I am a literary giant in Russia

Chapter 219 divides French literature into two paths (5k)

1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2. The earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

4. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

5. God called the light "day" and the darkness "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

—Genesis

In short, the reason why literary trends have undergone a series of changes is that literature itself has its own internal laws of development, and it is also affected by the development and changes of the times.

So why did Romanticism decline in France during this period?

First, there is the problem within Romanticism itself. Its characteristics, such as the promotion of personal emotions, the preference for historical legends, mysterious stories, exoticism, and the creation and glorification of heroic figures, have been overused in the past few decades. Many writers and readers have become tired of it and even disdain it. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new literary forms to revitalize literature.

Secondly, there are changes in the external environment. With the continuous development of society, the acceleration of urbanization, the sharp widening of the gap between the rich and the poor, and the rapid progress of science and technology, the public inevitably feels worried and panicked about such changes.

Faced with this increasingly intense and obvious reality, neither writers nor readers can ignore it. Writers yearn to legislate for the new reality and establish new social norms, while readers hope to find answers to life's questions.

From this perspective, Balzac was one of the first to reap the benefits of this.

In his early years, Balzac undoubtedly wanted to make a name for himself in the Romantic school, but the Romantic school was full of talented people, and Balzac lacked the talent to write poetry. After wasting a long time, Balzac had a flash of inspiration: "I will study this society and discover its laws!"

It is worth mentioning that the popularity of Balzac's novels in France during this period was clearly not due to any of the things later generations summarized, such as showcasing the face of French society, reflecting the rise of the bourgeoisie and the demise of the aristocracy. These unexpected successes were due to his genius insight.

Do ordinary Parisian readers read this kind of stuff?

Ordinary Parisian readers not only enjoy the captivating stories, but also, of course, study the insights into social laws that Balzac poured his heart and soul into.

Because of his entrepreneurial spirit, Balzac was constantly being cheated and swindled, and in turn, he cheated others. Because of his entrepreneurial spirit, Balzac was driven to desperation by money. Because of his entrepreneurial spirit, Balzac deeply understood the coldness and indifference of Parisian people and how to truly understand the city's dynamics, thus thriving there.
If he didn't possess genius-level insight, his books would resemble the French self-help literature of that era, since readers would always find popular topics of the time in his books, such as financial cashing out, stock investment, how to rise to power through women, how to make a fortune, and how to fall into the dust.

But with his genius and insight, Balzac profoundly exposed the evils of money in the capitalist world, its poisonous influence on interpersonal relationships, the inevitable decline of the aristocracy, and the inevitable rise of the bourgeoisie.
Of course, although Balzac made his protagonist make a fortune in the stock market in his novel, in reality Balzac lost almost everything in the stock market.

It's all just fantasy; Balzac was indulging in fantasy again in his novel.
Fortunately, by a stroke of luck, Balzac also became a founding figure in the realist literary movement.

The reason for mentioning these things is, of course, because Mikhail is almost at Balzac's residence, and along the way he has been thinking about what he should talk to Balzac about.

Out of consideration for social etiquette, Mikhail would certainly not mention his theatrical success or the favor of noblewomen, lest he be kicked out by Balzac.
However, although Mikhail didn't mention it, that didn't mean others wouldn't. Just like at this very moment in Balzac's home, Balzac was listening to his guests' discussion with a dark expression:
"It's been so long since I've seen him in social settings. His dramas are so successful, yet he hasn't been making many public appearances lately. It's really strange!"

"Yes, I heard that Mrs. Elsa misses him so much she's almost delirious! She even offered to sponsor him a large sum of money if he needed anything!"

"I never expected that his first public appearance in so long would be to visit Mr. Balzac. It seems he greatly admires Mr. Balzac."

Since Balzac was not a discreet person, he inadvertently revealed to an acquaintance that Mikhail was coming to visit him.

As a result, there were obviously many more guests visiting Balzac's house today.

At first, Balzac was pleased with the pomp and circumstance, but after hearing some discussions, his face grew increasingly dark.

Fortunately, at that moment, with a servant's announcement, a young man who looked quite different soon appeared in Balzac's living room.

It's worth mentioning that his strange outfit is no longer considered strange by many people in Paris today.

What's so strange? This is called genius and eccentricity! Not to mention, this outfit is actually quite good-looking. In short, this outfit seems to be gradually becoming a new fashion trend recently, and in order to distinguish it, Parisians have even given this outfit a unique name after Mikhail.

Recently, many people from high society and the literary world have been wearing this outfit on various occasions.

While others were already warmly greeting the young man, Balzac stared intently at Mikhail's face. After a while, Balzac couldn't help but curse inwardly, "So that's it! Parisian women are so superficial! I was no less than him when I was young!"

After he finished cursing, Mikhail had already greeted the others and walked up to him. Facing the freshly made, living Balzac, Mikhail excitedly extended his hand and said, "Mr. Balzac, it is an honor to meet you."

“It is also an honor to meet you, Mr. Mikhail.”

Although Balzac had mixed feelings upon meeting this Russian writer, whom he had never met but whose name he had always heard, he still greeted Mikhail politely, considering the young man's current fame and wealth in Paris.

"I heard you own a literary magazine. I once wanted to make a name for myself in that field, but unfortunately, I had bad luck and ended up with an unreliable partner. Maybe we'll have a chance to collaborate again sometime; opening a newspaper in Paris is a very lucrative business!"

Mikhail: “?”

Even if I were to open a newspaper, I wouldn't want to cooperate with you. What am I supposed to do if you pass on your bad luck to me?
"Please sit down, or you can take a look at the furniture and decorations in my room."

Although Balzac was indeed somewhat interested in Mikhail's money, it was Mikhail's first visit. After briefly mentioning it, hoping to pique the young man's interest and desire, Balzac invited Mikhail to sit down, while also proudly introducing his collection:
"Come and see, I have a lot of good stuff here."

Seeing that Balzac had said so, Mikhail did not refuse, but followed Balzac's directions.

Strictly speaking, Balzac's initial interest in collecting antiques during this period stemmed from his desire to furnish a luxurious house for his goddess, Madame Hanska. After all, Madame Hanska was not a frugal person; as a noblewoman, she was known for her extravagance and fondness for all sorts of valuable items.

But what if you want to collect antiques but don't have the money?

Balzac had a sudden inspiration and decided to buy all the random secondhand items he came across in the flea market, then claim that he had discovered an ancient master or an ancient masterpiece.

At that moment, when Balzac introduced Mikhail to his Sèvres vase, candlesticks that once belonged to the German emperor, portraits from the time of Louis XIV, and other antiques, Mikhail was simply watching for the spectacle, since he really knew nothing about antiques.

But when Balzac pointed to a piece of porcelain and solemnly introduced it, "Look, this is a precious piece of porcelain from China! It seems to have a very elegant name. The person who sold it to me said it's called Ru ware? I heard you are fluent in Chinese. Have you ever heard of this name?"

Mikhail: “???”

what?
Upon hearing the name, Mikhail was genuinely flustered, but ultimately, noticing Balzac's serious expression, he regained his composure and shook his head slightly, saying, "Never heard of it."

What if I mention hearing that I've been falsely accused of being a victim?
Mikhail certification?

As a guest, Mikhail obviously couldn't directly say to Balzac, "New, brand new, undisputedly new."

Finally, under Balzac's slightly disappointed gaze, Mikhail, who had already looked around the collection, sat down.

It's clear there was a reason why Balzac was so poor he was supposed to be thrown into the Seine.
Fortunately, the conversation became much more normal afterward. Balzac began to talk to Mikhail about literature and art, and while they were exchanging ideas, the others in the room were not idle either.

Some people occasionally chime in with their opinions, while others take notes on the conversation, seemingly trying to glean something from it. Still others listen attentively to the two exchanging views on literature, as well as related thoughts and techniques, hoping to discover the secrets of literature.

As the conversation deepened, Balzac involuntarily brought up Mikhail's writing style to date and some current trends in Parisian cultural circles:
"In my opinion, apart from your two science fiction novels, your other French novels and translated Russian novels all depict the current reality, and your perspective seems quite unique, directly focusing on the smallest group of people."

This reminds me of Eugène Sue's *The Secret of Paris*, which also depicts the lowest rungs of Parisian society, though your writing styles seem quite different.”

Balzac had read all of Mikhail's novels, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Given his current creative philosophy, he undoubtedly had a strong liking for Mikhail's novels, and at the same time, he also saw their unique qualities:

So plain, seemingly just a depiction of reality, yet why does it possess such great artistic tension?
So calm, without any intense emotional outburst, why is it so moving?

After all, even Balzac's works still retain traces of Romanticism in many places, such as the bizarre and convoluted plots, the dramatic characters, and the emotional outpourings.
In response to Balzac's words, Mikhail shook his head and said:
"To be frank, Eugène Sue's works undoubtedly expose the poverty, crime and injustice of the Parisian underclass, but his novels are full of overly dramatic coincidences, bizarre secrets of his past, exaggerated battles between good and evil, and simple binary oppositions. While they evoke the reader's emotions, they do not inspire deep thought."

Mr. Balzac, if we take your works as an example, although you also write about bizarre plots, your works are often underpinned by social dynamics and the laws of human nature; your revelations possess a more profound power.

"Oh? Isn't this way of writing good?"

Many of the things Mikhail just mentioned are undoubtedly the literary ideas and techniques popular in Romanticism, and this young man seems to have a critical meaning?
“I think it’s lacking, at least in its portrayal of the working class in Paris.”

Mikhail shook his head and continued, "Mr. Balzac, what was the reality like in Russia or Paris? In those extreme living conditions, there were no cries of grief and indignation, no intense emotions, and certainly no talk of the future. They were a group of people who lived for death."

Such a world didn't experience any major upheavals, and such a world ended like this: not with a thunderous roar, but with a mournful sob.

When Mikhail reached this point, some of those present who clung to certain beliefs couldn't help but speak up:
“Mr. Mikhail, but then where does the beauty and power of art come from? And how can we discover the beauty of art by focusing on these things?”

"Truth is power, truth is sublimity."

Mikhail glanced at everyone and continued, "Reality itself contains the beauty and power of art, and avoiding vulgarity, ugliness, and baseness is not the true face of the world. If we cannot see the world in its entirety, how can we discover true beauty in a flawed world?"

"It seems you have a new literary proposition?"

Balzac looked at Mikhail with a somewhat surprised expression.

"It's not entirely new; in fact, it's all already reflected in reality, both in Russia and in Paris. Based on my observations of Paris and its cultural circles, our era is undoubtedly undergoing tremendous changes, and the pace of literary innovation will far exceed that of the past."

Forgive my frankness, but I have seen far too many people in Paris dissatisfied with contemporary literature and art; Paris is undoubtedly brewing a new literary direction.”

At this point, Mikhail glanced at the crowd again. His tone wasn't intense, but it possessed an indescribable power throughout. His hand gestures, though small, were like Moses parting the Red Sea, paving the way for the future development of French literature:
"The inheritance and rebellion against the past have always existed in various fields. Today, some people are dissatisfied with literature's detachment from reality, its exaggerated emotions and moral indoctrination. They are increasingly turning their attention to the society that is undergoing dramatic changes, and to the ordinary people in this broad social context."

Some people are dissatisfied with the vulgarity of art, abhor its utilitarianism, and are unwilling to let art become a tool for moral education, political propaganda, and social maintenance. Instead, they look to a deeper level based on existing art.

There's no right or wrong, no opposition between the two; they might even merge. But broadly speaking, I think literature will have two main directions of development going forward. One is to go all the way to reality, pursuing a true, objective, and accurate reflection of contemporary social life, and giving full play to literature's influence and role in society.

Another approach delves deeper into art, pursuing "art for art's sake," shedding superfluous burdens and seeking a purer form of artistic beauty, where the form of art is its content. This doesn't mean art has no impact on reality, but rather that pure art should become the spiritual totem of the new era.

Due to time and occasion constraints, Mikhail could not elaborate as extensively as he would in a thesis, but even so, everyone present undoubtedly understood Mikhail's meaning and realized what he was trying to do.

For this reason, no one present could utter a sound for a while.

Is he trying to raise a brand new literary banner?
Moreover, judging from his words, he seems to have already fully thought out new literary and artistic concepts and new creative techniques.
That would be one thing, but why did he suddenly propose two different paths?!

Why doesn't he just come up with another one and make it a trinity?
And in the end, how come a Russian wants to draw two paths for French literature?!

Does he really think French literature will develop as he claims?!
What a courage!
(End of this chapter)