Collection of 24 typical short stories by Ma Van Khang

A collection of 24 of the most representative short stories written over more than 4 decades by writer Ma Van Khang, Signs of Love has just been released to readers.

PHOTO: Publisher

Ma Van Khang lives and works between two "homelands", the mountains and the lowlands, so this collection of stories is also rich in those materials. In the first creative section, the cloudy Northwest space has become the setting for the exploitation to the fullest of the simplicity of the highland people alongside the backward customs that hold people back, leading to the tragic endings that can be seen in Bai Vang, Hoa Lau Bac... Meanwhile, in the lowlands, Ma Van Khang shows a sharp observation of the world, focusing on the period when the country is changing, but from there, many individuals are born, abuse power..., but in the end, the author still conveys a lesson about goodness and altruism.

The image of women also appears frequently in the collection of stories, such as in A Woman's Beauty, Girl with Children, Sisters, Signs of Love, Women Can Be Wise, The Last Bus of the Day... The author has much sympathy for women caught up in the vortex of patriarchal society, desiring love as an instinct but having limits that cannot be overcome.

Besides his sharp realistic pen, Ma Van Khang's short stories are also a diverse treasure trove of everyday speech, where idioms and proverbs are used flexibly and creatively, adding nuance to the characters. The writer also often puts himself into his short stories with his reflections on literature, current events... making his works multi-dimensional and interesting.