Chapter 490 Shining in Paris
The publication date of "Big Times" in Xiangjiang is exactly two days different from that in the mainland, both in early October.
Over the past few years, Lin Chaoyang has gained a group of loyal readers in Xiangjiang.
Although the size of these readers is not comparable to the audience of popular books such as martial arts novels and comics, the number is still considerable.
Among them are not only ordinary citizens, but also a large part of Xiangjiang’s elite.
Before the launch of "Big Times", Ming Pao Publishing House had been pre-heating for more than half a month on several of its own newspapers and periodicals.
As soon as the novel was released, many readers rushed into bookstores to buy the book and couldn't wait to take a sneak peek.
The story of "Big Era" mainly revolves around the stock market. The plot is more popular than Lin Chaoyang's previous novels, including the revenge of his father's murder, the love between children, and the ups and downs of the stock market...
Even readers who are not familiar with the stock market can easily read it and become addicted to it without knowing it. They are moved by the joys and sorrows of the characters and worried about the ups and downs of the story.
But everything has advantages and disadvantages. The easy-to-understand plot has won the love and support of some readers, but also disappointed some readers.
This type of readers basically have some common characteristics, and most of them come from elite backgrounds or have a high level of education.
Lin Chaoyang's favorite works are "The Death of Van Gogh", "The Ferry" and "The Truman Show".
They usually prefer to listen to distant cries for help but turn a blind eye to the suffering nearby.
They are not too interested in works such as "Guandong" and "Parasite".
Although "The Great Era" is highly popular, both the theme and the ideology are very localized and very close to the people.
For them, such works can be used for entertainment, but they really cannot bring any spiritual pleasure or spiritual baptism.
Therefore, a few days after "The Great Era" was released, the novel gradually formed two completely different reputations among readers in Xiangjiang.
Corresponding to this is the love and praise of most readers. In the eyes of these readers, Lin Chaoyang's profound insight into human nature displayed in "The Great Era" is extremely rare in the Hong Kong literary world.
Many people hate and love the villain Ding Xie in the novel. They hate him for his paranoia, selfishness, and ignorance, but they love Lin Chaoyang for his penetrating portrayal of this character.
He is shaped into a person who lives in his own world and has a set of absurd logic. He always thinks that he is right.
Even if his behavior brings great pain and disaster to others, it is still the fault of others.
The existence of Ding Xie is like a mirror. Such characters seem contradictory, but in reality they are everywhere.
In addition to the in-depth portrayal of human nature, the profound criticism of social reality in "The Great Era" is also unforgettable.
The gap between rich and poor and the solidification of classes depicted in the novel are only stronger than those in "Parasite". It may not make people feel as desperate as in "Parasite", but the injustices exposed are more confusing.
The poor rush into the wealth-making game of the stock market with their hard-earned money, thinking that they can realize their dream of getting rich overnight.
In fact, it just becomes fat on the chopping block of the rich and evil people. They easily extract these hard-earned money through fraud, manipulation and speculation without having to bear any legal consequences.
This cannot even be called a fraud, but an organized and premeditated social robbery.
These tragic depictions in "The Great Era" are not only aimed at being rich and unkind, but also criticizing the chaos in Hong Kong's financial market.
The reason why those rich and evil people dare to be so rampant, able to control the situation, harm countless investors, and seize huge wealth is ultimately because of the connivance, cover-up, and even conspiracy of corrupt officials.
Compared with the rich and evil people, those silverfish cloaked in hypocrisy are more abhorrent.
The hateful thing about these people is that the evil they do is all great evil, but their purpose is often just their own petty profit.
Of course, what the novel wants to express is not just a simple criticism of negative characters.
In Lin Chaoyang's writings, these people are just ants in the great era.
In the face of unpredictable fate, people are powerless to change anything.
Ding Xie thought he could change, but he jumped off the building; Long Chengbang thought he could change, but his life was miserable; Fang Zhanbo thought he could change, but lost the love of his life.
These characters are different but have the same fate, which gives the readers the strongest spiritual shock, and naturally wins the love of these readers.
The reading atmosphere in Xiangjiang society is not strong, especially for serious literary works. Whether it is on sale or discussed and evaluated, "The Great Era" was only limited to the readership group at the beginning.
The Hang Seng Index plummeted on October 19, and readers were unaware of the problem.
A week after the Hang Seng Index plummeted, the media exclaimed that the 1973 stock market crash was happening again. Some readers who played stocks themselves finally realized belatedly that the third stock market crash described in "The Great Era" seemed to be going in a different direction from reality. Conspiring together.
This discovery immediately excited them.
The news spread quickly, and then it was noticed by newspaper reporters.
After some investigation, I found that they were indeed somewhat similar.
These days, the stock market has affected the nerves of almost every citizen in Hong Kong. Even the dullest reporter will realize that this is likely to be another hot news.
In just two days, the "accurate predictions" in "The Great Era" appeared in newspapers of all sizes in Hong Kong.
Twenty or thirty newspapers reported one after another, and the articles were overwhelming. The popularity was even higher than when Xu Guanwen attacked the Free Association a dozen days ago.
With the help of media reports, "Big Times" came to the people of Xiangjiang in this way.
Affected by the skyrocketing Hang Seng Index over the past year, the number of stock investors in Xiangjiang now accounts for one-third of the total population.
If calculated on a family basis, the number of investors covers almost the entire city's population.
At present, the stock market crash is in full swing, and investors are in dire straits. The media suddenly exposed the "accurate prediction" of "The Great Era", and investors immediately flocked to it.
People flocked to bookstores on the streets and alleys to buy a copy of "The Great Era" to find out.
Lin Chaoyang has many readers in Xiangjiang, but the stockholder group is even larger. The public opinion attention brought by the news boom has even surpassed the stockholder group, and has become a cultural phenomenon of national concern.
Going to the bookstore to buy "The Great Era" has become the most fashionable thing among Hong Kong citizens in recent days.
The crowds of citizens crowded all the major bookstores in Hong Kong. The inventory of "The Great Era" lasted for less than two days before being emptied by the enthusiastic citizens.
Dong Qiao was crazy with joy these two days, arranging for the printing factory to print more copies day and night.
However, it always takes time to print, ship, and put it on the shelves. The bookshelf in the bookstore is still empty. Many citizens who heard about it cannot buy "The Great Era" and complained.
Such a scene actually increased the media's enthusiasm for reporting on "The Great Era" and citizens' enthusiasm for discussing "The Great Era".
In less than a week, the words "big era" can be heard everywhere in Hong Kong.
Since the news wave appeared, the sales volume of "The Great Era" has remained high for many days in a row, and readers are rushing to buy it with such enthusiasm that even the new work of Huang Yulang, the top figure in the Hong Kong comics industry, is hard to match.
It took less than four days to achieve the 100,000 copies that previously took a year or two for works such as "The Legend of Guandong" and "The Truman Show" to be sold, and sales are still soaring like a rocket.
150,000 copies, 200,000 copies, 300,000 copies...
Since the publication of purely literary works in Xiangjiang, there has never been such an exaggerated situation. It attracted the attention of the literary circles in Xiangjiang and at the same time, it fell into a state of envy and aphasia.
After the initial wave of news reports, reporters began to contact Lin Chaoyang in an attempt to interview him, but without exception they were unable to contact him.
These reporters did not give up and went to the gates of Lin's Pictures and Jiahui Garden in Mid-Levels to crouch down at Lin Chaoyang.
As a result, they stayed there for two days. They chatted with Tao Yumo who was yawning and about to go to work early that morning, and then got some bad news from her.
Lin Chaoyang went abroad two days ago!
This sudden news almost broke the hearts of the reporters who had been waiting for two days.
"You reporters are so ill-informed!"
Tao Yumo's ridicule was like arrogantly adding salt to the reporters' wounds, and the reporters' faces turned green.
However, adhering to the professionalism of journalists, someone still asked desperately: "Ms. Tao, is Lin Sheng going abroad for business this time? Or is it a vacation?"
"Why are you taking a vacation? Go and receive the award!" Tao Yumo said casually.
When the reporters who were originally frustrated heard her words, their eyes immediately brightened. With their sense of smell from being in the news all year round, they concluded that this award must be extraordinary.
Otherwise, who would go abroad to receive the award?
"Ms. Tao, can I ask Lin Sheng what award he is going to receive this time?"
"A literary award in France is called the Renaudeau Prize for Literature. Do you know?"
Faced with Tao Yumo's rhetorical questions, the reporters remained silent.
If you answer "I don't know" at this time, will it appear that everyone is ignorant?
"I know, I know! It's a very famous award in France!" A reporter cheered.
Tao Yumo clapped his hands, with a proud smile on his face, and praised: "You reporters know better. This is the second most literary award in France after the Prix Goncourt!"
The reporters were immediately surprised. He is so famous?
Fortunately, I didn’t say I didn’t know just now, which was almost embarrassing.
Fortunately, they immediately put aside the issue of face and asked about the specific details of Tao Yumo and Lin Chaoyang's award.
"No, no, I still have to go to work."
Tao Yumo said a few words to the reporters, suddenly glanced at his watch, and left in a panic despite the reporters' obstruction.
As soon as she left, the source of information was gone. The reporters stared at each other for a while, and then they split up to think of solutions.
"The Great Era" is now very popular, and the whole city is paying attention to the author Lin Chaoyang. Any news about him will enjoy the headlines.
What's more, according to Tao Yumo, the award he won this time seems to be quite unusual. They need to investigate carefully.
At the same time, France, Paris.
Paris in early November is already a scene of early winter.
The weather was gloomy and it looked like it was going to snow, adding a bit of chill. Lin Chaoyang stood at the window and admired the street view of Paris for a few minutes.
He landed in Paris yesterday afternoon. Clement Meteye, on behalf of Gallimard Publishing House, picked him up at the airport and arranged for him to stay at the Lenox Hotel next to the rue des Universités in Paris.
It is said to be a hotel, but the Lenox Hotel is not small in scale. It not only has accommodation business, but also has restaurants and bars.
According to Clement Meteille, the area where the Lenox Hotel is located is the Latin Quarter.
For more than a hundred years, this area has been called the "Literature Quarter" by Parisians, and countless writers, poets and cultural scholars have lived here.
“The Rulian who won the ‘Julian Award’ also lived here back then.”
This is the only connection that Clermont Meteille can find between the Latin Quarter and Lin Chaoyang. Stanislas Julien is a well-known French sinologist.
On his first night in Paris, Lin Chaoyang didn't sleep too well. He got up and rested at the window to relax for a while.
After washing and getting dressed, he went downstairs to have breakfast.
The breakfast at the hotel is very simple, just milk, coffee, baguettes, croissants, and jam.
The baguette was as hard as a rock, so Lin Chaoyang decisively chose the croissant.
But he escaped the baguette, but he didn't escape the coffee that was worse than a working man's life.
After a difficult breakfast, Lin Chaoyang sat in the lobby of the hotel waiting for someone. He was unfamiliar with Paris and needed a guide.
"The weather is nice today, it actually snowed." Not long after he waited, Clermont Meteye arrived.
"Lin, it looks like you slept well last night?"
“Not bad, it would be better if the breakfast could be richer.”
After chatting for a while, Clément Meteye added: "There are still more than two hours until the award ceremony, how about going for a drink?"
Lin Chaoyang:? ? ?
Is this what you French people feel like about relaxation?
"With weather like this, it would be a waste not to have a drink."
Seeing Lin Chaoyang's dissatisfied expression, Clement Meteye could only mumble and retracted his thoughts.
"Since you don't want to have a drink, let's go first. It's snowing outside and there may be a traffic jam."
When we left the hotel, there were snowflakes in the sky.
Leng Buding came to Paris in early winter from the warm Xiangjiang. Even though he was already wearing a down jacket, Lin Chaoyang still shrugged unaccustomedly and got into Clément Meteye's Chevrolet.
Clement Meteille was right, there was indeed a traffic jam on the way to Tuon's restaurant.
The Touron restaurant is located in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris. Clement Meteye's Chevrolet finally reached the intersection of the restaurant with great difficulty, and then it was difficult to move.
"There are too many cars on this street today. Let's walk there."
Clermont Meteille found a place to park his car and led Lin Chaoyang on foot to the door of Tuon Restaurant. The restaurant full of French style was decorated with a brand new look today.
France is a major literary country in Europe, with hundreds of literary awards being awarded and awarded every year.
Starting from August every year, literary awards events in Paris take place one after another.
November is the peak month, because several heavyweight literary awards in France will be awarded one after another at this time, so it is also called "Literary Award Month".
Today is the first Tuesday in November, and it is also the day when the Prix Goncourt and the Renaudeau Literary Prize are awarded simultaneously.
Not only that, the two awards were even awarded at the same restaurant and announced together.
The main purpose of the establishment of the Renaudeau Literary Prize was to make up for the shortcomings of the Goncourt Literary Prize, which can be regarded as a disguised form of popularity.
However, it was very successful. After half a century, it directly became the most influential literary award in France, second only to the Prix Goncourt in influence.
When Clement Meteye and Lin Chaoyang arrived at the restaurant, it was already crowded.
Two heavyweight literary awards were awarded at the same time. Today, the Toon restaurant can be said to be the most high-profile restaurant in Paris.
At this time, many Parisian people gathered in front of the Touon restaurant, most of whom were literature lovers.
Knowing that the Goncourt Literary Prize and the Renaudeau Literary Prize will be awarded today, I came here to see the excitement, which brought out a lively festival atmosphere.
In addition to these people watching the excitement, there were also reporters from major newspapers in Paris inside and outside the Toon restaurant.
and invited award-winning writers over the years, as well as editors, critics and jury members from major well-known publishing houses.
Before Lin Chaoyang entered the restaurant, he saw several faces with yellow skin and black hair at the door.
"Comrade Chaoyang!"
After Secretary Zhou's introduction, Zou Dai stepped forward and enthusiastically held Lin Chaoyang's hand.
China and France established diplomatic relations in the 1960s, and France is one of the five permanent members.
Zou Daishi was the envoy stationed in France and had the rank of minister, but seeing the smile on Lin Chaoyang's face was like seeing the leader coming.
There was certainly a reason why he was so happy.
Lin Chaoyang's winning of the Lenaudeau Literature Prize seems to be a personal matter, but in fact it is a testimony of cultural exchanges between China and France. This award also bears a share of his contribution to Zou Daishi.
There are two rounds of selection for the Renaudeau Literature Prize. When Lin Chaoyang entered the shortlist as early as September, the embassy had already received the news.
This is not because the embassy is well-informed, but because information is not transmitted smoothly these days.
The Renaudeau Literary Prize jury had to first contact the French cultural department, and then contact the China Literary and Art Association through the embassy in France before they could contact the author Lin Chaoyang.
More than a week ago, the results of the second round of the Renaudeau Literature Prize came out. After Lin Chaoyang was confirmed as the winner, the French Consulate in Guangzhou gave the green light to apply for a visa for Lin Chaoyang to go to France.
Yesterday, Secretary Zhou, who was staying at the embassy, went to the airport to pick him up. Originally, the embassy was planning to arrange for Lin Chaoyang's food and accommodation in Paris, but Gallimard Publishing House had already made arrangements, so Lin Chaoyang did not go with them.
"This is Reporter Nie from New H News Agency. This time I learned that Comrade Chaoyang has won this honor, so I came here specially from the UK."
Secretary Zhou introduced Lin Chaoyang to the square-faced middle-aged man wearing glasses.
Zou Daishi was concerned about the issue of food and accommodation, and then asked Lin Chaoyang how he felt now with a smile.
"I have won a lot of domestic awards, but this is my first time abroad, so I am very happy." Lin Chaoyang replied with a smile.
The few chatted for a while, then Zou Daishi and others walked into the Tu'ang restaurant surrounded by Lin Chaoyang.
As soon as they entered, they felt the eyes of many guests in the restaurant looking over.
The winner of the Renaudeau Literary Prize will not be announced in the media in advance, but the winner will be notified in advance. Therefore, after the results of the award are announced, it will no longer be a secret in the French literary world.
As everyone knows, this year's winner of the Renaudeau Literature Prize is a Chinese writer.
So as soon as Lin Chaoyang and others appeared, the reporters, guests and judges in the restaurant all knew that one of today's protagonists was here.
In the history of the Renaudeau Literary Prize, it is not uncommon for the award to be awarded to foreigners, but according to the original trajectory, it should be more than ten years later.
A group of French people watched with attention as Lin Chaoyang and others entered the restaurant, and wondered who the winner was.
It wasn't until Clermont Meteille introduced Lin Chaoyang to Christian Giudicelli, one of the judges of the Renaudot Literary Prize, that everyone suddenly understood.
The author of "The Truman Show" is actually such a young writer!
In the eyes of Europeans and Americans, Asians are inherently young in appearance, and Lin Chaoyang is indeed young. Many people present had a look of disbelief in their eyes.
In their imagination, a satirical novel with a strong sense of absurdity such as "The Truman Show" should be written by an old writer who is over fifty but still stubborn and unyielding to the secular world.
No one thought that the writer who created him turned out to be a college student.
Under the surprised gazes of everyone, Lin Chaoyang shook hands with the judges of the Renaudeau Literature Prize and greeted the judges of the Goncourt Literature Prize.
The judges of the Goncourt Literary Prize have a noble title - academicians.
The "Goncourt" of the Goncourt Literary Prize refers to Jules de Goncourt. He and his brother Edmond de Goncourt are both French naturalistic novelists.
Jules de Goncourt passed away in 1870. His brother Edmond de Goncourt was heartbroken and made a will. In order to commemorate his brother, he used the inheritance as a fund to establish the Goncourt Academy, the Goncourt Literary Prize. Selection Committee.
This is the origin of the so-called "academician".
It is worth mentioning that the first academicians of the Goncourt Academy were all friends of the Goncourt brothers, including Flaubert, Zola, Daudet and others.
Nowadays, any single person is a figure that literary youth worship.
Compared with the Goncourt Literary Prize, which was born with a silver spoon in its mouth, the Renaudeau Literary Prize seems much more grassroots.
The early members of the jury were all journalists and critics, because the creation of the Renaudeau Literary Prize itself was because a group of journalists and critics were bored waiting for the Goncourt Literary Prize, so they created their own award.
Since its birth, it has maintained a jury of 10 people, which has not changed over the years.
There are still journalists on the jury, but writers and critics are the mainstream. Most of the writers are winners of the Lenaudeau Literary Prize in the early years.
For example, Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, a fifty-year-old French writer, won the Renaudeau Prize for Literature as early as the 1960s with his debut novel "Proceedings."
Later in 2008, he also won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
The weather suddenly snowed, and the whole of Paris was shrouded in a dark sky, but the atmosphere in the Toon restaurant was relaxed and happy.
Whether it is the Goncourt Literary Prize or the Renaudeau Literary Prize, the winner has already been selected.
Today's process is to announce the award winners and have a meal at Tuon Restaurant by the way.
While Lin Chaoyang was chatting with the judges, today's other protagonist Tahar Ben Jaylen also appeared.
He won this year's Prix Goncourt for his work "Holy Night".
To be precise, it should be the Novel Prize of the Prix Goncourt.
The Goncourt Academy also selects the Goncourt Newcomer Prize, the Goncourt Novella Prize and other works every year, but it will not be awarded together with the Goncourt Literary Prize, but will be placed in September every year.
Tahar Ben Jaron is a Moroccan, over forty years old, with a big beard. Standing next to him, Lin Chaoyang looks even younger.
The judges of the Renaudeau Literary Prize were quite proud to see this situation, because one of the principles of the Renaudeau Literary Prize is to reward young writers.
Time passed unknowingly, and the atmosphere in Tuang's restaurant did not become serious because of the upcoming awards. It was still so casual. Even the judges had already sat down and were waiting to eat.
Accompanied by a crisp bell, it was not that awards were about to be presented, but that the waiter was preparing to serve the food.
The lunch menu of the Goncourt Literary Prize is fixed every year, with caviar, lobster and foie gras as a starter, roasted wild venison on a hot plate, followed by a variety of cheeses, and mille-feuille ice cream, coffee, chocolate and snacks for dessert. Sweet cakes and expensive table wines.
Logically speaking, even a rough estimate of such a meal would cost several hundred francs per person.
But when the jury was full of wine and dinner, the restaurant handed over the bill, which showed only two francs.
The price of the meal was incomprehensible, and the price of the wine was equally ridiculous. The wine was one franc per bottle, and the champagne was one and a half francs.
Of course, this is not because prices have suddenly depreciated hundreds of times, but because Tuon Restaurant has always maintained the price of meals at the time of the first Prix Goncourt in 1903, which has not changed to this day.
After lunch, the judges of the Goncourt Literary Prize announced the winning writers and works after a symbolic discussion.
Tahar Ben Jaron stood up from the table and took the symbolic 50-franc prize money from the hands of the chairman of the jury, Edmond Charles Roux.
In the early years, the prize money for the Goncourt Literary Prize was not so pitiful, with a total of 5,000 francs.
However, for the winner of the Goncourt Literary Prize, whether it is 50 francs or 5,000 francs, there is actually not much difference.
The benefits brought to them by the Goncourt Literary Prize far exceed the effects of those bonuses.
When the Goncourt Literary Prize is awarded, it will be the Renaudeau Literary Prize.
Unlike the Goncourt Literary Prize, where the academicians had to have a formal discussion over a meal, the Renaudeau Literary Prize directly announced the winner of this year's prize by the number one winner, Christian Giudicelli. .
"It is a stunning, thought-provoking classic with extraordinary artistic charm and profound ideological connotation.
Bold, innovative and fascinating, it deeply explores the themes of freedom, truth and courage with seemingly absurd settings, deeply touching the hearts of every reader.
It allows the gradually declining absurdist literature to shine over Paris again. It is - "The Truman Show"!
Let us congratulate Lin Chaoyang from China! ”
Christian Giudicelli's award speech was generous and powerful, full of inspirational power, and made the listeners' blood boil.
(End of chapter)