Best seller book by Vietnamese author

Newly published books are sold out

As a famous translator of Chinese stories, Nguyen Do Muc's translations were printed in very good numbers. For example, My Wife by Tu Tram A, translated by Mr. Muc (Tan Dan, 1927), each book was printed with 4,000 copies. In the 1920s, according to Vu Ngoc Phan, a book "printed with two thousand copies was a lot". The book The Resident Forces and the Migration Issue to the South was written and printed by Dao Trinh Nhat in 1924. "The Nghiem Ham Printing House [actually the Thuy Ky Printing House] was very worried when printing Dao Trinh Nhat's book. Because the book was not about literature or stories; like this book, it was not available at that time, and that book was sold for 1 dong (literary books were usually sold for only 3 or 4 cents) [...] the printing house was afraid that he would not have money to pay. Because a book with political and economic theses, who would buy it? But after the book was printed and given to the author, on time, the author paid all the printing fee. The bourgeois Residents saw that the book was very dangerous for them, so they had to buy it all to destroy it", according to Nguyen Cong Hoan's memoir Remembering What You Write.

The Guest Power and the Problem of Migration to Cochinchina, published in 1924 by Dao Trinh Nhat

The book Thi Nhan Viet Nam by Hoai Thanh and Hoai Chan was also one of the best-selling books, selling out quickly after publication. After being published in Hanoi , the book was also distributed throughout the South. "Nguyen Khanh Dam bookstore in Saigon published "the book Thi Nhan Viet Nam was reprinted after only a few days of sale", female writer Mong Tuyet told about the phenomenon of Thi Nhan Viet Nam. This is a book that created a new breeze among many readers when it was published. Although the price of the book was higher than the general level, it was still sought after and passed around to read. "I understood why Thi Nhan Viet Nam sold at a high price at the time of rice and cinnamon, attracting readers [...] I remember at Can Tho High School, students only bought about ten copies, passed them around to read. Read and copy", Son Nam wrote in his memoir From U Minh to Can Tho.

There are works that, due to their sensational nature, appeal to the curiosity of readers, and the number of copies printed also becomes promising. With a print run of 5,000 copies, the book Truyen Don Hung Tinh Annam, commonly known as Ba Tinh, a fierce robber with a notorious reputation throughout the Southern region Cao Man [Mien] by Manh Tu, was published by Xua Nay Publishing House in 1925, selling for 3 cents for 40 pages with the information "with very beautiful pictures" introduced on the first cover; Cai An Son Vuong is the autobiographical memoir of writer Son Vuong about his career as a robber, printed in 2,000 copies in 1938.

In 1925, the trial of Phan Boi Chau caused widespread public opinion in three regions. "The trial of Phan Boi Chau was reprinted into a book, and all the copies were sold out. His books were translated and sold very well," Nguyen Cong Hoan recalled at that time. Phan Boi Chau's speech on March 17, 1926, Xua Nay Printing House printed 3,000 copies for the first time in 1926; National Proclamation, published by Tan Dan Thu Quan, printed 10,000 copies in 1926; Phan Boi Chau Today by Tung Lam Le Cuong Phung, Xua Nay Printing House published in 1926, number of 2,000 copies...

The book Kep Tu Ben printed in 1935

Actor Kep Tu Ben travels to Hue

In his memoir Remembering What You Write, Nguyen Cong Hoan still remembers that in 1935, when he went to Hue for a visit, Hoai Thanh took him to Hai Trieu's Huong Giang bookstore. On that occasion, his book Kep Tu Ben was published. At that time, Nguyen Cong Hoan had already become famous in his literary career, and his work was well received by readers for three periods. Hai Trieu, having the new Kep Tu Ben book delivered from the North, organized a book signing session for the author for readers. A sign was posted at the bookstore, stating that the time for the author's book signing was from 3 to 5 p.m. Later, because many readers came to ask for his autograph, the signing session lasted until 7 p.m.

The author of this work still remembers the memory of the book signing of Kep Tu Ben, but Nguyen Xuan Sanh also left a strong memory of that time in his memoir Beloved Faces. The poet of the Xuan Thu Nha Tap group still remembers that afternoon of the book signing, which was on a Thursday. "The Huong Giang bookstore was still crowded with people lining up to buy books and ask for the writer Nguyen Cong Hoan's autograph [...] The works of Kep Tu Ben were lined up on two glass shelves in front. The light brown cover was discreet but warm."

Phan Boi Chau's speech on March 17, 1926 was printed in 1926 in 3,000 copies.

Huy Can and Nguyen Xuan Sanh bought a copy of Kep Tu Ben together and lined up. At that time, the author with a slightly short haircut signed for readers, and after signing for someone, he turned to look at the person handing the book to sign. "The writer seemed to smile at Huy Can, because Huy Can was the one who held the book of Kep Tu Ben and asked for his autograph." Having received the autograph of their favorite author, the two students from Hue National School "took the ferry back, happy that they, as young children, could meet the great writer Nguyen Cong Hoan." After the autograph session, Huong Giang Bookstore also conducted a poll of readers' opinions on the beloved writer. As a result, Nguyen Cong Hoan was the writer voted for by readers. The impression of meeting Nguyen Cong Hoan asking for an autograph for Kep Tu Ben planted a literary dream for Huy Can later on, which the poet Trang Giang later remembered. That book signing occasion was in July 1935.

(to be continued)

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