Old books attract young people because of nostalgia

It has become a habit that every weekend afternoon, Doan Minh Phu ( Hue City) is present at the old bookstore on Phan Chu Trinh Street. Especially passionate about the genre of short stories and novels, for Minh Phu, there is nothing more enjoyable than being "immersed" in a space full of books that he loves. The 9X guy said: "I especially love the works of writer Phung Quan. Even though I already have the "Tuoi Tho Du Doi" series, I still want to have this novel series but it is the previous printed version. Therefore, I often visit the old bookstore, who knows, I might have the chance to collect more books, not just this novel."

The book lover's destinations are very diverse. Phu said: "Many years ago, I often bought books along Nguyen Truong To Street, in addition to the old bookstores on Nguyen Hue Street or Ho Dac Di Street. Later, when the bookstores moved or were no longer suitable, I adapted by looking up and ordering old books on social networking sites and going to the bookstores on Dang Huy Tru and Phan Chu Trinh Streets."

One of the old bookstores that Minh Phu loves is the bookstore named Coi Nguon owned by the young owner Nguyen Thi My Hang. Passionate about books and having worked for many years in Ho Chi Minh City with a job related to old books, after many years of nurturing the plan, My Hang decided to bring her capital of thousands of books from Ho Chi Minh City back to her hometown, building an old bookstore with her own personal mark.

My Hang said: “My bookshelf is diverse, from literature books, skill books, textbooks to foreign languages. In addition, I also collect and bring to readers old books, rare books or books that have stopped being published. All books are carefully selected, classified by type of book or suitable author so that readers can easily search.”

The above old book sources are all carefully selected by the young girl, filtering out fake and pirated books. Therefore, not only because of the quality, but also because of the appeal of old books, many passionate readers like Minh Phu and all ages have come to My Hang's bookstore. "Among them, there are readers who traveled dozens of kilometers from Phu Loc, Nam Dong to visit the store, which surprised and touched me. The love and "willingness to spend" of book-loving readers exceeded all my expectations," My Hang shared more.

Mr. Tran Van Quy, one of the readers from Phu Loc, said: “I go to the old bookstore with my child, not only because the prices of old books are “softer”, the books are diverse, and I can freely choose, but also because I want my child to feel the space and the color of time of old books. Nowadays, buying a book is extremely easy. However, old books still have a certain attraction and their own value, very special”.

In addition to the stalls, for those who are passionate about old books, other sources of books from book fairs and old book auctions on Facebook have also become attractive choices. Doan Minh Phu shared: “I am very happy that recently, many old book fairs have been opened. In addition, the development of old book clubs and groups on social networking sites such as Facebook and TikTok also helps me find information, learn more knowledge and own the old books I like.”

As for My Hang, despite the hardship of traveling many times from Hue to Ho Chi Minh City and vice versa, the encouragement of readers who love old books helps the young girl to continue pursuing her passion. "The more I travel, the more sources of good, rich old books I will have to serve readers. Hopefully, old books stained with time will be increasingly welcomed and loved," My Hang said.

Article and photos: Mai Hue