VI
EN
“Tan” is Le Ngoc’s fifth publication, following her solo and co-authored books: “A House with Two People,” “Even Though Storms Are Often – Just Dream and Love, My Dear,” “Oppa, Take Me to Korea,” “Missing Hanoi, Loving Saigon…”
"Tan" tells the story of love without end. Loving oneself, loving others to love life… In "Tan," we see a Le Ngoc who is truly emotional, truly romantic, yet also full of hurt and fragility through her confession, "My heart can melt for someone, and at the same time, it can shatter because of that person."
Le Ngoc in "Tan" reminds us of the character Sumire in Haruki Murakami's "Sputnik Sweetheart":
“In the spring of her twenty-second year, Sumire fell in love for the first time. A passionate love, a true whirlwind sweeping across the plains – leveling everything in its path, tossing everything into the air, tearing it apart, crushing it into pieces. The whirlwind did not diminish in intensity as it crossed the ocean, turning Angkor Wat into a desolate wasteland, burning the ancient forests of India with its tigers, leopards, and countless other creatures, then transforming into a desert sandstorm in the Persian Gulf, burying an entire strange fortress city beneath a sea of sand…”
"Tan" is one such book, a book that skillfully evokes the desire in each person to breathe deeply, to love wholeheartedly. The 168 pages of Tan are filled with spontaneous yet profound and artistic words, veiled in a silvery hue of memory, where vibrant moments intertwine, making happiness sweeter and sadness more poignant.
What could be more wonderful than giving your all in love? Giving without expecting anything in return, being yourself, loving someone and being loved by someone.
You will relive every stage of a seemingly endless love: from its blossoming to its passionate intensity, its heartbreak, its eventual loss, and its enduring legacy in Lê Ngọc's "Tan." There, you will confront the truest emotions of a loving heart: the longing to see each other after each farewell; the helpless resentment after each silence; the anxieties that fill your mind and the dreams that follow you into your sleep night after night; the times your heart is broken because of someone, yet you still choose to love them with all the broken pieces... Immersing yourself in "Tan" allows you to once again live in the emotions that have nurtured your heart, whether happiness or pain.
"It's better to be the one who makes the mistake."
Burn each other until it's over.
It's better than constantly dwelling on it.
"A lifelong search"
Author Le Ngoc shared: ““Tan” was born from my own emotions, but writing poetry allows me to break it down into many pieces, so the collection of poems subtly reveals many aspects of myself, and you can find images of yourself and your loved one within it. The story told is the story of everyone. And this book, unlike my two previous publications (written for myself, for him), this time, I wrote “Tan” for everyone. Because I believe that everyone has experienced, is experiencing, or will experience two extremes: melting and breaking in love. Even if it's a fulfilling relationship, inside, there will surely still be broken pieces that need mending. And regardless of whether you choose to break, and break, or not break, it will still be a happy choice, because it is your own choice.”
