Literary Master 1983

Chapter 311 The Parchment Scroll (Part 1)

He said, "I will give you the first part of Metro next month. It is an all-English novel, and I hope you can release it as soon as possible."

Do you need a lot of time?

"I desperately need time."

Carmen subsequently promoted Yuche's current achievements on several occasions, demanding that all Spanish-language writers stand with him.

Some people expressed fear and backed down because they thought the Chilean government would actually take action. They neither approved nor rejected Yuche's article; others were more excited and, led by Carmen, gathered in Barcelona, ​​Spain, publishing their support for Yuche in newspapers every day.

As for Yu Qie's own choice, it is undoubtedly shocking.

"The Pope" and "Big Mom" ​​Carmen reminded Yu Qie to keep a low profile every day, but Yu Qie became increasingly ruthless. He published several articles, each questioning the truth behind Neruda's death, and he even talked about the Bible with Archbishop Francis of Argentina.

Francis said, “Noah was a righteous man, a perfect man in his time. Because his character and morality were so perfect and he was fully approved by God, he was qualified to build the ark and save other mankind before the Great Flood.”

Upon reading Francis's words, Yu Qie said, "It seems that even God dislikes apathetic people. To survive, one must at least know how to build a large ship. Humanity has saved itself."

Francis did not take Yuche's recklessness to heart, but said, "Although I appreciate your sincerity, the Noah here is not you."

Yu Qieze said, "I don't think I am Noah either. Noah is dead. He is Neruda."

This exchange did not continue.

Francis was a trend-chasing priest. In his youth, he worked as a nightclub bodyguard, loved tango, football, and even played rock music. When he was spreading the gospel in the slums, he often used popular figures of the time as examples.

For example, he often uses an Argentine football team called "San Lorenzo" as an example.

So he has actually made many "troll" remarks about current celebrities, but it is rare for someone like Yu Qie to find him and reply so accurately after seeing the news.

Francis didn't understand why Yuche had replied to him, but Yuche knew that this Argentine priest, currently known as "Begorio," would one day become a proper pope. Francis was his future title.

The reason Yu Qie knew his real name was because when Francis died in his previous life, it caused quite a stir.

Because of his love for football, three Serie A matches were postponed in his honor, and giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona also posted messages of condolence.

Football superstars like Messi and Ronaldo also posted messages to remember him. Anyone who watches football would hardly be unfamiliar with this crossover pope who was active in the football world.

Francis once argued heatedly about whether Messi should be called the God of Football, because Messi is his favorite star, while God is a name he cannot mention. Francis was caught in a dilemma, like an overclocked CPU... This scene made fans from the past laugh!
The TV presenter clearly pronounced the man's difficult-to-pronounce name, "Jorge Mario Bergoglio," and Yu Qie remembered the name.

Things are improving, and Paris has begun reporting on the matter.

Mario Vargas Llosa, who was "top of his class," spoke to AFP in Paris about his experience of being "blacklisted" when he was young.

“Back in 1963, I was just a nobody. I wrote a book called ‘Cities and Dogs,’ which angered the Peruvian authorities. The book was banned nationwide, and they even threatened to revoke my citizenship… I wrote articles to rant about it while fleeing to Spain. But now, twenty years later, it has become part of my illustrious resume.”

Vargas Llosa came to Paris to promote his new book, "Who is the Murderer?", which also criticizes the warlord government. He was once persecuted and forced to flee to Europe, but now he is a member of parliament and is preparing to run for president.

"Where are those big shots from back then? They've either been executed or are in prison for life, while I'm still here, and I'll live a good life from now on."

"The world is fair, but many people won't make it to that point."

At this point, Vargas Llosa remarked with deep emotion, "I believe that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. I am on that path."

Paris, as a mecca for literary youth, once gathered a large number of Latin American writers in the 1960s; if it weren't for figures like Carmen, who caused the literary center to temporarily shift to Barcelona, ​​Paris would have continued to maintain its status as a literary mecca.

The AFP reporter was quite knowledgeable, and they went on to discuss writers such as Neruda, Vargas Llosa, and even Márquez... The reporter couldn't help but say, "Red flags used to fly everywhere in France. I don't know if I started paying attention to his books because of news about Neruda, or because of his books that I started paying attention to his ambitions."

"Although my beliefs have changed, I am still moved by their conscience."

Vargas Llosa nodded and said, “Yes, that’s exactly what writers need. I’ve always believed that writers must be deeply involved in the world and influence history, otherwise they cannot be called great writers! Of course, their literary skills must first be superb.”

"Neither of these two things can be omitted!"

"Is it like you wrote 'The Green House'? Is it like you wrote 'Talk in the Cathedral'?" the reporter asked.

Vargas Llosa then burst into laughter. "Yes, first and foremost, we can't lag behind in literature! I've talked a lot about things outside of novels, but you all need to understand that writers still need their novels to speak for themselves."

"The Green House" and "Conversation in the Cathedral" are both representative works of Vargas Llosa's career. They helped him become the "fourth greatest writer in Latin American literature," and today Vargas Llosa is widely regarded as a candidate for the Nobel Prize.

Vargas Llosa's interview represents a common view among contemporary writers: you need to be able to write novels, and you also need to have a compelling story; AFP believes this is the threshold for a writer to become a literary giant.

When people talk about you, they have a unique story that everyone can remember.

The great writers of the past often have fascinating stories to tell. Even if readers haven't read a single one of their books, they can still know that "Gabriel García Márquez was instrumental in the investigation of the massacre," "Lu Xun contributed to the enlightenment of the people," "Hemingway was a tough guy who wrote standing up," and "Kawabata Yasunari was very good at writing about women"...

From this perspective, the more dangerous Yu is now, the greater the benefits he will receive in the future. It's not just local South American media paying attention to this "rising star of the East"; there are also sporadic reports from North American and European media outlets.

Yu Qie himself constitutes a huge story, and the longer he persists there, the more people will pay attention to him.

However, AFP remained concerned in its subsequent reports, mentioning a Spanish poet named Lorca, a friend of Neruda, who had suffered from severe depression due to being censored and was indeed eventually shot dead.

What if Yu Qie gets killed?
No legends are useful anymore.

After Time magazine reported on the incident, the Asahi Shimbun, located in Japan, also couldn't help but report on what happened in Colombia. Kenzaburo Oe wrote in his column:
“We believe that the Japanese possess a certain element of mono no aware, which originated from a book called The Tale of Genji, written between 1001 and 1008. Since then, countless writers have been influenced by it, and ‘mono no aware’ has become a symbolic aspect of our culture.”

"Mount Fuji, trains, music... regardless of the era, whether natural or man-made, they are all inevitably tinged with a romantic sorrow. Who caused this? Murasaki Shikibu (the author of *The Tale of Genji*)! Her personal emotional connection, a thousand years later, has become one of the impressions of a nation!" "And I have imagined who has such power to etch their own private feelings into the image of the mighty China, but there are too many people in that hall... it's hard to summarize in a few words. What I can be sure of is that that hall can still accommodate new members now."

Basically, most people believe that Kenzaburo Oe was referring to Yokiri. This is because he is a well-known Yokiri fan in Japan, and he himself attempted to write "nuclear literature" but ultimately failed, thus further reinforcing his admiration for Yokiri.

Kenzaburo Oe's concept of "nuclear literature" is most likely a thoroughly tragic form of literature.

What Yu Qie is about to write will most likely be a novel about overthrowing the world. After all, the place where he grew up taught him that even if the world is destroyed, it's not scary; at worst, everyone can start over together.

Iwanami Shoten published a Japanese version of "2666". Among the various editions of "2666" published this year, this one is exceptionally well-designed.

The book opens with an illustration of a revolver, which is Yu Qie's "The Gun of Colombia." On the last page, when the book concludes with "Márquez eventually discovers the truth," the illustration is of a pen writing on a parchment scroll.

This connects the novel itself with Yu Qie's current experiences.

The readers of Yuqie's book are burning with their inner chuunibyou (adolescent delusions of grandeur). They believe that the Akutagawa Prize selection that year was the fairest in recent years because no one else could compare to Yuqie.

“Those people bought houses and speculated on land in Tokyo after receiving the prize money, while Mr. Yu was fighting against Chilean warlords. He was the only foreigner to win the prize, but he did not win the prize because he was a foreigner.”

"If Mr. Ryunosuke Akutagawa were still alive, he would be delighted to receive this award."

Japanese author Haruki Murakami was living on the Greek island of Mykonos when he wrote "Norwegian Wood," a story that repeatedly mentions the Austrian writer Franz Kafka.

Kafka was a famous melancholic writer who died young. His works often feature themes of despair and isolation.

The place where Haruki Murakami is now is often covered in heavy snow, and he has little money, so he can only occasionally go to bars to drown his sorrows and lives in a very remote little hotel.

And what about his novel, "Norwegian Wood"?
This is a very "Japanese" story overall. The protagonist of this novel escapes the world and only wants to live his own quiet life. When faced with difficulties, his way of coping is to fall in love with women. In short, it can be described as "open-minded."

But this is also why "Norwegian Wood" later became popular among literary and artistic youths. Everyone has moments when they want to escape.

At this time, the first draft of "Norwegian Wood" was completed, and Haruki Murakami was very satisfied with the novel, preparing to stay in Greece for a while longer. However, when he saw the news in the newspaper that "Yuche is in Colombia," a huge shock hit him like a storm, making him immediately reflect on the merits and demerits of his novel.

He felt the novel was too tragic.

This often features melancholic writers like Kafka, which is certainly appealing to literary youth. However, in reality, there are also figures like Yu Qie, who shine like the sun.

He plays football, shoots guns, plays bridge... He is energetic and extremely competitive.

He is also popular among artsy young people.

Moreover, Yu Qie is not like Kafka, the writer who lived in the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the last century. Yu Qie is a foreign friend who has spoken to him and met him. He is a living person! And now he is living more and more like the characters in those stories, which has given Haruki Murakami a lasting shock.

Therefore, in a letter he sent back to his country, he told his editor: "I should add another element representing hope and strength to the novel, in addition to Mr. Kafka. He does not appear often, but he should exist."

"When we're at our wits' end, we suddenly remember this person who says: 'Friend, it's not a big deal, get up!'"

The editor, of course, advised him against making a fuss: "This novel is inherently depressing; where does the hope and strength come from? And who can represent it? A well-known and respected foreign celebrity writer?"

"I'll cut it off!"

After a moment of silence, the editor agreed to his idea.

In early September, Colombia was hit by torrential rains. A typhoon brushed past the Colombian coast, bringing large amounts of soft drinks that caused severe flooding in a small city in northern Colombia, making post-disaster reconstruction urgently needed.

When Márquez learned of this, he came here.

The city is Aracataca, a small place, and it's Márquez's hometown. He lived there throughout his childhood. Márquez loved Aracataca as much as he loved Wanxian, and Aracataca reciprocated with the utmost respect.

In this era of economic recession, the local government invested heavily in building a museum for Márquez and restoring the place where he once lived. Márquez's return here was like a lord returning to his estate; the diminutive figure was a living literary king. Everyone affectionately called out Márquez's name.

He saw his former neighbor, his brother-in-law, his childhood teacher, and the town's police chief.

Few people know about this place, but Márquez couldn't resist promoting it.

he loves her.

The Colombian local newspaper, Il Observer, interviewed Márquez:
If you had to describe your feelings about your hometown in one sentence, what would you choose?

"I think this place is very special, both magical and ordinary: it is so fleeting, like a premonition; yet so eternal, like the reappearance of some forgotten scene. It is less a place and more an atmosphere. It exists in every corner, but not entirely in any one place."

This statement might confuse most people, but the reporter understood it and asked, "Are you referring to a place like Macondo?"

Macondo is a town in One Hundred Years of Solitude, a place that only appears in a prophetic parchment. Three thousand people died there, and when the protagonist of the story returned to Macondo after escaping the massacre, he found the people numb, saying, "Nothing happened here."

Moreover, at the end of "One Hundred Years of Solitude," the town of Macondo becomes a mirage, blown away by a strong wind and completely disappearing from the world.

The massacre was, of course, also buried in the parchment scroll.

Márquez nodded: "Sometimes I feel that Aracataca is Macondo. People say I'm writing about Colombia, or the whole of Latin America, but actually I just wanted to write about my hometown at first."

The reporter stared at him blankly.

Suddenly, Márquez had a premonition. The typhoon had passed, but the howling winds outside the house still lingered. In a way, Márquez sensed something.

(End of this chapter)