Is Up Country by Nelson DeMille allowed in the country?

Hi, bajaflash. Off the top of my head I don't know, but I doubt that Vietnamese customs are very interested in screening tourists' paperbacks. And realistically, the worst they can do is take it off you. I wish someone had taken it off me, it would have been a mercy.

Unasked-for literary criticism aside, make sure you take enough reading to last your trip - they're hard to come by in Vietnam and even second-hand paperbacks (if you can find them) very expensive. Enjoy your trip.

Fascination question! I used to live in Singapore which bans many books as well as publications (including Cosmopolitan magazine of all things), so I always find these issues interesting.

I did a little research and could only find that that a book called "Memories of a Pure Spring" by Duong Thu Huong is banned in Vietnam. You might want to read the US State Department Report on Human Rights Practices 2004 - Vietnam for more information, take a look at http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2003/27794.htm

According to the US State Dept's Consular Information Sheet for Vietnam at http://travel.state.gov/vietnam.html the "Vietnamese government authorities have seized documents, audio and video tapes, compact discs, literature, and personal letters they deem to be religious, pornographic, or political in nature or intended for religious or political proselytizing."

The Vietnamese Customs Ministry has a website at http://www.customs.gov.vn/, but I could not get their English version to work.

You could also take a look at the website for the Vietnamese Embassy in the US at http://www.vietnamembassy-usa.org/learn/other.php3

Finally, you might find the website for the Vietnam Human Rights Network interesting, take a look at http://www.vnhrnet.org

While Memories of a Pure Spring is supposed to be banned in VN, we bought a copy from a bookseller in Hanoi in November. I wouldn't worry about your reading material.

I don't think you will have any problems with any books. One thing that did surprise me was the price of used books in Vietnam. They are more expensive than I had expected, especially in the city of Hoi An. There must be some racket in that city that keeps the used books so expensive. However, there are a lot of great used books on sale, especially those dealing with the history of Vietnam. Just be prepared to pay a little extra but you will get some great ones. Beware of the street booksellers in Hanoi, they can get pretty angry if you don't buy, just ignore their vulgar language and shouts, they're just young, desperate boys trying to make a buck

I recommend Memories of a Pure Spring, Dispatches, The Quiet American, The Sorrow of War, Brother Enemy, When Heaven and Earth Changed Places, The Tale of Kieu...just to mention a few.

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