Missing old books

Perhaps, for anyone of the 8x, 9x generation, the image of books, comics, and comic rental kiosks is an unforgettable part of memory. Along with the development of society, that image is gradually being replaced by smartphones, iPads, ebooks... It is thought that convenience and modernity will erase the old pages of stories. But no, against the trend, many people choose to keep books that have turned yellow with time as a close, soulmate friend.

Located on the central street of Vinh City, the simple bookstore and story rental business of Mr. Tran Nguyen Tich and his wife is completely out of sync with the hustle and bustle around. As many people came to ask to rent his first floor at a high price, he refused as many times to live leisurely with his passion.

In 1994, due to his love for books, he quit his job as a teacher in the military environment and returned to Vinh to open this shop. Recalling those years, Uncle Tich reminisced: “At that time, books were rare and expensive, and I couldn’t afford to buy them, so I often made friends with the sellers to borrow them to read. When I started this job, I didn’t need to read them anymore, and every day I lived in a house full of books, which was extremely happy!”

The years 1995-2005 were the “golden” time in Uncle Tich’s bookmaking career. That was the time when every child skipped breakfast to get money to rent books, every desk had a few comic books, students were so engrossed in reading that they lost their bicycles like it was a daily occurrence, young men and women passed around novels and classic stories until the spines were worn out… At that time, the whole city of Vinh had about 200 book and story rental stores, but Uncle Tich’s store was always packed with tiny stools. There wasn’t enough space in the house, many people had to sit on their bikes or on the porch to read.

Now, the spacious sofa in his shop is rarely occupied. After many years in the business, he and his wife have attended countless weddings and now sell books and stories to their children.Reading cultureNow is different from before. The shop has very few customers now, mostly old customers, but I am still determined to keep the shop because of my passion. I always cherish the desire to work with schools to build bookcases for students, I can get books at the cheapest price, put all my effort and transport without thinking about profit. To be able to spread the love of books to young people, at my age, there is nothing more meaningful" - Uncle Tich confided.

Established at the same time as Uncle Tich's shop, Aunt Hoang Thi Dong's book rental shop is very familiar to "bookworms" in the Truong Thi and Ben Thuy areas. There was a time when her shop had no empty space, every summer afternoon it was packed with students coming to read and "avoid the heat". Now, customers renting books are getting fewer and fewer, Aunt Dong only imports new volumes of the "Conan - famous detective" series and takes advantage of selling ice cream and coffee to increase income. Every now and then, a few old and regular customers still come to her place to rent books to read, for only 2-3 thousand you can get a book to find your childhood again.

On the bookshelves that line the walls, Aunt Dong still keeps many books that are half a century old. Many people come to buy them, but she doesn’t want to sell them. To her, these books are not only a passion but also a lot of memories.

Although not in the book business, many people still collect and preserve old comic books as an indispensable passion. Hoang Chinh (Ben Thuy ward, Vinh city) is such a person.

Born in 1993, Chinh's childhood was associated with comic books such as Doraemon, Dragon Ball, Teppi the Badass, The Path to the Goal... When he grew up and could earn money by working in the field of information technology, Chinh returned to his passion from his student days. Next to the towering stacks of comics, Chinh proudly said: "I started collecting comic books in series about 4 years ago, from bookstores and online book exchange forums. This is a hobby that is not too expensive but takes a lot of time to find. The comics are not only childhood memories but also help me relax after stressful working hours."

As an active member on forums for exchanging and trading old books nationwide, Mr. Nguyen Doan Nghia (Doi Cung ward, Vinh city) has connected with many people who share the same passion. He shared: “Most of the people who have a hobby of collecting old books and stories are from the 8x and 9x generations. Some people look for old books as a way to preserve memories, some want to buy them as gifts for their children. They are willing to spend many times more than the cover price to own the first published books. In big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city, this exchange and trading activity is very active.”

Plain and simple, old, worn-back books and discolored comic book pages not only recount the youthful memories of a generation but also preserve the beauty of reading culture of an old time...