British writer

Chapter 300 Stupid adults~

The next day, evening.

Lu Shi took the train from Cambridge back to London.

He first returned to his official residence on Palace Street, put down his luggage, then went out and took a carriage to the Royal Opera House to attend the premiere of "Lolita".

"Lolita" seemed to be more popular than "The Hunt" when it was first performed,

There were more people gathered outside the theater, mostly gentlemen.

They were all discussing the plot animatedly,

"You've read the novel, right? Which version?"

"Hey, which version can it be? Of course it's the undeleted...ahem...the handwritten version~"

"Wonderful, right?"

"More than just wonderful? It's simply wonderful! But for sure, the drama won't be too outrageous. So, I came here with the mentality of appreciating art. You know, it's hard to get tickets, but I'm bleeding a lot."

…

Lu Shi wanted to laugh when he heard this.

secret passage,

Ha, man.

It is true that the tickets for the premiere of "Lolita" were all sold by scalpers.

Despite the Royal Opera House's strict inspections and even jailing a large number of people, it was unable to curb ticket prices.

Lu Shi separated everyone and walked towards the door.

Along the way, many people recognized him and greeted him warmly. He kept saying hello.

Lu Shi came in.

Zena immediately came to greet her,

"Professor Lu!"

She lowered her voice,

"His Majesty the King and Her Royal Highness the Princess are in the first box. However, I'm afraid you can't go there because the Holy See of Canterbury is also there. After "The Hunt", he seems to be obsessed with theater and watches a performance at least once a week."

It is perfectly normal for an archbishop to have worldly preferences.

For example, Pope Francis, who was born in Argentina, is particularly fond of football.

Some reporters even joked about this incident and asked Francis: "Do you think it is blasphemy against God for people to call the football king God?"

Lu Shi didn't care whether he saw Edward VII or not.

"Then I'll go to box two."

Zena gave a shallow "hmm" and then said: "Today there is a guest visiting Mr. Xiao, who seems to be a playwright. They are waiting for you in box two."

The two of them walked up the stairs while talking.

Enter the box,

Bernard Shaw sat diagonally across from a man with a mustache.

On the round table between the two of them, there was a bottle of red wine that had just been opened.

When he saw Lu, the man immediately stood up and

He said respectfully: "Sir Lu, I have admired your name for a long time and finally met you in person. I am James Matthew Barrie. I am now a reporter and I am also doing some creations."

Bernard Shaw added with a smile,

"you are too humble."

With that said, he turned to Lu Shi and said, "James could have gone to teach at the University of St. Andrews, but he refused."

"I just felt like I wasn't good enough," Barrie explained.

Frankly speaking, he is not such a self-effacing person.

But because I met Lu Shi, a great literary figure, and heard that Chinese people are modest and cautious, I just went along with him.

Lu Shi shook hands with the other party,

"Hello."

James Matthew Barrie,

A famous Scottish novelist and playwright, he created many classic children's literature, including "Peter Pan".

Based on this calculation, "Peter Pan" should be released soon.

The three men took their seats one after another.

Zena asked the waiter to add another cup, and then prepared to exit.

But Lu Shi stopped him and said, "You don't have any performance duties today, so why not stay in the box and watch the drama? It has a good view."

Zena said "Huh?"

Due to the special content of "Lolita", she was a little worried that her presence would affect the men's discussion.

Lu Shi also understood the little girl's concerns and explained with a smile: "Mr. Barry is a children's literature writer. With you here, maybe you can give us some ideas from different perspectives."

Barry was startled.

"Sir Lu knows about me!?"

He stood up suddenly,

"I...you..."

Because I was excited, I was a little stumbling when I spoke.

In the end, I could only choose not to say anything, and instead poured myself a full glass of wine to pay tribute to Lu Shi.

"grateful!"

Then he drank it all in one gulp.

The so-called "deep feelings, boring breath\

,"It's all in the wine.

Seeing this scene, Bernard Shaw winked at Lu Shi subtly,

"Lu, this is your status in today's Europe."

Barry put down his glass,

"Sir Lu, since you know me, I'll tell you the truth. Recently I was thinking about a script. A few days ago, I was walking in Kensington Park and saw a few children building houses with branches, pretending to be fairies and pirates. , I had a lot of fun, which gave me the desire to create.”

This should be the beginning of "Peter Pan".

According to history, stories are not formed all at once;

It first had a fairy tale play "Peter Pan in Kensington Park", which was later adapted into a storybook.

Barry was a childlike and perseverant person. From the script to the final version of the novel, it took 25 years from 1904 to 1928.

Coupled with the conception, the creation time is quite long.

Lu Shi was curious,

"Mr. Barry is going to create a game-like fairy tale?"

Barry:? ? ?

Bernard Shaw:? ? ?

“What is ‘game style’?”×2

The two said in unison.

Lu Shi replied: "I just heard from Mr. Barry that the actors in the script you wrote seemed to be prepared to use children."

Barry thought for a moment and understood,

"Sir Lu is right. For children, fairy tale drama is essentially a performance game. They can experience different emotions and learn to cooperate with others, thereby improving their communication skills."

In short, as long as this script is printed on textbooks, it will become a teaching method that teachers love to hear——

Role play.

The complete opposite is "Hunting" and others,

Although there are many young actors, the requirements for acting skills are extremely high and they must be professional enough.

Besides, no child would want to play Clara.

Barry admired: "Sir Lu, I didn't expect you to know much about children's literature. Speaking of which, the Innocence Trilogy seems to be the same..."

Lu Shi quickly waved his hand,

"No, no, that's not for children."

The two chatted.

At this time, the sound of drums suddenly came from below,

Boom——

"Lolita" begins.

George Bernard Shaw's adaptation does not have the verbosity at the beginning of the novel, but goes straight to the point.

Act 1,

Humbert fell in love with Lolita at first sight and chose to marry her mother in order to be close to her for a long time.

Phyllis' acting skills have improved so quickly that it's jaw-dropping.

The box fell into silence,

Everyone was indulging in it, no one said anything.

I stayed focused on it until the end of the first act, when Humbert said to Lolita: "Your mother is dead."

The place was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

The curtain closes.

After a while, there was discussion on the first floor.

"Sure enough, he didn't act out of the ordinary at all."

"But I still think it looks good!"

"Lu's original work was adapted by George Bernard Shaw. The drama produced by this golden pair must be a masterpiece."

…

Second floor private room,

George Bernard Shaw laughed so hard that his mouth almost split open.

"Lu, did you hear that?! They say we are 'golden partners'!"

Lu Shi said helplessly: "You are obviously someone who can win the Nobel Prize for Literature, can you pursue it a little bit?"

George Bernard Shaw said: "When the time comes, fill out the nomination form for me."

The two were bragging.

At this time, Zena whispered: "Just now, did my sister change her performance temporarily? After Sir Owen said, 'Your mother is dead,' she first pushed him away and then stepped forward to hug him?"

The three men were all stunned after hearing this.

After a while, Lu Shi said: "It is indeed better to act this way."

Most of Lolita's passion for Humbert comes from rebellion.

The object of her rebellion is, of course, her mother.

Therefore, when she learned of her mother's death, she fell into confusion instantly, and her enthusiasm for Humbert also dissipated.

But she was still a child and had no choice but to rely on Humbert.

Phyllis plays the tangle well.

And Zeena can see it, which shows that her acting skills are also very good.

Barry sighed,

"Unfortunately, I can't afford Miss Dell...well...I can't afford an actress like Miss Zena Dell."

He has written several children's plays, but they were only performed in small theaters and received little response.

Zena asked curiously: "Mr. Barry, Professor Lu, Mr. Xiao, do children's literature focus on literature? Or children?"

"this……"

Barry was asked.

Unexpectedly, a little girl asked such a sharp question.

Lu Shi pondered,

He thought of a Chinese magazine——

"Children's Literature".

That should be the memory of many people.

For those born in the 1960s and 1970s, it is almost the only choice for children’s publications;

For those born in the 1980s and 1990s, it is somewhat "unworthy of its name" because the content is quite profound and it can be called a "pure literary center". It is difficult for children to read, but it has guided many people towards the path of creation.

So, Zena’s question does have some depth.

Barry thought for a while,

"Miss Dale, have you read "The Magician of Oz"? It's an American fairy tale that was published just over two years ago."

"The Wizard of OZ\

,"It has a more familiar translation name——

"The Wizard of Oz."

Zena nodded,

"Read it. In the story, Dorothy's three friends are the brainless Scarecrow, the heartless Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion. In the end, they all got what they wanted."

Barry asked curiously: "Do you think it looks good?"

Zena said: "Of course it's beautiful. I even think it's better than Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."

"Pfft~"

Barry laughed.

Lu Shi couldn't help but be surprised,

"What's so funny about this?"

"I just think it's very interesting that the British thing ended up losing to the American rednecks," Barrie said.

Bernard Shaw nodded,

"That's true."

Lu Shi looked at the two of them and remembered that they were both "hillbillies".

One is a Scotsman,

One is Irish.

Therefore, what I just said was a bit ridiculing.

But they are not just teasing,

Because "The Wizard of Oz" came out at a time when American culture and American literature were eager to become independent from Britain.

This period is known as the modern literary period in the United States. Many literati took it as their mission to build American culture and American spirit.

Barry then turned to Zena and said: "But generally speaking, for adults, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" is better than "The Wizard of Oz." This may be the conflict between literature and children."

Zena said "Huh?"

"Why?"

Barry said: "Because the former has many hints and metaphors, it can't help but make people think deeply, and is very popular with adult readers; while the latter is too jumpy, and the connection between each chapter is poor, so adult readers are easy to get distracted, and once they get distracted, they will It’s hard to stay focused.”

Zena was confused;

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has a metaphor?"

Barry spread his hands and said: "Of course. Just like Chapter 7 "A Mad Tea-party", the three characters in the tea party."

Zena tilted her head and recalled,

"The Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the Dormouse."

Barry said: "Let me talk about the 'Mad Hatter'. Have you ever heard the phrase 'as mad as a hatter'? This is because hatters at that time often used mercury to treat fur, so they were more or less able to Poisoning can cause mental illness."

Zena: "..."

Hu flashed his big eyes and stared at Barry.

A row of silence,

"..."

"..."

"..."

The atmosphere at the scene was very strange.

"Gu..."

Barry finally couldn't help but swallowed and whispered: "Miss Dale, am I wrong?"

Zena sighed,

"Sigh... I don't know this, but it doesn't affect my study."

That look seemed to say: "Stupid adult~"

Barry was very embarrassed.

The other two people looked on, trying hard to keep their faces from laughing.

Bernard Shaw winked subtly at Lu Shi,

"It seems that children must be more important than literature."

Lu Shi said nothing.

In fact, this is also an issue he has been thinking about recently.

I had a conversation with James before, which gave him the idea of ​​writing children's literature.

The first work that comes to mind is definitely "The Little Prince".

The success of this fairy tale goes without saying.

Although it is only a three-month work, it has a profound creative background. It is the accumulation of life and emotions of the author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry over several years or even decades. It is the product of accumulated experience. .

Likewise, he also has conflicts between children and literature,

Mentioned in fairy tales:

Roses, street lamps, foxes, snakes...

Considering the historical background of the creation, it is absolutely impossible to say that there is no hint in it.

Lu Shi was deep in thought,

Zena suddenly spoke,

"Mr. Barry, there is no need to think so complicated. Just like me, I don't understand the Mad Hatter at all, but I still praise Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."

Barry was surprised,

"Don't you prefer The Wizard of Oz?"

Zena tried not to roll her eyes;

She didn't even bother to answer.

Lu Shi looked at the little girl and suddenly realized that he might be thinking too much.

Various metaphors were studied when writing "The Little Prince". If the little prince knew it, he would definitely say: "Only adults would ask so many whys."

Barry seemed to have similar thoughts and was deep in thought.

at this time,

Boom——

The sound of drums came from downstairs again.

The second act of "Lolita" begins.

This scene tells the story of Lolita traveling with Humbert until they finally part ways.

Because of the superb acting skills of the two leading actors, the audience was fully attentive and watched quietly.

In Nuoda's theater, only the sound came from the stage.

This kind of quietness gave Lu Shi an environment to think, and he began to plan what to write.

Since the children's literature section of "Mirror" is to be established, "The Little Prince" is undoubtedly the best choice to make the first hit.

The key lies in the follow-up,

After all, fairy tales have very few words.

If you want long-term development, then you have two options,

1. Serialization;

2. Establish an independent children’s literature magazine.

Lu Shi couldn't help but think of "Harry Potter" again.

It just so happened that after the serialization of "The Lord of the Rings" ended, the excellent novel could not be continued for the time being.

There are seven "Harry Potter" books, which can be updated forever.

The most important thing is that its readership is very wide,

There are fans of all ages.

Of course there is another option -

"The Chronicles of Narnia".

From a literary perspective, this novel was as famous as "The Lord of the Rings".

Later, he fell behind because of the failure of his second creation.

Just like movies, the last one in the series, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," was released in 2011, and there have been no new ones since then.

This will definitely not be as popular as "Lord of the Rings", let alone "Harry Potter", which has many fan works on online platforms.

Just as she was thinking about this, Zena's voice sounded: "Professor Lu?"

Lu Shi came back to his senses,

"how?"

Zena asked curiously: "Are you going to write children's literature?"

In an instant, Barry and Bernard Shaw pricked up their ears.

Lu Shi smiled and said, "Am I so obvious?"

This amounts to admission.

Barry almost stood up excitedly,

He said: "Professor Lu, do you really want to devote yourself to the creation of children's literature? If you take action, you will definitely create a trend!"

However, Bernard Shaw knew Lu Shi better.

He curled his lips,

"I'm afraid I have to 'save' the reputations of the Innocence Trilogy and "The Moon and Sixpence"~"

This is undoubtedly a joke.

Lu Shi smiled and nodded at the other party without answering.

Zena asked in confusion: "Restore your reputation? Professor Lu's reputation is very good!"

Bernard Shaw couldn't help but laugh,

"After watching "The Hunt", "Lolita", and "Lord of the Flies", I'm afraid some people may think that he has a dark mentality~"

Zena: (ˉ▽￣~)Tch~~

"Even kids like us don't think Professor Lu is shady, how could anyone... Humph~"

The little girl raised her nose,

Looking at that look, he seemed to be muttering in his heart:

"Stupid adults~"