Author(s): Cao Nguyệt Nguyên

Poetry | New Arrivals

Based on the the great literary work of Nguyen Du, the 12 characters in the Tale of Kieu were made alive through the portraits drawn by 12 artists each accompanied by a sketch of their story by themselves in succinct, more modern language... which make them closer to readers.

The Tale of Kieu is an epic poem written by Nguyễn Du (1765–1820) and is considered the most famous poem and a classic in Vietnamese literature. In 3,254 verses, written in lục bát ("six–eight") meter, the poem recounts the life, trials and tribulations of Thúy Kiều, a beautiful and talented young woman, who has to sacrifice herself to save her family.

Over the past two hundred years, Tale of Kieu influenced ways of thinking and speaking of Vietnamese people and has been deeply ingrained in the lifestyle and culture of the Vietnamese people and inspired various artists and art forms.

This book is an adaptation of the original Tales of Kieu by author Cao Nguyet Nguyen; who recrated it in prose and narrated it through its 12 characters own voices. What does each character think, feel and struggle with? If they lived today, what would they would they say? Characters' voices makes readers empathise with their confessions, experiences and struggles. The portrayals of 12 characters in text come alive through beautiful illustrations by 12 VIetnamese artists.

Re-creating the story of Kieu in this self-narrated form and its adaptaion to the modern audiences may be seen be a departure from the commonly accepted traditional way of telling the Tale of Kieu amd might surprise those who are used to the traditional portrayal of its stereotypes and charcaters. However, the ideas, values and messages that it contains remain timeless.