The novel 'Red Rain' sold out, printed but not sold fast enough

After the resounding success of the movie version, "Red Rain" continues to cause a "fever" in the publishing market. Many bookstores said that readers had to wait 15-20 days to receive the novel. Currently, the number of book orders has far exceeded expectations, reaching tens of thousands of copies in just a few days.

"Red Rain" Makes a Record

Not only did the movie version of Red Rain explode at the box office, the novel Red Rain also created a fever in the book market. Accordingly, to get a copy of the novel Red Rain in hand, readers sometimes have to wait up to 15-20 days.

Mr. Nguyen Tuan Binh - owner of Binh Book bookstore - said that almost no one welcomed the explosion of the " Red Rain bomb". The number of books at Binh Book only met 20% of readers' demand.

Red Rain novels at Binh Book are continuously packaged and sent to readers. Photo: NVCC.

“All stores have to wait for the printer. According to my calculations, we can meet the demand by September 12. So far, we have only been able to pay 2,000 out of 6,000 orders. We are under a lot of pressure. Previously, no book had made readers wait nearly 15-20 days like this,” said Mr. Tuan Binh.

Mr. Binh affirmed that the number of Red Rain novels sold reached a record. The novel Red Rain was released in late 2024, Binh Book was almost the first place and persistently introduced the book during the initial period of its launch. During the period of April 30 - May 1, the book received attention with sales reaching about 500 copies.

“I predicted that books would sell very well on September 2 when the movie Red Rain was released. It did happen, but no one expected such explosive sales. Before the movie was released, the book publisher Vietnambook had already printed 3,000 copies. This was already an impressive number for a book about the revolution. But since August 22, when the movie was released, there was suddenly a 'red rain' in the book world,” Mr. Binh shared.

The movie Red Rain exploded, followed by explosive sales of the novel of the same name.

Accordingly, the number of orders for the book reached 50,000 copies from all sources. Normally, a book in Vietnam only sells 1,000 copies. Reaching 50,000 copies in a week is an unprecedented case.

A representative of Quest Bookstore ( Hanoi ) noted the boom in sales of the novel Red Rain . The representative of this bookstore affirmed that this boom is a "good" sign when books about politics and revolution are receiving attention again.

"In the past, books about history, politics, and revolution were often of little interest. Almost every day, customers searched for the novel Red Rain through online and direct sales channels. The time when customers asked the most was during the September 2 holiday. Many customers were willing to pay extra for shipping to receive the book as quickly as possible. This is a good sign for the book industry in general and books about the military in particular," said a representative of Quest Bookstore.

Reprinted in large quantities

The novel Red Rain was first published by the People's Army Publishing House in 2016 and reprinted many times in 2017 and 2019. However, since the end of August, the appeal of the movie Red Rain has urged audiences to read the book.

Colonel Pham Van Truong - Director and Editor-in-Chief of the People's Army Publishing House - said that the publishing house, in collaboration with Vietnambook, has published 50,000 copies. Accordingly, the upcoming number of books will be enough for readers nationwide.

In addition, some bookstore owners also spoke up when the number of book searches is increasing, many stores do not have books, which will create conditions for bad guys to take advantage and smuggle pirated books into the market. Accordingly, readers need to carefully choose reputable units to buy books.

Red Rain is scheduled to print an additional 50,000 copies.

The novel Red Rain is the "intensive" product of writer Chu Lai after he wrote the screenplay for the movie Red Rain . The screenplay about the 81 days and nights of fighting in Quang Tri was written by him at the request of a friend. The finished screenplay was kept in a drawer for a long time, then turned into a movie by the People's Army Cinema.

“The battle in Quang Tri Citadel was so big. It can be considered one of the biggest campaigns and battles in the history of human warfare. For 81 days and nights, we sacrificed a company each day, equivalent to 120 people. Some cuts in the film have not clarified the two stages of fighting in Quang Tri: desert warfare and naval warfare,” writer Chu Lai shared.

Writer Chu Lai - owner of the movie script and novel Red Rain.

He was saddened when mentioning that when soldiers died, their upper bodies were burned red, and their lower bodies were soaked in water, so they were as white as boiled fish. Each soldier in the Citadel endured 10 tons of bombs, some died up to 7 times a day, being plowed over and over again by bombs and bullets. According to the writer, such cruelty is hard to be fully depicted in any novel or movie. He once emphasized that the movie Red Rain , no matter how muscular, is only a slice.

The novel Red Rain is set in the context of the battle of Quang Tri Citadel, revolving around a squad of seven soldiers, each with different circumstances and personalities. They all experience moments between life and death, suffering the pain of witnessing their comrades fall. Through that, the work reminds the next generation to be grateful for the sacrifices of their ancestors for national independence, and to cherish the value of peace.

Writer Chu Lai was born in Hung Yen, the son of playwright Hoc Phi. In 1963, he joined the army, then joined the General Political Department Drama Troupe. In 1967, he applied to fight in the Southeast battlefield, starting as a main force infantryman, then a soldier and then a local special forces company commander in the suburbs of Saigon.

After the country was unified, he returned to the Propaganda Department of Military Zone 7, then studied at Nguyen Du Writing School, Course I. In 1982, he worked at the Army Literature Magazine until his retirement. He has many works about soldiers and war, accumulated from combat experiences such as Sunshine of the Plains , Unfaithful Circle , Life is Very Long , The Last Tragic Song ...

Gia Linh

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/tieu-thuyet-mua-do-chay-hang-in-khong-kip-ban-post565937.html