HANOI – When “The Sorrow of War” was honored by Vietnam’s government as one of the 50 greatest works of literature and art since reunification, some conservative figures reacted with fury — suggesting the novel’s unvarnished depictions of the war diminished the victors’ heroism.
But the controversy that exploded across social media has only sparked renewed interest in Bao Ninh’s haunting classic and forced bookstores to scramble to keep pace with surging demand.
“I only knew about this novel because of these online discussions,” said Le Hien, 25, who tried to buy the book at several bookstores in the capital Hanoi this week but found they were all out of stock.
“I was very surprised the book was sold out that quickly. I couldn’t believe its sales went crazy,” he told AFP.
First published in 1987 as “The Destiny of Love,” the novel is narrated by a young North Vietnamese soldier who, like Ninh himself, served in a battalion that was almost entirely wiped out.
He is stalked by memories of the “jungle of screaming souls” and tortured by thoughts of his girlfriend’s rape by fellow North Vietnamese men.
The book was met with instant acclaim abroad and controversy at home, where most war literature emphasized valor and sacrifice over cruelty and suffering.
The novel’s inclusion in the 50-best list in late November touched off another round of recrimination even as it flew off shelves.
“This book has been debated for ages,” said Nguyen, a bookseller on Hanoi’s Nguyen Xi book street, who gave only his first name for fear of inviting backlash against his store.
“It has always sold steadily. It has never sold out like it did this time, though.”
