The Nostalgia Of The Void
Trần Thiên Vân started writing The Nostalgia of the Void at the age of sixteen and completed it when she turned eighteen. The title novella and seven other short stories in this book not only focus on first loves and ambitious adolescence, but also delve into the darkest and brightest corners of the human soul, boldly and fiercely, yet also gently, gracefully, and subtly, offering a fascinating, poetic dissection of human identity when placed in the relationships of modern society.
Reading Trần Thiên Vân, readers might smile at the budding, inexplicable feelings of unrequited love that suddenly become so intense that they become vague, then a void. Paradoxically, from that void, illusions and myths emerge, becoming a nostalgia for things never experienced. It’s also possible that readers might be surprised by the insightful observations and psychological analysis of the characters – tough, cold, and full of details – from such a young author. Pausing somewhere on the page, readers might feel a pang of unease and empathy, observing up close a lonely individual, disconnected from their surroundings – a young person alienated from their mother tongue, their body, their generation – yet still striving to adapt, express themselves, and seek to be heard. Most importantly, throughout these journeys, despite internal conflicts and conflicts with society, they still find ways to understand and accept themselves, and to maintain their uniqueness.
Eight stories together create a bold literary work, leading readers into their own inner space, where desire and destruction intertwine, full of nostalgia and hope. The book is released in three languages: Vietnamese (Hoài niệm về khoảng trống), English (The Nostalgia of the Void), and French (La Nostalgie du Vide).
TRẦN THIÊN VÂN - Sinh năm 2007, là cây bút trẻ người Pháp gốc Việt, hiện đang theo học hai chuyên ngành y khoa và triết học.
