Fishing village, waves and wind

This is the debut novel by Vietnamese writer Ho Viet Khue, published by the Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House in November 2023.

Although he had a rather long literary career, dating back to before 1975, it wasn't until 1996 that his novella collection "At the Sea" (Kim Dong Publishing House), aimed at young adults, was published. Following that came dozens of short story collections, culminating in the novel "Fishing Village, Waves and Wind." While this might be considered a new genre for the writer, his extensive body of work, published in numerous domestic literary magazines and newspapers such as Tuoi Tre, Thanh Nien, and Binh Thuan , has made Ho Viet Khue a household name, and he remains a writer who shows no signs of aging. Perhaps his slow, deliberate lifestyle, both in his writing and in his prose, might be considered unmodern, despite his past fascination with the forceful writing style of literary magazines like Sáng Tạo, Hiện Đại, Thế Kỷ Hai Mươi… and his dabbling in existentialist ideas like Heidegger, Nietzsche, and F. Kafka… But Hồ Việt Khuê has established for himself a gentle, subtle attitude in his writing, from the characters to the emotions of the stories. I've come to realize that for Hồ Việt Khuê, "literature is the man" is true. His prose works, such as *Letter in a Seashell*, *Jade Night*, *Sweet Sea*, *Flowers Blooming at New Year's Eve*, and more recently *Days of Changing Winds*, *Warm and Fragrant Hands*… and his debut poetry collection *Grass* (Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House, 2016), are noteworthy, even though before 1975 he was the author of love poems with a pure, stirring soul under the pen name Hồ Tà Dôn.

The novel "Fishing Village, Waves and Wind" is easily recognizable as being set in a coastal village in South Central Vietnam, having just gone through the final days of war and entering a new era of peace in the homeland… The birth of a vibrant amateur performing arts group under the victorious sky, while simultaneously being vigilant against the seeds of enemy conspiracy. The ambitious spirit of young people, early enlightened but with a shallow understanding of the significance of the revolutionary victory, leads to many reckless actions, pushing vulnerable individuals, having experienced the harsh conditions of war in this land of constant conflict, day and night. The fishing boats, their lifelong possessions, now face the turbulent waves of their homeland. The characters, Hung and the innocent girl, immersed in the movement, face numerous obstacles and narrow-mindedness in their relationship… Hung was born into a family with a tradition of making fish sauce in large vats. Throughout his life, he was skilled and prosperous, building a large-scale business that employed many workers, earning him the title of "household head" and later being classified as a "majorist" or "bourgeoisie." Hung had the opportunity to study, so after liberation, with the youthful enthusiasm of his age, he quickly integrated into the local movement. One might think that Hung's father, who had also fought in the war zone, was enough to give him the "qualifications" for these activities. However, according to a local leader who cared for him and constantly reminded him about his stance, he needed to be firm and resolute because the class struggle was a life-or-death struggle… Hung was in a difficult situation, torn between leaving Hong and leaving with his family to go to another place. Despite the many wounds inflicted on his family, Hung believed that “there were still many ways to survive, not a dead end like many other families” (*). The image of the two lovers clinging to each other about their decision to stay or leave was suddenly disrupted by the guerrillas, “Hung and Hong were tied up and taken to the headquarters because they were suspected of waiting for boats to dock and pick up people…” (*). It wasn't until later, but several times before, Hong had confided in Hung about her family's intention to leave by sea, asking if he could join them. Hung replied, "Why do you ask that?", because he had never thought about leaving. Hung still had his parents and siblings, and so many memories connected to his homeland. He believed that this devastated fishing village would never be the same again, but would have a new horizon, a peaceful seascape.

The collection of stories spans 16 chapters, each depicting a life of hardship and irony, burdened by the complexities of one's own circumstances. In this coastal village, stories of sea voyages are full of motivations, but for the fishermen, who have toiled their whole lives, the simple goal is a comfortable life for their families, with rice and meat not having to be counted by the kilogram. They don't have to hide and smother their catch to bring it to market. There are also stories of inadequacies stemming from the understanding and practices of a cooperative chairman, and even comical tales of women having to express their own milk to receive ration coupons for infant formula… Perhaps this wasn't unique to this fishing village, but was common in many places during those years.

Ho Viet Khue repeatedly confided about his long-held concern for a work that could depict a corner of his hometown's coastal village. He wondered if readers and the publishing process would easily accept it. I shared that, as a journalist (formerly a reporter for Tien Phong newspaper in Binh Thuan), with his professional observational skills, he was certain that this lengthy work would offer readers much enjoyment because it was "a story only now being told." He then decided to publish the novel "Fishing Village, Waves and Wind," which was registered for publication by the Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House in September 2023, but only received its publishing license at the end of the fourth quarter of 2023, leading to its current release.

(*): Excerpt from *Fishing Village, Waves and Wind*.

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