Jesse Peterson, a foreigner, has released his third book written in Vietnamese.

Tragicomedy - The Colors That Make Up Life is the third book written in Vietnamese by Jesse Peterson, a foreigner, after more than 10 years living in Vietnam.

Author Jesse Peterson (center) and journalist Nguyen Van Tien Hung (Tuoi Tre Cuoi - cover right) - Photo: HO LAM

On the morning of November 26th, a book launch and discussion event for " Tragicomedy - The Colors That Make Up Life" by Canadian authorJesse Peterson took place at the Ho Chi Minh City Book Street.

A writer familiar to Vietnamese readers.

Readers know Jesse Peterson through his satirical short stories and social commentary in Tuoi Tre Cuoi and VnExpress , and as a street food host on several television channels.

He has lived in Vietnam for over ten years and has an endless passion for writing in Vietnamese.

In his literary career, Jesse has published two books: Jesse Laughs and the Hilarious Adventures (2018); It's So Much Fun Here, Sorry, I Can't Laugh Anymore (2019) .

The books by the Canadian author have attracted the attention of Vietnamese readers and have been quickly reprinted after their initial publication.

Tragicomedy - The Colors That Make Up Life is a collection of satirical stories written by Jesse from 2019 to 2022.

He said the work came about because he empathized with young people who live and work far from their hometowns.

He said: "Jesse wrote this book with the desire to share his experiences, how he rose above adversity, overcame his circumstances, and conquered himself, with humility, patience, and unwavering faith in life."

"Stay with the positive humor that Jesse strived to create in his stand-up comedy group. You will find within yourselves the passion for life, the optimism to overcome difficult challenges in a foreign land, and achieve your life goals and ideals."

Before the Q&A session, Jesse asked for the audience's understanding because he had only been learning Vietnamese for... 10 years, admitting that his speech sounded like someone "from the countryside who had just come to the city." His sense of humor made the participants laugh.

In addition to his work as a journalist and author, Jesse Peterson is currently an English teacher. - Photo: HO LAM

Jesse's dream came true.

In his new book, drawing on his extensive life experience, Jesse spreads positive energy by recounting his past work experiences such as teaching, writing, translation, stand-up comedy, hosting, documentary filmmaking, and more.

Although a collection of satirical stories , * Tragicomedy - The Colors That Make Up Life* not only brings laughter, but also offers reflections on the meaning of life.

In some stories, the author uses seemingly unrelated details to construct a satirical piece of writing.

According to Jesse, as long as we can still laugh at our own absurdities, and then at the unexpected things that happen in society, we will have the strength to get through difficult times.

Through his nearly 500-page book, Jesse also conveys the message of self-learning and applying foreign languages ​​to life. Regarding the mindset young people need, the "Western guy" believes that the younger generation needs to be optimistic and strong to integrate into many environments.

"Jesse can't make any promises, but Jesse will strive tirelessly to create new, better books, as if he were a true Vietnamese person. That has always been Jesse's dream, even now," Jesse revealed about his upcoming journey.

Tuoitre.vn

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