Nguyen Thanh Hien

A fragmentary poetic novel that interweaves the legends, tragedies and histories of a tabulated village in modern-day Vietnam. Chronicles of a Village is set in an anonymous Vietnamese village based on the author's personal memories. The surrealistic narrative touches on the country's pre-modern history, the colonial era, and the onslaught of modernity that irreversibly affects the mountains, rivers, soil and...

An incantatory poetic novel that interweaves the legends, tragedies, and histories of a village in Vietnam. "The book bursts with characters, poetry, philosophy, romance, violence, and struggle. . . . A dreamlike, original, strangely hopeful book."—Kirkus Reviews At the foot of Mun Mountain in central Vietnam, a self-appointed scribe collects the stories of his neighbours—tales of love, nature, and war—and...