The sound of waves in the middle of the ocean

With the novel "Listening to the Waves on the Sea" (photo, Writers Association Publishing House), writer Truong Anh Quoc brings readers back to his forte, which is writing about the sea. This is the subject that helped him twice write his name on the golden board of the Literature Contest for 20-year-olds with "Song bien ri chau" (second prize for the third time) and "Bien" (first prize for the fourth time).

If you are familiar with works about the mainland, then Trung Khoi Nghe Song will be a “strange dish” when it takes readers to the open sea, where there is a drilling rig with the poetic name of Bien Xanh . And here, there are countless stories with full range of joys, anger, love and hate happening.

Each person corresponds to a different job and story, all of which are depicted in detail. Although confined within the space of the Blue Sea rig, it can be seen as a complex miniature society.

Having a land, a space to compose, and then becoming famous with that land, that space is a blessing for any writer. For Truong Anh Quoc, that is the sea. It is not an exaggeration to say that writing about the sea is his forte and strength. Listening to the waves in the open sea is a continuation of previous works written about the sea such as: Whispering waves, Sea, Waves.

And Truong Anh Quoc has another strength which is his talent for storytelling. In Trung Khoi Nghe Song or his previous works, Truong Anh Quoc uses a charming, lively, natural storytelling style, constantly changing the point of view. This gives the work a closeness and authenticity, which can also be considered a plus point of the work.

In particular, Truong Anh Quoc has brought many characters to the novel Trung Khoi Nghe Song. After each chapter, readers will encounter a new character. They are Vinh, Duy, Manh, Ton, Trung... and then characters of foreign origin such as Jet, Malee, Rick, Rice, James, Stephen...

This “horizontal arrangement” is both attractive and reveals the author’s weakness. Because there are too many characters, it seems that the author does not have much time and effort to take care of his characters. Therefore, the characters just pass by as the story progresses without leaving much of an impression on the reader. This is perhaps a pity in this novel.

The story on the Blue Sea rig spans over 300 pages. There, each worker who does a good job not only brings benefits to the company and himself, but also becomes a soldier protecting the country’s sovereign waters. That is also the way Truong Anh Quoc conveys his love for the sea and islands to the readers, through the sound of waves in the middle of the ocean.

QUYNH YEN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/tieng-song-long-giua-trung-khoi-post823672.html