knopf (US) |
| Release Date: | May 13, 2008 |
| Media Type: | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages: | 228 |
| Isbn: | 978-0307268082 |
| Oclc: | 213382533 |
The Boat is a 2008 collection of short stories by the Vietnamese-Australian writer Nam Le.[1] [2] It contains seven short stories taking place all over the world, from Colombia and the United States to Vietnam, Tehran, Australia and Hiroshima. It was praised by critics, and the Australian writer of short stories Cate Kennedy said that the collection brought the short story back to the "literary centre stage".[3]
Upon release, The Boat was generally well-received. According to Book Marks, the book received "rave" reviews based on 8 critic reviews with 6 being "rave" and 2 being "positive".[4] On Bookmarks Magazine July/Aug 2008 issue, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a (4.0 out of 5) based on critic reviews with the critical summary stating, "With this debut collection, Le has become the new literary darling".[5]
In 2022, The Boat was included on the "Big Jubilee Read" list of 70 books by Commonwealth authors, selected to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II.[6]