“Reading this passionate, absorbing novel, it’s poignant to re-enter a period that was filled for many Cambodians with optimism.”
— David P. Chandler, author of A History of Cambodia
“A rare and precious glimpse of pre-Khmer Rouge literature...Roger Nelson’s formidable feat is testament to a deep respect towards the source material.”
— Asian Review of Books
"Roger Nelson’s formidable feat is testament to a deep respect towards the source material. The prose remains airy, while helpful notes contextualise locations and terminology for readers unfamiliar with Phnom Penh’s history and landscape. . . . A New Sun Over the Old Land is compelling, tackling universal themes and conflicts. Roger Nelson offers an important contribution to the dissemination of pre-1975 Cambodian arts and history."
— South China Morning Post
“A New Sun Rises Over the Old Land is a product of its specific times and circumstances--and certainly interesting as such, especially given how few accounts of any sort exist of these. Roger Nelson's Introduction . . . is helpful in providing both background and explanation, situating author, novel, and history well.”
— Complete Review
“Nelson’s English translation follows the Khmer original paragraph by paragraph and sentence by sentence very eloquently, while admirably reproducing its meaning and tone, providing English readers with a virtual replica of the original in the target language. . . . [His] methodology is explicitly interdisciplinary and comparative, and he is well informed about the literature, art, politics and history of Cambodia and the region.”
— South East Asia Research