When "The Sorrow of War" was honoured by Vietnam's government as one of the 50 greatest works of literature and art since reunification, some conservative figures reacted with fury -- suggesting the novel's unvarnished depictions of the war diminished the victors' heroism.

But the controversy that exploded across social media has only sparked renewed interest in Bao Ninh's haunting classic and forced bookstores to scramble to keep pace with surging demand.

"I only knew about this novel because of these online discussions," said Le Hien, 25, who tried to buy the book at several bookstores in the capital Hanoi this week but found they were all out of stock.

"I was very surprised the book was sold out that quickly. I couldn't believe its sales went crazy," he told AFP.

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