I am a literary giant in Russia

Chapter 175 Returning Home and Newspapers

On the day the ending of "Around the World in Eighty Days" caused a sensation in Paris, Turgenev and Belinsky went to a large café in Paris to drink coffee, read newspapers, and observe the reactions of readers of "Le Soir".

Generally speaking, people who frequent places like coffee shops are mostly well-off gentlemen or aristocrats with high aspirations. When faced with something surprising, they often prefer to show a calm or disdainful attitude in order to demonstrate their superiority.

Based on the past experiences of Turgenev and Belinsky, these people usually commented on Mikhail's novels, and although they read every issue, they rarely praised them.

However, on the very day the ending was announced, these gentlemen seemed no different from most people in Paris, some celebrating, some cheering. Even Turgenev and Belinsky couldn't resist ordering some other things and having a couple more drinks in such a lively atmosphere.

After this exceptionally lively day ended, Paris was undoubtedly abuzz for several days because of the novel "Around the World in Eighty Days." During these days, almost every magazine and newspaper in Paris, large and small, featured discussions and reviews of the novel, and many scientists and mathematicians emerged to verify the scientific phenomenon at the end.

Once they were certain that the explanation was indeed correct, many French scientists and astronomers, even though their professions were completely unrelated, genuinely wanted to meet and talk with the author of the work. After all, many things in the book were quite prophetic, as if the future were really going to be like that.

It is worth mentioning that France also made good progress in scientific research during this period, and many famous figures emerged. In 1845, French scientists Lyon Foucault and Hippolyte Fieso collaborated to successfully take the first photograph of the sun on April 2, clearly showing sunspots for the first time.

Meanwhile, Claude Bernard, the founder of modern experimental physiology, was conducting in-depth research on the liver's glycogen synthesis function, attempting to overturn the traditional understanding that "blood sugar comes only from food."

To be honest, Mikhail would rather meet and interact with the scientists of this era and the era to come than with emperors and generals. In a sense, they are the important founders of modern society, far more useful than nobles and ministers who climb the social ladder for their own and their families' benefit.

Of course, while interacting with these people, Mikhail was also happy to fund and invest in them. Some of them did not require any return, while others might even make a fortune by taking advantage of their success. Theoretically speaking, if Mikhail had lived a long enough and traveled to many places, he could have collected stamps with most of the famous scientists of the 19th century.

In this way, when future generations look back on the history of the 19th century, they may find that a single person was able to connect the entire 19th century.
Ahem, of course, that is, provided that Mikhail lives long enough and runs far enough.

So, getting back to the main point, aside from people in the scientific community, there were quite a few people who wanted to meet and talk with Mikhail. What surprised Turgenev even more was that many of them were not from the arts and literature circles, but rather powerful figures who actually held real power in France.

How could a novel cause such a huge reaction?

Unfortunately, Mikhail was not in Paris at the time, and after being at a loss for what to do for a while, Turgenev put aside other matters and focused on his literary work.

There wasn't much to say, really. The most important thing was signing a contract with Le Century magazine for the serialization rights to "Around the World in Eighty Days." Looking back now, Le Century really made a killing by signing the serialization rights for only 2.5 francs.

Although this price was initially ridiculed by most of the Parisian literary world as "a price only a madman would offer!", now everyone in the literary world knows that Les Châteaux earned several times more than that fee from this novel!
Therefore, although during the negotiations, Le Soir frequently complained about being broke, saying that printing and advertising costs were too high and that they didn't make much money after deducting these expenses, when Turgenev presented the offers and profit-sharing ratios of other publishers in Paris, even though the owner of Le Soir was in great pain and sighed for several days, he still ultimately offered a top-notch contract.

There's nothing we can do. Our competitors are a bunch of damned businessmen who act on impulse and don't care about the overall market environment at all, all for their own profits. They should be sent to the guillotine in Place Saint-Jacques!

While the owner of *The Century* newspaper vehemently berated his colleagues, he didn't forget to demand the exclusive rights to Mikhail's next novel from Turgenev. As for the price offered, amidst fierce competition from other newspapers, the owner of *The Century* was practically weeping again. Upon hearing this, Dumas exclaimed:
"After decades of hard work, I've only barely surpassed a young, inexperienced person!"

As for Professor Balzac, upon hearing the news, he paced back and forth anxiously, his eyes red. He couldn't help but say to Turgenev, "I want to write a letter to this gentleman. He'll be coming to Paris soon, right? That's wonderful! I happen to have a big business deal here, and without exaggeration, it's guaranteed to make money! And the return on investment is at least 500%!"
If he's interested, please write back to me as soon as possible. I don't easily tell anyone about such good news, and the reason I'm telling him is because I admire him so much.”

Turgenev: “?”

What kind of business is so profitable?
really?
Although somewhat hesitant, seeing Balzac's unwavering conviction, Turgenev ultimately accepted the letter and prepared to hand it over to Mikhail for a personal decision.

As for the signing of the single-volume contract, given the potential shown during the serialization period, Turgenev only waited a little while before obtaining a very good contract.

The publication of standalone editions should be done sooner rather than later, because in this day and age, plagiarism and piracy are rampant, especially international piracy, which is even more difficult to avoid and protect rights.

Almost all the popular writers of this period suffered from this problem. Among them, Balzac was a fierce advocate for intellectual property rights. Once, he saw a pirated copy of one of his novels in the window of a bookstore in the Royal Palace and immediately smashed the window. Thinking about it, it makes sense. Balzac was already being harassed by creditors every day, and it would be strange if someone were making a fortune by pirating his works.

Unfortunately, the printing of pirated books is an international business that is ultimately uncontrollable without international law. Belgium and the United States are the largest piracy countries because they use two of the most widely spoken literary languages. In fact, in these two countries, the governments have essentially taken the lead in protecting piracy, prioritizing the interests of their domestic printers over those of foreign authors and publishers.

In such cases, sometimes as soon as Balzac's work was published, neighboring Belgium would pirate it so much that not even his underwear was left. Another victim, Dickens, was even more helpless against piracy, so in 1842 he went to the United States and called for "mutual protection of copyright between Britain and the United States" at three banquets in Boston, Hartford and New York, emphasizing that piracy made writers "like being robbed and paraded through the streets."

In this context, Dickens, in his travelogue "The American Book," denounced the United States as a "rogue nation rife with piracy and spitting everywhere." However, quite abstractly, less than two weeks after the book's publication, it had already been pirated in the United States.

All I can say is that what Dickens wrote in the book was absolutely correct.
In short, whether it's a standalone book for France or one intended for sale in places like the UK, production has to be expedited to avoid losing business to piracy.

Meanwhile, after securing the publishing rights to Mikhail's next book, the newspaper "The Century" also eagerly inquired:
"So when will Mr. Mikhail release his new work? As far as I know, many publishers in Paris are already itching to get started. They're all recruiting new writers to write this novel and unique 'science fiction' novel, hoping to capitalize on this trend and make a killing. So Mr. Mikhail can't be slow either! Otherwise, the market will be snatched up by others!"

Could this so-called 'science fiction' really become a new genre of fiction, just as Mikhail suggested?
While Turgenev was shocked, although he hadn't actually heard from Mikhail about any plans for a new book, considering Mikhail's previous prolific output, Turgenev confidently replied to the owner of the *Chronicle* newspaper:
"Don't worry, Mikhail can write a novel like this in no time! I'll send it to you as soon as it's finished!"

The owner of the Century Newspaper: "?"

What a loud tone!
But thinking about it carefully, that Russian could probably attract a huge number of readers just by his name.

After resolving this matter, although Paris was still bustling with activity because of the novel, Turgenev was already preparing to return to Russia. He couldn't help it; he had certainly enjoyed himself here and had become a figure of considerable renown in Parisian literary circles.

However, bragging is often more enjoyable when done among acquaintances. As for something deeper, Turgenev knew very well that although he seemed to be a big shot in Paris, strictly speaking, it wasn't his own power. When Mikhail came to Paris in person, all the glory would shine on Mikhail.

It wasn't jealousy to speak of; Turgenev did indeed gain a lot in the process. However, if possible, Turgenev still hoped to make a name for himself in Russia and even other countries through his works.

Therefore, I really need to devote myself to writing for a while after I get back! Together with Mikhail!
Before even starting to write, Turgenev had already prepared his story, beginning with the following opening:
“When I first arrived, there were probably fewer than a hundred people in all of Paris who remembered Mikhail’s name, but after I left, half of Paris knew him!”

With such excitement, Turgenev packed his things within two days. Before leaving, he first went to talk to many gentlemen in Paris, especially those who had spoken rudely or even said many inappropriate things. Turgenev made a point of marking them and then took the initiative to approach them to mention the reactions to "Around the World in Eighty Days" and "My Uncle Jules".

Although Turgenev's purges were actually quite mild and not so humiliating as to leave people in a bad way, many gentlemen still seemed unable to bear it and turned away. However, their supposedly proud and stubborn figures were, in the eyes of most people, no different from slinking away in disgrace.

Many writers, on the other hand, eagerly inquired about Mikhail's background and his definition and views on 'science fiction' novels. Some even expressed a desire to become Mikhail's followers, hoping to learn from his creative philosophy and carry it forward.

In Paris, this is not unusual for writers who have made a name for themselves.

However, after looking at this man who had come for fame and fortune, and thinking about the students and others in St. Petersburg who wanted to surround Mikhail, Turgenev simply sighed, shook his head, and said, "You are still not loyal enough."

The writers in Paris: "?"

how?

There are many people in St. Petersburg who want to follow him, aren't there?
Turgenev simply smiled at the puzzled Parisians, offering no further explanation. After the cleanup was nearly complete and everything was prepared, he prepared to pack up, board the boat, and leave.

Before leaving, in addition to Belinsky asking Turgenev to convey his longing for Mikhail, many Parisians also asked Turgenev to convey their sincerest respect for Mikhail.

Once everything was ready, Turgenev boarded a ship bound for Russia. On the ship, while enjoying the sea view, he read the newspapers he planned to show his friends in St. Petersburg. These newspapers clearly showed the changing attitudes of Parisians towards Mikhail.
(End of this chapter)