Le Luu: A writer deeply rooted in Vietnamese rural life.

Writers of the Vietnamese countrysideMale

Mentioning the writer Le Luu, many people – especially those not interested in literature – can still think of the novel "Waves at the Bottom of the River," a work that was adapted into a famous film that once caused a sensation on the small screen. "Waves at the Bottom of the River" tells the story of a series of consecutive mistakes in a life: Nui – born from his father's mistakes, after his inability to restrain himself during his "fiery resurgence." An unwanted fate. An unbridgeable gap between what is right and legitimately recognized.

The work "Waves at the Bottom of the River" by writer Lê Lựu.

Nui's life spiraled into darkness. Misfortune plagued him. War and the subsidy period could make a person great or base… Nui and the society around him concealed dark, agonizing shades, yet a glimmer of light shone at the end of the tunnel. And the reader is given the right to step into that bright light, where humanity returns to its inherent goodness.

With his simple, realistic writing style, and with the subtle and authentically Vietnamese use of philosophy, metaphors, and allegories by writer Le Luu, today's readers will surely be transported to a unique moment and gain insight into a turbulent period that has long since passed...

Similar to "Waves at the Bottom of the River," "The Distant Past" also takes place against the backdrop of a significant social transition; however, it differs in one respect: from the very beginning, the author creates a suffocating, gloomy, gray atmosphere, lacking light and seemingly just a faded, old picture. Throughout the story, Sai seems to always live according to others' wishes, until he faces his second divorce. At this point, his true self awakens, realizing the path he needs to take, the need to do something truly himself, something meaningful and useful. That is to return to his village to fulfill his wish to build and change the way of life and work there. This is one of the most profound ideas of the work.

“Perhaps ‘The Distant Past’ endures because of the image of the rural character that was just beginning to take shape, because of the wake-up call sounded during the early stages of reform, and which still resonates today, and will continue to do so in the future.” - writer Vo Thi Xuan Ha's assessment of one of the best works about Vietnamese people and rural life.

The work "Time of Bygone Days" by writer Lê Lựu.

"The Distant Past" left a profound mark on Le Luu, with many calling him the writer of "The Distant Past." "The country's renewal process had just begun when literature immediately made an unexpected mark with Le Luu's work, 'The Distant Past.' He wrote from his own perspective, pouring out his heart to tell his story—the story of one person, yet the story of many, the story of a generation, the story of an era. The author calls that era 'the distant past,' but in reality, it hasn't passed. It's the era when the character Giang Minh Sai lived not as himself, the first half of his life lived for what he didn't have, the second half chasing after what wasn't his."

This literary character has become memorable, considered a defining term for a type of person, a type of life, something rarely seen in literature of previous years, which only featured collective character archetypes and could not name any specific individual.

""The Distant Past has been warmly received; everyone who reads it sees themselves in it, and critics consider it the work that initiated a trend in literary innovation - a trend of re-evaluating reality." - Literary critic Pham Xuan Nguyen expressed his deep affection when evaluating this work.

The pages of books reflect real life.

Le Luu is one of the few contemporary writers whose works have been reprinted numerous times and are still widely appreciated by readers today. Perhaps with a new perspective and modern knowledge, today's readers will see issues differently from readers of previous decades, gaining a new mindset when rereading old books. The value of literature is most clearly demonstrated after the rigorous scrutiny of time. In Le Luu's works, the characters of Sai and Nui, the human destinies of a bygone era, remain captivating to readers today. Readers will be transported with the author back to those bygone days, when people held many naive and backward prejudices; yet also filled with warmth and a pure Vietnamese spirit that we seem to have lost somewhere today…

Writer Le Luu. Photo: Vietnamnet.vn

When speaking about Le Luu's life, people often mention his own words, that he suffered more than the characters in his books. Towards the end of his literary career, he had to abandon his unfinished novels, spending his life alone in a hospital bed until near the end of his life. Later, his daughter brought him back to their hometown in Hung Yen to care for him, where he passed away at the age of 81.

Beyond his literary works, writer Le Luu was the first Vietnamese writer to come to the United States after the war. He is considered the first Vietnamese peace envoy, the first to break the ice in Vietnam-US relations, joining with Vietnamese and American veteran writers to call on the US government to lift the embargo and normalize relations with Vietnam. He also established the Le Luu Writers' Fund to recognize the contributions of those dedicated to agriculture and rural areas through their creative works, contributing to preserving traditional culture, truthfully reflecting agricultural and rural life, and the adaptation of Vietnamese villages to the challenges of global integration. The fund was formed from Le Luu's savings, including 1 billion VND in cash and other assets.

Ultimately, as many writers aspire, their works remain when they pass away. Le Luu and his works have achieved this.

With "The Distant Past," Le Luu transformed Vietnamese literary life in the 1980s. The ideas in "The Distant Past" marked a turning point in Vietnamese literature since 1954. Le Luu created characters that will live on with generations of readers, such as Giang Minh Sai. And Le Luu is also a unique figure in Vietnamese literature.

Poet Nguyen Quang Thieu - President of the Vietnam Writers Association