Do Duc Hieu - a diligent, quiet literary critic.

1.Professor Do Duc Hieu passed away more than 10 years ago. He died in the spring of 2003, on March 27th (corresponding to the 25th day of the 2nd month of the Year of the Goat in the lunar calendar). My memories of him are still vivid, like the days I spent going in and out of his cramped attic room at 26 Hang Bai Street. Back then, I lived in the city center. I visited him once or twice a week. Many times, it was just the two of us, sitting and talking for hours about literature, life, work, family, and children. His family life wasn't very happy. His daughter, whom he seemed to cherish the most, had settled in Poland with her husband and children; one son was in Russia, but his business was failing, and his family life wasn't very stable; and his son stayed at home, but he and his wife didn't get along well. I visited often, but I rarely saw them talking to each other. His wife, a retired teacher from Trung Vuong School next door, was also gone. From the time I first met him in the early 1980s, when I first returned to the school, until his death—a little over 23 years—I always saw him sad, melancholic, lonely, and pessimistic, even during his rare moments of laughter. He would cover his mouth, making a muffled sound, as if trying to hide something. I don't know much about his life before the 1980s, but it must have been filled with both broken beliefs and shattered dreams. Read the article "A Few Words of Reflection (Conversation with Mr. Nguyen Trung Duc)" at the end of the book.Innovation in reading and literary criticismThrough his words, I came to understand him to some extent.

Professor, Distinguished Teacher Do Duc Hieu (1924-2003)

2.He was only happy and enthusiastic when talking about literature, research, and writing. As someone who loved the beauty of literature, he was passionately and endlessly devoted to it. He was very meticulous in his research. Before each article he intended to write, he would always read, take notes, and carefully outline it, often taking several months to complete a single piece before it could be published. He worked with words his whole life, but I believe that the 1980s and 1990s were the years when he achieved the most success. In an article commemorating his 75th birthday, I summarized some of his achievements.

During these years, he was the chief editor of the series.Dictionary of Literature(Two volumes), published in 1983 and 1984, reprinted and expanded into a new set in 2004, one year after his death, published by The World Publishing House. In two volumesDictionary of LiteratureHe contributed to writing 67 entries of various types: trends, movements, terminology, writers, philosophers and their works.Existentialism, Naturalism, New Novel, New Realism, Baroque, Descartes, Corneille, Racine, Molière, Béranger, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Verlaine, Proust, Apollinaire...most of the peaks of French literature and thought over three centuries. That's not to mention the Bulgarian, German, Belgian, and American writers and works that he also includes here. Each entry represents a mountain of effort: collecting materials, reading authors, works, eras, history, and society... Selecting, organizing, compiling, and so on. Reading his entries continuously will give you a fairly clear picture of the literary and historical situation, the writers, and the philosophers of those centuries. Such a work requires persistent, honest labor and a great love for literature and beauty.

3.He usually went to bed early, turning off the lights around 8 or 9 p.m. (He reminded me: "H, don't come or call me after that time"); around 1 or 2 a.m., he would wake up, make tea, smoke, and work until noon the next day. In his later years, he often ordered food from street vendors (called "street food") to eat. I remember once, Mr. Phan Quy Bich had some money and invited the whole Western Literature group to a Western restaurant near the Grand Theatre. The food was delicious and fancy. On the way back, when they reached the street, he leisurely said in a high-pitched voice: "It wasn't as good as street food." The whole group burst into laughter. Later, Mrs. Dang Thi Hanh kept laughing and recalling this memory. With only two-thirds of his stomach remaining, he couldn't eat much, and even then, he didn't enjoy his food. For him, eating was just a duty, enough to "replenish" the minimum energy for his frail body to survive each day. A lack of appetite and a lack of life sometimes flickered in his distant gaze out the window. The story suddenly paused for a few seconds.

4.Returning to his writing career, he also co-edited, along with colleagues, 10 volumes of textbooks.History of French Literaturefrom the Middle Ages to the present day.Reforming literary criticismHis book, published by the Social Sciences Publishing House – Mui Ca Mau Publishing House, in 1993, was reprinted shortly after its initial release; followed by the bookInnovating literary criticism,Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House, 1999; thenModern poetics,Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House, 2000. His literary "adventure" was endless, until one day he applied literary theory to return to Vietnamese literature with "The World of Ho Xuan Huong's Poetry"; "The Paths of Thuy Kieu's Departure"; then he "Together with Nguyen Nhuoc Phap to the Huong Pagoda Festival"; listening to "The Sound of Autumn, Poetry and Music of Luu Trong Lu"; and others.Lucky Number, Wasted Life, Town Street, Tragedy of Vu Nhu To...those writings about Vietnamese literature resonated deeply. Returning to the East Coast, he relived his childhood school days with works like "The Time When Heaven and Earth Were in Turmoil," "Lam Tru Since the Time When the Mandarin Ducks Flew," and "The Nation Bears a Heavy Oath"... Many of his former students working in television expressed interest in filming him for a documentary, but he snapped (rarely seen being so resolute): "I won't film. Don't bring a camera!" Perhaps he understood the meaninglessness of mere fame.

The late Professor and Meritorious Teacher Do Duc Hieu, People's Teacher Le Hong Sam, and teacher Tran Hinh - lecturer of the Faculty of Literature

5.His final years were quite sad. His wife, Mrs. Tam, passed away a few years before him. His children each went their separate ways to pursue their careers, some living far away. None followed in their father's footsteps. Sometime after his death, the small house was sold to someone else. 2016 also marked the 60th anniversary of the former Faculty of Literature at the University, a place he was one of the pioneers in building and developing. This article, based on a few memories of him, serves as a tribute to his memory. Perhaps due to objective and subjective limitations, he experienced some sorrows, but above all, he remained an honest man in his life and scientific work. I learned those things from him.