Socialist Realism in Vietnamese Literature: An Analysis of the Relationship Between Literature and Politics

In the course of writing this book I received aid and support from many people. My greatest debt is to my supervisor, Emeritus Professor John McLaren, who not only carefully read and commented on my writing but also frequently motivated me to continue, particularly when I was discouraged. Without his insights and patience, this book could not have been completed. Others to whom I would like to express my gratitude are: Professor Nguyễn Xuân Thu, Associate Professor Richard Chauvel, Associate Professor Helen Borland, Associate Professor Barbara Brooks, Professor Phillip Deery, Associate Professor Marc Askew, Dr Mark Stevenson, and Professor Desmond Cahill, for their support as great friends and colleagues; Mr Mark Armstrong-Roper and the Victoria University librarians, who helped me to search for the books, journals and magazines that I needed to use for my study. I am appreciative of my friends, writers Võ Phiến and Hoàng Ngọc-Tuấn for their encouragement, and Dr Bùi Doãn Khanh, who shared numerous Vietnamese documents with me. I am also grateful for the helpful comments on some parts of the manuscript given to me by Mr John F. Drennan, Ms Andrea Watson and in particular, Dr Petre Santry, a wonderful friend whose help in teaching me English when I first arrived in Australia has been the foundation of my present writing. I am also indebted to all the writers, critics, historians and others who approached this subject before I did, and whose research furnished me with information and ideas. Last, but not least, I am grateful to my wife, Minh Nguyệt, and my children, Natasha Trâm Nguyễn and Ben Pha Nguyễn, for their love and support.