Chapter 737 "Awards are something that sometimes depends on a little bit of luck."
"Editor-in-chief Lei, "White Gate Willow" has only published one or two volumes now. According to the author's idea, there will be more later It is necessary to write two more parts. It is unknown whether the two parts can maintain the level of the first two parts."
Fang Minghua continued to analyze: "If the Mao Dun Award is not postponed this time, the book "Emperor Yongzheng" will be available. If we only publish the first two volumes, wouldn’t that perfectly avoid the failure at the end of the third volume? Wouldn’t everyone’s evaluation of it be much better?”
After hearing this, Radar put down his chopsticks and took a moment. Thinking replied: "What you said makes sense, but it's a pity that it can only be said that it is bad luck. Awards, sometimes it depends on a little bit of luck."
Yes, it takes a little bit. By luck.
The book "Emperor Yongzheng" had worse luck.
Relatively speaking, the award-winning "Autumn of Turmoil" had much better luck.
Of course, "The Autumn of Turmoil" is not yet included in the short list of 20 films.
“Eat quickly, the food is cold.” Radar said with a smile.
So the two stopped chatting.
They just chatted after dinner.
The meeting continued. Just after the meeting started the next day, someone asked Chen Changben, who was presiding over the meeting, to include "The Autumn of Turmoil" on the list of discussions for this meeting.
“Today I received an official letter submitted by Comrade Ding Ning, as well as the signatures of Comrade Cai Kui and Wei Wei, to include "The Autumn of Turmoil" written by Comrade Liu Yumin on the agenda of this meeting. , in accordance with the provisions of the "Fourth Mao Dun Literature Award Award Plan", the Jury Office has approved it. "
As soon as Chen Changben finished speaking, there were whispers in the conference room.
Some people present have read the book "The Autumn of Turmoil". Its literary value and readability are quite average. I didn't expect that someone would ask everyone to read it!
Of course, this is the right of every judge, and there is nothing wrong with it.
Soon, the staff brought a large stack of books, all of which were "Tumultuous Autumn". Everyone present had a copy. Everyone took time to read it, and then everyone discussed it.
Fang Minghua held the book, with the title written on the yellow cover, which looked very simple.
This book was published by the People's Publishing House. Before coming to this era, Fang Minghua bought and read this book because he was the winner of the Mao Dun Award.
After reading it, he was disappointed. He really couldn’t understand why this book won the award?
There are so many good books from the same period, including Yu Hua's, Ge Fei's, Su Tong's, and Liu Zhenyun's. If you pick out any book at random, you can definitely beat this one!
But I just won the award!
Now I am facing this period of history.
"The Autumn of Turmoil" tells the story of the great changes in rural appearance and interpersonal relationships in the late 1980s, under the impact of the commodity economy, and the various changes aroused by a "peasant reformer" Yue Pengcheng in reforming the appearance of his hometown. commotion.
The protagonist Yue Pengcheng is not only a famous peasant entrepreneur, but also a local emperor who dominates a place; he is not only a trendsetter in the new era, but also an inheritor of old ideas. He admires his father's revolutionary career, but he is incompatible with his father; he admires his son's intelligence and talent, but he and his son are at odds with each other.
The novel is not long, just over 200,000 words, and Fang Minghua read it in two nights.
It’s really not that good
In his previous life, he was just a literature lover watching the fun, but in this era, he has experienced the golden age of literature, and his understanding of literature is better than It turns out to be much more profound.
If the publishing house is calling for submissions, of course this novel has a certain degree of literary quality and can be published, but now it is the selection for the Mao Dun Literary Award!
After dinner tonight, Fang Minghua specifically talked to Radar, and of course it was not just because of the book "Autumn of Turmoil".
The two of them walked together on the road in front of the hotel.
In Yanjing at the end of May, the sandstorm season has passed, but the weather is not too hot and it is very comfortable to walk on the road.
"Editor Lei, have you finished reading "The Autumn of Turmoil"?" Fang Minghua asked as he walked.
"I finished reading it at noon today." Radar replied, lighting a cigarette. "What do you think of the writing?"
"Well, it's not bad. It has relatively successfully created the artistic image of the peasant reformer Yue Pengcheng, and it has better handled the relationship between history, morality and aesthetics." Radar thought for a while and replied: "In addition, the writing is simple."
"That's it?" Fang Minghua asked.
"How much do you want me to say?" Radar stopped, looked at Fang Minghua and smiled: "I am a commentator, not a trumpeter. I can see these advantages."
Fang Minghua He laughed.
"Editor Lei, from your tone, you are not very optimistic about this book."
"What about you?" Radar asked.
“I’m not optimistic either.” Fang Minghua answered simply and neatly.
“The reason?”
“This book can be regarded as a reform literature category. From this perspective, compared with Zhang Jie’s "Heavy Wings" and Li Guowen’s "The Garden" "No. 5 Street", Ke Yunlu's "Rising Star" and other works, "The Autumn of Turmoil" cannot see any innovation and progress in terms of character creation or language structure."
"Special! It’s because the content of this novel is too oriented towards changes in institutional policies. In terms of structure, it simply stays in the mechanical mode of time and space extension. In terms of textual language, it is more like the kind of pale and empty reportage. The entire work lacks basic ideological penetration. and artistic appeal, unable to bring readers aesthetic pleasure and emotional resonance.”
"The author mainly focuses on Yue Pengcheng, a township entrepreneur, and then records Yue Pengcheng's suffering, bold changes and mental distortion like a running account. The whole story only stays on the surface of the event, neither following the logic of life nor the distortion of his character. The lack of deep exploration of human nature makes the work too shallow and even too vulgar."
Fang Minghua said so much in one breath, Radar listened carefully, and finally nodded in agreement.
“You are right, this book does have many unsatisfactory aspects.”
“I don’t know why someone proposed to include this book in reading for the jury members Scope?" Fang Minghua expressed his doubts.
Radar did not answer directly but asked: "Minghua, among the 20 novels in the preliminary review, how many of them reflect the reality of reform?"
Fang Minghua thought carefully: "Not many, Hou Quansheng's "Business World" and Peng Mingyan's "Aristocrats of the Century" can fall into this category. But to be fair, I think these two books are worse, not as good as this "Tumultuous Autumn"."< br>
"That's right. There must be a novel that reflects the reality of reform, right? The dwarf is the best at picking up generals."
Radar's words are profound.
That’s it!
Fang Minghua understood instantly.
No wonder this book won the award, which surprised many readers. Literary critic Hong Zhigang once commented on the lucky win of "The Turbulent Autumn": "If there is any deeper meaning to its award, it can only be outside literature. Apart from art."
"Actually, Minghua, the "Gang Zhi Qin" you wrote also belongs to reform literature, and its literary value is much better than this one. We discussed that book in our reading class at the beginning. The novel has been in the works for a long time, but it’s a pity that you had to give it up because you have won the Mao Dun Award twice in a row.”
This is not what Fang Minghua is thinking about now.
According to history, it is a sure thing that "The Autumn of Turmoil" won the award, and his objection alone will not have much effect. There is a politically correct meaning in this.
"Editor Lei, I also want to recommend a book for the jury to read." Fang Minghua said suddenly.
"Oh, which one?" Radar suddenly became interested.
"Alive" by Yu Hua
(End of this chapter)