Chapter 514: The Superiority of Socialism
Many movie lovers in later generations have a stubborn prejudice that some directors are destined to exist solely to make one movie. In China, there is Kaizi and his "Farewell My Concubine", and abroad there is Francis Ford Coppola and his "The Godfather" series.
But in fact, he is not really without talent.
It’s just that his masterpiece gave the public such a stunning impression that it greatly raised the movie-watching threshold of movie fans, and everything that was filmed after that seemed a little lacking in interest.
After "Farewell My Concubine", Kaizi made "Legend of the Demon Cat" and "Searching", and after "The Godfather" series, Francis Ford Coppola also made "Bram Stoker's Dracula" and "Jack in the House" and other excellent films.
It’s not that these latter films were bad. If they were made by different directors of similar quality, the public and film critics would have applauded long ago. But who can blame them for the fact that these films were made by directors of the level of Kaizi and Francis Ford Coppola?
This is probably a kind of love that leads to severe criticism!
In fact, Lin Weimin also wanted to say something to Francis Ford Coppolado.
Don't even bother letting your daughter act in your movie!
Of course, he was just thinking about it. The dinner atmosphere at the Green Garden Lounge was harmonious and both the guests and hosts were having a great time.
The next day, Lin Weimin continued to perfect the script of the American version of "Farewell My Concubine" with Arthur Miller.
Time passed by unknowingly, and Lin Weimin had been in the United States for almost a month.
The adaptation and revision of the script of "Farewell My Concubine" is still in progress. In his spare time, Lin Weimin still takes Tao Huimin to tour New York City every day.
But after the initial novelty, Tao Huimin had gradually become accustomed to the prosperity of New York, and what she did most every day was to accompany Lin Weimin to visit bookstores hidden in corners.
Perhaps because he is getting older, Lin Weimin's love for books is gradually not limited to reading, but more inclined to collecting. Many of his friends are the same.
Many people have bookshelves at home. Some homes have bookshelves that take up an entire wall, while others even have books piled on the floor.
It's pure nonsense to say that you can read all the books there are.
Many people have no idea about the amount of reading. In fact, if a person can read one or two hundred books carefully in his lifetime, it is already a very remarkable thing. If he reads without seeking to understand them in detail, he can probably read one or two thousand books.
Of course, this refers to complete reading under normal circumstances.
Many people read with a purpose, which is just to find the information they need, which is much simpler; some people read books not without understanding them thoroughly, but just superficially, and they read very quickly; there is also a special case, that is, the great god with extraordinary memory and comprehension ability far beyond ordinary people.
Lin Weimin reads at an average speed, no different from most people, so he bought so many books, most of which are piled on the bookshelf and read occasionally.
The West Siders Bookstore on West 80th Street is very small, with long and narrow aisles. The bookshelves on both walls of the entrance extend all the way to the top of the wall. The long and narrow depth makes the light inside the bookstore very dim, and lights have to be on even during the day.
The air was filled with a mixture of smells from paper, ink, and mold. On the floor at the innermost part was a pile of second-hand books that had just been brought into the store and had not yet been put on the bookshelves.
Lin Weimin was squatting on the ground, carefully selecting books. With him were two white guys who looked weak and frail, and at first glance they were the nerds who were bullied at school.
The three of them squatted like this, blocking the aisle completely. Fortunately, it was at the back of the bookstore and did not affect normal entry and exit.
Lin Weimin flipped through the pile of books and found a book called "Eleven Kinds of Loneliness" and his face was filled with joy.
The white guy wearing glasses next to him glanced at the book in his hand and his eyes lit up.
"Sir, can I have a look at this book?"
Lin Weimin shook his head and said, "This book is meant for me!"
???
This guy is a bit of a dog!
The white guy with glasses had a sullen expression on his face, but he still glanced at Lin Weimin's hand with hope.
Lin Weimin didn't care about his look. He gave the book to Tao Huimin who was waiting on the side and lowered his head to continue flipping through the book.
After searching for a while and making sure that there were no books they liked among the batch, Lin Weimin and Tao Huimin came to the reception desk at the door holding a pile of books.
"Lin, I really hope customers like you can come every day!" said Jonathan, the bookstore owner, with a smile.
"If you bring in new books every day, I might come every day." Lin Weimin said with a laugh.
Second-hand bookstores like West District People basically do not sell books in large quantities. They will receive a batch of second-hand books every ten days or half a month, and the number is not large. One or two hundred books are considered a lot. Many old customers will come to the bookstore on this day specifically to pick out books.
When Lin Weimin came to the United States three years ago, he would buy hundreds of dollars worth of books every time. He was one of the few big customers in the store and left a deep impression on the owner Jonathan.
Recently, Lin Weimin appeared again on West End. Jonathan recognized him at a glance. After chatting with him, he found out that he was not an Asian American, but from China.
Jonathan was in a good mood and paid the bill for Lin Weimin. When he counted the book "Eleven Kinds of Loneliness", Richard sighed.
"What a pity for Richard Yates!"
Lin Weimin glanced at the name on the book cover and said, "He was born in the wrong country."
Jonathan looked hurt, "Lin, you are too critical of the United States!"
"I just felt sorry for Richard Yates. Am I wrong?"
"You..." Jonathan wanted to refute Lin Weimin, but when he saw the tattered novel that had once been on the shelf of a bookstore with no one paying attention to it, and was finally forced to be swept into a second-hand bookstore, his defense turned into a helpless sigh.
"Maybe. You're right. Americans don't deserve a writer like him."
The conversation between the two men caused dissatisfaction among the two white guys who had just come over to pay the bill. "Sir, not all Americans look down on Richard Yates. Many American readers like Mr. Yates's works very much."
Lin Weimin smiled and said, "The United States is such a big country, of course there are readers who like Mr. Yates. But unfortunately, these readers cannot support Mr. Yates!"
The two white guys were silenced by Lin Weimin's two sentences. Facts speak louder than words, which made them feel a little aggrieved.
Speaking of Richard Yates, there is probably no other writer in the world whose life is more bizarre than his.
Richard Yates was the most famous novelist in the United States in the 1960s. The movie "Revolutionary Road" starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet was adapted from his debut work, which was also his famous work "Revolutionary Road".
After its publication, this novel won Richard Yates numerous praises, and was shortlisted for the U.S. National Book Award that year along with Joseph Heller's Catch-22, but unfortunately did not win.
He then continued to write and published many works, including "Eleven Kinds of Loneliness", "God's Will", "Disturbing the Peace", "Easter Parade", "Good School", "Cheaters in Love", "Young Hearts Crying", and "Cold Spring Harbor".
Richard Yates's works have always been well received and widely praised in the mainstream literary circles in the United States, but strangely, the sales of his works are extremely pitiful. The print run of each novel is very small, and the sales are even worse. The most sold book was 12,000 copies.
With sales like this, even the most famous writers would find it difficult to survive in the highly market-oriented book industry in the United States.
By the 1970s, Richard Yates had to teach and write to make a living.
After Richard Yates's death, his novels were removed from all bookstores almost overnight, and could only be found in dusty locations on the bottom shelf of second-hand bookstores.
The reason why Richard Yates suffered such a tragic fate was probably due to his unique writing style.
The 1950s was called the "Age of Anxiety" in the United States. After the victory of World War II, the United States became a world leader with highly developed material culture. However, under the tense atmosphere of the confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union and the shadow of the terror of McCarthyism, such developed material civilization gradually turned into an anxious psychology among the American people.
Richard Yates's novel style is known for its ruthlessness. He uses a scalpel-like writing style to analyze the life and psychology of the American middle class in the 1950s and 1960s, and profoundly criticizes the falsity of the American dream.
Compared with Joseph Heller, who became famous at the same time, Richard Yates's writing method and style were old-fashioned and unpleasant, which also doomed him to a tragic fate.
He is obviously famous, highly praised and respected in the industry, but he can't even sell his published novels and can't even make a living. Is there anything more bizarre than this?
Lin Weimin was not wrong. In his opinion, Richard Yates was born in the wrong country.
If he were born in China, he would be a writer like Lu Xun, a master who would be enshrined in the temple.
Not only should he accept the worship of his peers, but he should also educate the world with his works.
Unfortunately, he was born in the United States.
The two white guys stared at Lin Weimin for a long time, unable to think of any rebuttal. Finally, they muttered, "If the United States can't support Richard Yates, how can you support him?"
Lin Weimin smiled and said, "I will definitely not support Richard Yates, I will only buy his books. But if he was born in my country, he would most likely have an official status, a generous salary, a good social status, and his works would not have trouble selling. Maybe his works could even be included in textbooks and become must-reads for countless children."
The two white guys listened to Lin Weimin's words and looked at him strangely. Is there such a good thing?
"Where are you from?"
"China!"
“Why are you Chinese so nice to writers?”
"We believe that writers are the conscience of society and are responsible for sculpting the souls of the people."
"Wow! This sounds so cool!" The two white guys were stunned by Lin Weimin's trick.
In this round, socialism is superior to capitalism.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
