The 20th century is a century of interference in many aspects. Among them the influence of French literature on Vietnamese literature is undeniable, with a series of famous adaptations. Considering Hồ Biểu Chánh’s case, his novel “Life and Death with Love” borrows ideas from Bernardin de Saint-Pierre's novel “Paul and Virginie”; however, it still retains its features in many aspects to exist as an independent work. This research shows the inheritance of the theme, character type, plot, and narrative art (from Paul and Virginie) of “Life and Death with Love” and shows the success in creating the context space and cultural imprint of the Southern region. Since then, we can see Hồ Biểu Chánh's creative merit in doing works that "borrowed the West's core" but still kept the "Vietnamese soul" and, at the same time, rejected the notion that its adaptation was inferior.