Top 8 Renowned Realistic Critic Writers in Vietnam during 1930 - 1945

During this period, author Nam Cao focused primarily on two figures: the impoverished intellectual and the impoverished peasant. The impoverished intellectual emerges in Nam Cao's works through the skilled hands of the writer, vividly depicting the dark and oppressive life that squeezes the humanity out of individuals, turning them into slaves in the tragic script of their lives. They aspire to noble ideals and the true ideology of an intellectual, but the inhumane reality of life denies them the ability to do so! Nevertheless, his pen still reaches for the deepest and most fervent desires to reach the noble essence of human life.

With the figure of the impoverished peasant, Nam Cao through his sharp pen has painted a vivid picture of Vietnam's impoverished and extremely harsh social landscape during the years 1930 - 1945. Despite the characters' inner turmoil, the earnest pursuit of the purest ideals has helped him speak out against the rotten society of that time. The artistic belief that this artist aims for is 'Art for Humanity'; he criticizes the notion of 'art for art's sake.'

It can be said that Nam Cao is one of the pioneering figures in short stories in Vietnamese literature. His representative works during this period include short stories such as 'Chí Phèo', 'Lão Hạc', 'Một bữa no', 'Trẻ con không được ăn thịt chó'...

Nguyen Hong is a talented writer possessing a gentle and evocative writing style, much like the breath of life itself. However, faced with the significant upheavals of the era, he, like any other sincere writer, began to shift his pen towards depicting the harsh realities of the time.

Writer Nguyen Hong penned the novel 'Cracked Shell' in early 1937. It can be said that this novel is his most successful work, elevating his position in the literary world. 'Cracked Shell' is a poignant and authentic portrait of the small and vulnerable human lives amidst the unpredictable flow of existence.

His notable works during this period, besides 'Cracked Shell,' include novels such as 'Seaside Gate,' 'Childhood Days'...

This is a writer who witnessed the transitional moment of the country's history from feudalism to capitalist slavery.

Ngo Tat To is considered the foremost writer of the pre-1945 critical realism movement. 'Turning Off the Lights' is his outstanding literary masterpiece. The work is a comprehensive and realistic portrait of the dark and stagnant contemporary society that pushed people into extremely painful existential situations.

The character Sister Dau, through the skillful pen of this writer, embodies the deepest and most sacred sentiments of maternal love and marital fidelity, deeply touching the hearts of readers. The investigative report 'Village Affairs' is considered one of the most comprehensive and detailed journalistic works on the face of rural Vietnam before 1945.

His most notable works during this period include 'Turning Off the Lights,' the novel 'Dare to Challenge,' two investigative reports 'Family Trials,' 'Village Affairs'...

Nguyen Cong Hoan is also one of the leading writers of Vietnamese critical realism literature during the period 1930 - 1945.

Nguyen Cong Hoan was born in Xuan Cau village, Xuan Cau commune, Van Giang district, Thuan Thanh province, Bac Ninh (now part of Nghia Tru commune, Van Giang district, Hung Yen province). He was born into a scholarly family with a Confucian background. From a young age, Nguyen Cong Hoan listened to and memorized many poems, couplets, and tales characterized by lively satire and criticism of the feudal class. This greatly influenced his later literary style. He had three younger brothers who were all involved in revolutionary activities and held important positions: Nguyen Cong Mieu (Le Van Luong), former member of the Politburo; Nguyen Cong Bong, former Deputy Director-General of Public Security; and Nguyen Cong My, the first Director-General of People's Security Training.

In 1926, he graduated from teacher training college and taught in various places (such as Hai Duong, Lao Cai, Nam Dinh, etc.) until the August Revolution broke out. He started writing literature early on, and his first work, 'The Fleeting Youth' (written in 1920, published by Tan Da Thudiem in 1923), was a contribution to Vietnamese prose literature in Quoc Ngu script.

His pen was extremely sharp, innovative, and surprising, easily exposing the falsehoods hidden by social reality. His most outstanding works of critical writing at that time include 'Lost Wallet,' 'District Magistrate,' 'Haunted Wharf,' 'Man or Horse, Horse or Man,' and the short story collection 'Resilient Kep Tu' (1945). It was from this collection that he began to emerge as a phenomenon and attracted special attention from the literary community in Vietnam.

Besides being known as a writer, Vu Trong Phung is also extremely famous in literary circles for his talent in journalism and reporting. He is likened to the sharpest blade of the time, piercing straight into the complex and rotten reality of the period.

He is renowned for his satirical and sarcastic writing style. In 1936, Vu Trong Phung achieved considerable success in novel writing. He released four highly successful novels: Storm, Red Dusk, Broken Levee, and The Prostitute. Among them, 'Red Dusk' stands out as a masterpiece, considered a landmark work in Vietnamese literature.

Moreover, he also achieved success during this period with famous reports such as 'Human Traps' (1933), 'Crafting Westerners' (1934), and 'Representatives and Representatives' (1935).

Nguyen Dinh Lap (1913-1952) was a writer, journalist, educator, born into a patriotic family. He began his writing career in 1933 with articles published in several newspapers in Hanoi. From 1937, he wrote investigative reports, successful in exploring the social life of the capital city during the 1930s - 1940s. Nguyen Dinh Lap left his mark with works such as: The Lost Youth, The Moving Market, Love Cases, The Stronghold, Outskirts, Alleyways...

As the author of many realistic portrayals of Hanoi (he passed away in 1952, at the age of 39), he made significant contributions to the literature and journalism of his country.

As a novelist, he was classified among the realist writers, with his greatest achievement being the portrayal of the lives of the poor suburban people. He not only reflected reality but also contemplated human relationships and society. From there, he conveyed a message about the desire to change injustices and advised young people to live with ideals and integrity.

Writer and journalist Tam Lang, whose real name is Vu Dinh Chi, was born in Dong Ngan district, Bac Ninh province (now Tu Son district, Bac Ninh province), and grew up in Hanoi. He specialized in reporting and became famous for this genre when he wrote his first reportage titled I Pull the Cart (published in 1935). This genre introduced a new literary form to Vietnamese literature, creating a buzz in contemporary literary activities: Reportage novels. Since then, every year he wrote a series of vivid reportages about the real social life of Vietnam. He served as editor-in-chief for newspapers such as Tin Moi, Dan Quoc, Giang Son, Cau Am Co chieu, Dan Chung, and Than Dan (Hanoi) before 1954.

During the nationwide resistance against France, he migrated to the liberated area to fight against the French. After the Geneva Agreement (1954), he migrated to the South to work as editor-in-chief for newspapers such as Tu Do, Cong nhan, Cach mang Quoc gia, Tin tuc, Ma thuong in Saigon. Most of his life was dedicated to the journalistic profession.

He passed away on January 7, 1986, at his home in Saigon, at the age of 85.

Key works:

• Teardrops of Perfume River – novel - (1930)
• Life of Hoang Oanh - novel - (1930)
• One Night Before - short story - (1931)
• I Pull the Cart - reportage - (1935)
• Night on Perfume River - reportage - (1938)
• Shortened Dragon’s Tail - satirical reportage - (1939)
• People... Sneaky - satirical reportage - (1940)

And several reportages published in newspapers in Hanoi, Saigon.

Writer Kim Lân, real name Nguyễn Văn Tài, born on August 1, 1920, in Phù Lưu hamlet (also known as Chợ Giầu village), Tân Hồng commune, Từ Sơn district, Bắc Ninh province. Kim Lân is one of the outstanding realistic writers of Vietnamese literature in the 20th century. His literary career, though not extensive, is remarkably distinctive and unforgettable.

Starting to write and publish works in newspapers from 1941-1944, he is regarded as a successful writer in rural themes, portraying humble and compassionate individuals, the simple rural beauty, and the unique customs of the northern countryside. Every page of his writing comes from these fields, imbued with the smoke from kitchen fires, the fragrance of newly harvested rice, the scent of straw, and the rustling of egret wings... His works were published in the Saturday Novel and Sunday Central newspapers. Some stories (The Picked Wife, The Stepdaughter, The Adopted Son, Mrs. Vịa,...) have autobiographical elements but effectively depict the serene, melancholic atmosphere of rural Vietnam and the hard lives of farmers during that period.

Especially, within the material of Vietnamese village themes, where big names like Ngô Tất Tố, Nguyễn Công Hoan… seemed to have thoroughly explored, on that ancient land, writer Kim Lân also built for himself a very unique, very sturdy home amidst people and challenged time.