Over time, Book Love (Tre Publishing House) has become a "classic", a bedside book for those who have a passion for books, or as Mr. Vuong Hong Sen explained, those who are "crazy in love" with books.
The work of Mr. Vuong Hong Sen, first published in 1960, is one of the first books to try to define the “hobby of collecting books” and discuss many aspects of this leisurely and luxurious hobby. People who appreciate books of many ages and generations will easily find themselves in this work. Mr. Vuong Hong Sen’s thoughts, reflections and confidences about books, about the value and beauty of books and the art of collecting books will certainly receive the approval and appreciation of readers.
After more than 60 years of publication, "The Book Hobby" has become a bedside book for many generations.
Borrowing the words of many authors, Mr. Vuong Hong Sen calls “beautiful books” “friends”, friends who “never bother me, and whenever I ask anything, there is always an answer. Some remind me of the peaceful past of the past, some show me the wonders of the present universe. You teach me to live properly, you teach me to die properly”. In addition, books are also “a useful gift, lovable and kind”, capable of “teaching wisdom and skill, both comforting sadness, bringing joy and excitement; books make the spiritual life of readers more exciting and powerful”.
With such a love for books, book collectors also know how to distinguish between good and bad books. Initially, they collect all the books they come across, then filter them, “become their own teacher, learn from themselves”, and choose to keep what is valuable. In particular, book collectors are especially fond of strange books, books with skillful printing and beautiful covers, but especially appreciate the value of the content, the value that helps the book become “eternal”.
Stemming from the curiosity of a scholar and collector, Mr. Vuong Hong Sen especially likes to collect many different editions of the same work, from the first edition to the beautifully printed copies, with the author's signature, with illustrations or with special additional content. In the Book Play, he proudly listed 26 editions of Truyen Kieu and 11 editions of Luc Van Tien that he collected, each with its own value.
Along with his general thoughts on books, Mr. Vuong Hong Sen also shared about his childhood of reading, about his mother who instilled in him a love for books, and about the interesting stories or people he encountered on his journey of collecting books. These short stories help us understand more about Mr. Vuong Hong Sen himself, one of the most prestigious scholars on the South and the era in which he lived.
As a bedside book for many generations of book lovers, The Book Lover has obviously become an indispensable work for those who share the same love for books as Mr. Vuong. Understanding the wishes of readers, Tre Publishing House has released a beautiful new edition of this old book. The book has an ancient-style hard cover, a solemn outer cover, and photos taken by the editor at Van Duong Palace, the house of Mr. Vuong Hong Sen. The detailed table of contents clearly states the content of each small part that is not separated in the book, helping readers to conveniently look up and refer to it.
This is a beautiful publication in both form and content, helping readers discover every nuance of the most luxurious hobby: reading books, thereby arousing in each person the desire to preserve knowledge.
QUYNH YEN/SGGP NEWSPAPER
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