British writer

Chapter 296 Great Writer——Lu

Two weeks later.

early morning.

Watkins Bookstore.

As the earliest independent bookstore established in London, it is elegantly decorated and has a complete range of books, even surpassing the libraries of many universities.

Picasso came over carrying painting supplies,

With Mondrian at his side.

According to reliable sources, today is the day when the English version of "Lord of the Flies" is released, and bookstores will be full.

The two came for inspiration.

The morning mist is like a veil, covering the storefronts on both sides of the street.

The sun shines through the fog, forming a soft halo, rendering the world into a hazy scene.

Picasso found a corner to place his easel and said at the same time: "This time I am going to sketch..."

Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Mondrian.

"Wait! Aren't you here to observe the mood of crowds of people? 'Sketching' is the right word?"

Sketching is a way of painting that uses real objects or scenery as objects.

When it comes to painting people, I rarely say that.

Picasso spread his hands,

"Can the people we painted be called human beings? Their facial features are all misplaced, so it's not wrong to call them 'sketches from life'."

"Ah this..."

Mondrian felt there was a problem;

But I can't tell exactly where the problem lies.

He helped to prepare the painting tools and changed the subject: "Have you read those two books by Mr. Gauguin?"

Picasso nodded,

"I read more than a dozen pages, but didn't buy it."

As painters, they could not quite understand Gauguin's feelings.

Both of them were educated in majors. They received painting education since childhood and aspired to engage in related work. They couldn't figure out the thinking of people who became monks halfway.

not to mention……

"Those two are not good books."

Picasso said: "Reading it makes me dizzy."

Mondrian sighed,

"Me too. However, I still bought one copy of each, just as a souvenir."

Picasso thought for a while,

"Well, I'll buy one too."

They had met Gauguin when he came to London and knew that Gauguin was in very poor health.

"Alas..."×2

They sighed in unison.

The sun is getting higher,

More and more people are blocking the door of Watkins Bookstore.

They were all queuing up to buy Lord of the Flies.

Discussions arose everywhere,

"I heard that this book has the same theme as "Hunting" and "Lolita"."

"It can only be said to be similar."

"Have you read it?"

"No. But I have a relative who teaches medicine in Japan and mentioned the general content of the novel when he wrote."

"Hurry up and tell me...forget it, forget it, I don't want to be spoiled!"

…

Crowded with people,

The streets were noisy.

Occasionally a carriage would pass by, but when seeing this scene, they could only take a detour.

Picasso looked at the crowd and began to compose the picture.

At the same time, he murmured to himself: "I decided to name this painting "Overcrowded Watkins Bookstore"..."

Mondrian leaned over curiously and stared at it for a few minutes before being speechless.

What Picasso painted was not a bookstore at all!

His delicate brushstrokes seem to depict the scene of the end of the world,

In the center of the picture, a group of human beings are besieging a lonely castle, their figures twisted like zombies.

Because it is cubism, the time and space of the painting are very confusing:

The stone walls of part of that besieged castle were strong and stable;

Another place suffered severe damage;

Some walls collapsed, and the smell of war and death filled the air.

The picture is full of movement.

Mondrian said: "The name "The Overcrowded Watkins Bookstore" is too common. It should be called "When Lu's New Book is Released"."

Picasso's pen paused,

"Okay, okay! You know how to flatter Sir Lu~"

Mondrian rolled his eyes at the other party,

"Can things about painters be called flattering? I only seek truth from facts! Other writers releasing new books are not so spectacular."

Picasso laughed,

"That's true. At the moment, it seems that it's really not... open. Let's go in and join in the fun."

The two hurriedly packed up.

After so much trouble, the pace is half a beat slower than others.

When we entered the store again, the mountain of "Lord of the Flies" was surrounded by a larger mountain of people with a wider area.

If you look down from above, it looks like a figure:

⊙.

The two tried to squeeze in,

Of course it failed.

At this time, people at the innermost level of the circle had already started buying books.

At the same time, there was also a shouting match.

"Shiit! How many copies did you buy?"

"What? Who said one person can't buy more than one person?"

"I think you want to be beaten!"

…

There was a lot of noise and a lot of noise.

Mondrian asked in a low voice: "What should we do?"

Picasso spread his hands,

"Forget it, don't buy it yet. If it doesn't work out, I'll ask Nijiati for help. He is Sir Lu's most trusted student, so he should be able to get the book."

Mondrian understood,

Picasso and Nikolic were both Spaniards and had known each other for a long time.

He asked again: "Shall we go?"

Picasso shook his head,

"It's rare to have such a good opportunity to collect materials. I have to completely figure out the composition of "The Great Writer - Lu, when the new book is released"."

This meow is a flatterer!

Mondrian was speechless for a while.

"Okay, okay! This is how you play, right?"

"Hey~"

Picasso acted cute and then chose a relatively quiet location.

The two began to play with the easels again.

In the past, the bookstore staff would have kicked them out.

Because the paint may contaminate the book.

But now that Picasso is so famous, if Watkins Bookstore can be the background of his paintings, it will only make a profit.

In order to further his fame, there is even a check signed by him framed on the wall of the bookstore.

Mondrian asked: "Is the composition not finished yet?"

Picasso waved his hand,

"No. I don't think it's full enough."

He continued with his pencil,

This time, more and more complex images were added,

On the deserted land around the castle, stacks of books were stacked irregularly, some were shrouded in thick smoke, and some were burning.

Although the picture is chaotic, there is a different kind of order.

Mondrian was a little irritated,

Just looking at this painting, he has realized that his friend's painting skills are constantly improving.

Cubism has also become more and more perfect and will definitely leave a mark in the history of art in the future.

He knows that he shouldn't be jealous,

But after seeing this scene, I still felt an indescribable and unclear feeling in my heart.

He stood up,

"I walked around."

Picasso said "Huh?"

"Don't you want to take a look at my complete composition? We can communicate."

Mondrian waved his hand,

"Let's talk about it after you finish."

After saying that, he stopped talking nonsense and wandered around the bookstore.

For some reason, after what had just happened, he suddenly understood the contents of Gauguin's "Whispers of an Art Apprentice".

He followed his memory and found the autobiography bookshelf.

As it turned out, the book wasn't there.

He was a little surprised and asked the staff next to him: "Hello, where have Mr. Gauguin's books been moved? It would be too utilitarian to just throw them back into the warehouse because the sales were so poor. At least, put a few copies outside. .”

He outputs like a barrage of words.

The staff spoke several times but were interrupted.

Finally, while Mondrian was taking a breather, he took advantage of every opportunity and said: "It's not taken away! It's all out!"

Mondrian was confused,

"Where?"

The staff pointed.

Looking along his fingertips,

In the hall, a hill is also piled up in the same place as "Lord of the Flies".

The geographical location of this book mountain is also very advantageous, but its popularity was completely sucked by "Lord of the Flies", and there are no readers at all.

There is also a promotional sign next to the book mountain.

Mondrian squinted to read,

"'The Moon and Sixpence', a new book by the great writer Lu, is on sale.' This is... Sir Lu's new book? Why don't you promote it?"

The staff shook their heads,

"This is a request from the publisher."

What other big-name publisher could make demands of Watkins Books?

Mondrian became even more curious. He went over to pick up a copy of "The Moon and Sixpence" and saw that the publisher was the Royal Publishing House, and he suddenly realized it.

Presumably Editor-in-Chief Wood did this deliberately.

Because although "Mirror" has established an independent publishing department, it has only issued some bound volumes.

Just like "The Lord of the Rings."

This is the first time that "Lord of the Flies" has been released as an independent novel.

Wood's low profile is equivalent to saving face when selling Lu.

And because the author of both books is Lu, it can also avoid fighting over publicity and publication, and avoid internal friction.

Another very important point is that Wood must have full confidence in "The Moon and Sixpence" and believed that even if it is not announced, it will not be weaker than "Lord of the Flies".

Mondrian opened the novel,

The protagonist is highlighted at the beginning:

"Needless to say, when I first met Charles Strickland, I saw nothing special about him."

Moreover, what is interesting is that "I" is listed with Strickland and many famous artists.

Diego Velazquez,

Born in Seville, he was a great Spanish painter in the late Renaissance and had a great influence on Impressionism;

Al Greco,

Born in Greece, Spanish Renaissance painter, sculptor, and architect;

El Greco,

Born in Crete, Greece, painter, sculptor and architect;

…

Mondrian was naturally familiar with these people.

But the general public probably hasn’t heard much about it.

When Sir Lu was writing, he obviously did his homework.

Mondrian couldn't help but worry,

Will Sir Lu's writing in this way raise the reading threshold because he is too professional and break the myth of his best-selling author?

He continued reading,

Frankly speaking, the first two chapters are a bit boring;

From the perspective of "me", it tells the story of Strickland's boring life as a financial practitioner.

Mondrian read a little irritably,

But soon, an idea popped into his mind:

Sir Lu wrote this deliberately!

He had a premonition that as he continued reading, the plot and text of the novel would become more exciting.

Things were not unexpected,

From the moment Strickland moves to Paris, the atmosphere of the entire novel changes, as if the author's mood is also ups and downs with Strickland, escaping from boredom.

Mondrian smiled knowingly,

Sir Lu really likes to play this kind of trick,

The same goes for "Lolita", which uses changes in style to reveal Humbert's changes in mood before and after seeing Lolita.

Of course, "Lolita" plays a bit more boldly.

After reading the third chapter, Mondrian could already guess the subsequent development.

A story about a smooth and dull middle-aged man who suddenly gave up his comfortable life and ran away to pursue the hazy moon.

He picked up the book and walked to Picasso,

"Pablo, look!"

Picasso was also addicted to painting,

"Wait! It's about to end here."

Mondrian went to admire it,

The composition has a little more content,

Those "zombie" seemed to be divided into two groups,

A group of people charge forward stiffly and dynamically, as if you can hear the roar reverberating in the air, which is horrifying;

The other group was the defenders. They fought hard on the castle and shot deadly arrows.

Mondrian almost laughed out loud,

Zombies fighting zombies?

Isn't this what those people who rushed to buy "Lord of the Flies" looked like?

Those in the outer circle want to squeeze in;

Those in the inner circle were stuck in their positions, trying not to let those in the outer circle squeeze in, and wanted to buy dozens of copies alone.

When I got in the car, I was ready to weld the door shut.

The painting is really vivid!

After a while,

"Done!"

Picasso put down his pencil and said somewhat proudly: "How was it?"

Mondrian nodded approvingly,

"Excellent painting. Even the harshest critic would find it difficult to find fault."

Picasso showed a sly smile,

"Even if they are nitpicking, I will pay them off."

grass!

Ten thousand grass-mud horses galloped through Mondrian's heart.

He waved his hand,

"Okay, I won't listen to your business advice."

As he said that, he handed over "The Moon and Sixpence\

,""Look at this."

Picasso only glanced at the author column and showed an expression of great surprise. He immediately grabbed the novel and read it carefully.

As both a painter, his concerns were very similar to those of Mondrian, and the more he read, the more obsessed he became.

I do not know how long it has been,

"Gu Gu Gu Gu..."

Picasso's stomach growled.

Only then did he look up and found that it was already lunch time.

He asked, "Where is this book?"

Mondrian nodded toward the hall and replied: "The other side of the pile of books from Lord of the Flies."

Looking around,

There are no shortage of readers of "Lord of the Flies";

There are three floors inside and three floors outside, surrounded by stacks of books.

There is still not a single reader of The Moon and Sixpence.

They are all works by Lu, and their experiences are very different.

Picasso muttered: "Irony."

Mondrian nodded in agreement,

"I think so."

Then, he changed the topic to the novel and asked the other party: "What do you think of this novel?"

Picasso said: "It will become an immortal masterpiece. Of course, literature and art are very subjective. Didn't Sir Lu said, 'Everyone has their own preferences for radish and green vegetables'. Maybe some people prefer the Childlike Trilogy. I That’s understandable.”

Mondrian frowned,

"can you?"

Picasso smiled and nodded,

"Of course. Because most people don't feel that way."

He weighed "The Moon and Sixpence\

,""Try to imagine that you are a person who doesn't like studying, doesn't like exams, doesn't like papers. But you have to study hard and go to college just to choose a major that you don't like, just to make ends meet. And then , you married another wife who is as plain as water..."

At this point, Picasso fell silent.

Mondrian didn't respond.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Silence lay between the two of them.

Picasso said: "The first two chapters of the novel are about such a thing. Sir Lu is very cunning and deliberately controls the language to make it dull and boring... By the way, I don't believe that Sir Lu can't write it based on his level. It has to be fascinating.”

Mondrian nodded,

"Agree."

Picasso continued: "The turning point of this novel is that note. Who would have thought that a 'normal' person would leave a note saying 'Dinner is ready' and then abandon his family and go painting. ?”

The two looked at each other and smiled tacitly.

Perhaps, in the eyes of ordinary people, this is a complete selfishness, wearing the cloak of "pursuing art" and doing morally corrupt things.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Strickland has lost his moral character;

Look at what he did,

Abandoning wife and son,

Green friends who support me in pursuing art,

He also abandoned his friend’s wife,

…

Every piece of it is really disgusting.

but,

"That's not a problem for Lu."

Picasso said: "With Humbert from "Lolita" pressing in front, "The Moon and Sixpence" just created a great bastard, basically... Hahaha! By the way, maybe three childlike parts Together with this book, the song will become a moral tetralogy.”

Mondrian was also amused,

"That should be called 'Amoral Quartet' instead."

"Hahaha!"

Picasso laughed out loud.

Fortunately, those readers are still hanging around "Lord of the Flies" and making even more noise.

He suppressed his smile,

"Speaking of the name change, I think this painting needs to be changed again. It should be called "The Great Writer - Lu, When the New Book is Released (Part 1)"."

Mondrian immediately understood the other party's intention.

"You are preparing to create a series of paintings."

Picasso said solemnly: "The ready-made subject matter is right in front of you. It is rare to find it."

He cast his gaze in the direction of the book mountain of "The Moon and Sixpence", then closed his eyes and thought for a while, imagining it in his mind.

After that, he changed to another piece of paper and picked up the pen.

Just ten minutes,

A big tree stands alone, its branches and leaves either stretched or curled, as if it contains vitality.

Under the big tree, there were stacks of books.

On the thick tree trunk, there is a strange human face painted.

The face was ordinary, even a little mediocre, but Mondrian could still easily identify the owner of that face from the brows and eyes——

Paul Gauguin.

Mondrian said "hmm" and said: "Obviously, "The Moon and Sixpence" is based on Mr. Gauguin."

Picasso frowned and stared at the painting, seeming to be deep in thought.

Seeing his expression, Mondrian quickly explained: "I'm not just guessing, I have evidence. Look over there, "The Moon and Sixpence" is placed together with "Whispers of an Art Apprentice" and "Before and After" For sale. Moreover, the 'I' in "The Moon and Sixpence" can understand the psychological activities of the protagonist Strickland. In contrast, there is a lot of content in Mr. Gauguin's autobiography "Whispers of an Art Apprentice" Overlap.”

Picasso waved his hand,

"I know. I didn't doubt your statement, I was just thinking..."

He thought for a while again,

"Did Mr. Gauguin's two books have very few first printings?"

Mondrian nodded,

"Of course not. The editors are not stupid. Can they not see what kind of books will be slow to sell? Moreover, if the sales of those two books cannot increase, they will definitely not be printed."

As soon as he finished speaking,

Clang——

Picasso kicked down his stool and stood up.

Mondrian was confused,

"What are you doing?"

Picasso said: "I'm going to buy all "Whispers of an Art Apprentice" and "Before and After"! You can help me put away my painting supplies."

Mondrian was also a smart man and understood immediately.

"You're not afraid of losing money if you invest like this...well...you really don't have to worry. Anyway, you're the one who writes checks, and they won't cash them."

Picasso rolled his eyes at his friend,

"You think I'm stupid after selling so many books and not paying back? My face isn't that easy to use."

Mondrian added: "Aren't you worried about additional printing?"

Picasso shook his head,

"So what if it's reprinted? You can't help but know how valuable the first edition is. More generally, it's the Royal Publishing House."

He stopped talking nonsense and arranged: "Don't ask too much, as long as I make a profit, I will definitely give you 20%. Of course~ I may not be able to sell it."

Mondrian was speechless;

This good friend of mine really has the characteristics of both an artist and a speculator.

He asked: "Why are you packing your things? You don't want to paint anymore?"

Picasso said: "Now that the composition is done, it's time to put on the canvas. There's no need to stay here any longer. Why not go to another bookstore and sweep up both of Mr. Gauguin's books. Let's go!"