VietNamNet Bridge – The idea of writing love stories flashed into writer Ly Khac Cung’s mind a decade ago when he visited the Hachette Publishing House, Paris and found the love stories of many countries in store, but nothing from Viet Nam.
Love is all around: Cover of the love story collection compiled by writer Ly Khac Cung.He spent time and effort collecting materials and listening older people’s stories. Finally, he compiled 150 short love stories and printed them in three-volume publication entitled Chuyen Tinh Thang Long-Ha Noi (Thang Long-Ha Noi’s Love Stories).
Cung had previously published a book of Vietnamese love stories but with his love for Ha Noi, Cung decided to focus on stories of Hanoians. His book features the love between people of different positions in the society such as a queen, a quan ho (love duet) singer, a florist, a teacher and a cook. Some stories are simple and modest, while others are dramatic.
Because they have been collected and written over many years, the stories record the morals, customs and behaviour of Ha Noi’s people in different historical periods. One person may be still influenced by feudal customs, while another finds love in freedom.
Through Cung’s books, the readers also learn about Ha Noi’s old place names and history.
"Somerset Maugham once said that if you want to understand some where’s culture, read the local love stories to feel the beauty, the good, the great, the bizarre and the drama and you’ll have a complete understanding," Cung says, "I agree with him, and it was the criterion I used for the collection."
With more than 40 books on Ha Noi’s spiritual life, speciality, customs, culture and geography, Cung is considered one of the foremost researchers on the capital city.
The book series, each one is around 200 pages, are on sale in the whole country.
VietNamNet/Viet Nam News
Love is all around: Cover of the love story collection compiled by writer Ly Khac Cung.He spent time and effort collecting materials and listening older people’s stories. Finally, he compiled 150 short love stories and printed them in three-volume publication entitled Chuyen Tinh Thang Long-Ha Noi (Thang Long-Ha Noi’s Love Stories).
Cung had previously published a book of Vietnamese love stories but with his love for Ha Noi, Cung decided to focus on stories of Hanoians. His book features the love between people of different positions in the society such as a queen, a quan ho (love duet) singer, a florist, a teacher and a cook. Some stories are simple and modest, while others are dramatic.
Because they have been collected and written over many years, the stories record the morals, customs and behaviour of Ha Noi’s people in different historical periods. One person may be still influenced by feudal customs, while another finds love in freedom.
Through Cung’s books, the readers also learn about Ha Noi’s old place names and history.
"Somerset Maugham once said that if you want to understand some where’s culture, read the local love stories to feel the beauty, the good, the great, the bizarre and the drama and you’ll have a complete understanding," Cung says, "I agree with him, and it was the criterion I used for the collection."
With more than 40 books on Ha Noi’s spiritual life, speciality, customs, culture and geography, Cung is considered one of the foremost researchers on the capital city.
The book series, each one is around 200 pages, are on sale in the whole country.
VietNamNet/Viet Nam News
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