Audiences flocked to the theaters, shedding tears and laughing along with the talents of the cast including Ly Hung, Diem Huong, Phuong Dung, Cong Hau, Le Cong Tuan Anh, Luong Thoai My, and others.
The writer Hoang Thieu Phu as depicted by artist Angouleur Morris (Paris, France - 1999)
PHOTO: ARCHIVE OF LE MINH QUOC
After leaving the Liberation Film Studio and working at the Youth Publishing House, he devoted himself to writing satirical literature. This is Hoàng Thiếu Phủ's true strength and forte. It can be said that his name has become a source of pride for satirical literature, using laughter to contribute to a better and more virtuous society.
When his famous work "Stories of Laughter" (Youth Publishing House, 2007) was published, we see the word "laughter" in quotation marks. He explained that this was because: "I only wanted to borrow the satirical form of literature to easily generalize phenomena that deserve ridicule, criticism, or even anger and sorrow… Some stories even seem to have been written with tears."
Writer Hoang Phu Ngoc Phan
PHOTO: PROVIDED BY THE FAMILY
Since 1984, considered the beginning of the country's reform period, Hoang Phu Ngoc Phan began writing humorous works. This demonstrates his enduring commitment to reflecting and accompanying the changes in society. Furthermore, his writing prowess, keen grasp of current events, and unique comedic techniques, along with his unconventional perspective, are evident. Therefore, when reading his works—from short stories and satirical poems to eulogies and funeral orations—one always finds profound and subtle underlying meanings.
Regarding his profession, he once confided: "No matter what you do, 'without a teacher, you can't achieve anything.' The person I admire as a 'grand master' is the scholar Nguyen Khuyen, who was the top scholar of Yen Do. The humor in his poetry and prose is both down-to-earth and erudite; both explosive and profound. Only then does the humor possess literary intelligence; otherwise, it only fulfills the purpose of entertainment or 'relieving stress.'"
"Good news travels fast," and from writing for Tuoi Tre Cuoi (Youth Laughs) , he continued to collaborate regularly with Thanh Nien Newspaper from 1993. Hoang Thieu Phu used to write the humor section for Thanh Nien under the pen names Ngoc Phang Lang and Ha Tien Co, which were very popular with readers. And it was from these short stories published in Thanh Nien that he later chose to reprint them in his book.
The case of Hoàng Phủ Ngọc Phan, who "wielded his pen" in a unique way, is a rare phenomenon in the literary world, because criticizing evil through laughter is an act of courage. As an admiring reader and colleague, I bid farewell to Hoàng Phủ Ngọc Phan with two lines of his own self-reflection: "For years I gathered laughter / And found joy in a 'ten' of drumbeats."
Writer Hoang Phu Ngoc Phan (member of the Vietnam Journalists Association, Vietnam Film Association, and Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association) was born on November 25, 1940, in Quang Tri .
Before 1975, he worked at the Liberation Flag newspaper ( Hue ), then the Youth Newspaper of the Central Committee of the People's Revolutionary Youth Union of South Vietnam in the South. After 1975, he worked at the Ho Chi Minh City General Film Enterprise (Liberation Film Studio). From 1986, he worked at the Youth Publishing House. He passed away on October 25, 2025.
His major works include: Hoang Thieu Phu's Collection of Humorous Stories (1993), The Calligrapher's Inn (2008), Under the Flaming Light (2012).
Writer Hoang Phu Ngoc Phan was awarded the First Class Victory Medal; the Second Class Anti-American Resistance Medal; the Medal for the Young Generation; and the Medal for the Cause of Literature and Art.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nha-van-hoang-phu-ngoc-phan-bao-nam-gop-nhat-tieng-cuoi-185251026215930981.htm
Comment (0)