I am a literary giant in Japan

"Will the answer be found in 'My Childhood'?"

A villa in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, Japan.

Tetsutaro Mori wrote this sentence on a draft paper, then stared at it in deep thought.

Since Kitagawa-sensei shifted his creative focus to popular literature and gradually reduced his output of purely literary novels, the number of times he writes reviews of Kitagawa Hide's novels has also decreased.

He gained fame by praising Kitagawa-sensei, but he also knew that this was not a long-term solution. If he wanted to leave a lasting mark on the history of Japanese critics like Kato Shuichi, instead of disappearing quietly like Ichiro Ishida Tsuneyasu, he had to have something of his own.

With this belief in mind, while Kitagawa Hide was writing a series of popular literary works, Mori Tetsutaro first went to France for further studies, and then studied with Kato Shuichi for half a year after returning.

Only after he was certain that his literary appreciation and criticism skills had improved by leaps and bounds did he return to writing literary reviews.

When the editorial department of "Literature" asked him to help write an introduction to Alyosha's autobiographical trilogy, Mori Tetsutaro was not very clear about the specific plot and setting of "Childhood".

Now that the April issue of "Literature" has been published, and the standalone edition of "Childhood" is in full swing of production, he has also obtained both the Russian and English versions of "Childhood" from friends. After comparing the three versions, he has gained a completely new understanding of the novel.

When he first read "Childhood", Mori Tetsutaro was a little worried. He felt that Kitagawa-sensei had written such a depressing "wonderful childhood" that everyone was looking forward to, and even though the background was Tsarist Russia in the 19th century, it might not be suitable for Japanese readers.

Now that he has finished reading "Childhood," his worries vanished instantly, leaving only admiration and a sense of utter defeat.

Tetsutaro Mori was very certain that anyone who had finished reading "Childhood" would definitely want to know what happened next, and how Alyosha and his grandmother would survive in the chaotic "human world" after leaving their grandparents' house.

"The reason why it can give readers such a great sense of anticipation is definitely not just because of the character of Alyosha in the novel."

The excellent ensemble writing is what truly makes "Childhood" so captivating!

Having undergone advanced studies, Mori Tetsutaro's ability to appreciate pure literature has reached a new level.

In the past, when asked to praise Kitagawa's novels, he could only offer dry, ambiguous platitudes. Moreover, he was well aware of his limited abilities, so he would do his best to focus his reviews on points that were likely to cause controversy.

In this way, even if people discover that his level of literary appreciation is mediocre, they will be attracted by his sharp words and radical views first.

Those who enjoy watching it will naturally not care about anything else, while those who don't will engage in heated arguments with it, thus ignoring the issue of basic skill level.

With these random tricks, Mori Tetsutaro has made a name for himself in the Japanese literary criticism world, and is known as the number one among the younger generation.

Now, having completed his studies and returned home, he is moving towards an even higher level.

He no longer avoids the important issues, nor does he just try to gain attention.

Tetsutaro Mori aspires to become a top literary critic like Shuichi Kato.

The person who made him make this decision was none other than Kitagawa-sensei, the author of "Childhood"!

Even a literary giant like Mr. Beichuan is still diligently learning and improving, so what reason does he have to slack off or give up?
Once he realized that the ensemble writing style was the key to the appeal of "Childhood," Mori Tetsutaro's review immediately had a full-text theme.

"Childhood is a unique novel. Unlike most autobiographies, it does not create a portrait of a protagonist."

It is more like a long oil painting, like the famous "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" next door, which meticulously restores an era with long strokes of ink.

It depicts a period of life within a family, featuring many protagonists, not just Alyosha, whom we have only encountered.

Whether beautiful or ugly, they all stand before the reader, impacting the reader's soul.

"Childhood" occupies an important position in the history of Russian literature and even world literature with its unique artistic form, profound ideological content and distinctive artistic features, and has incomparable artistic value.

Of course, these advantages alone are not enough for me to call it a 'world classic'.

The reason why *Childhood* is considered a 'world classic' in my mind is also because it touches upon an issue that many people have experienced, realized, yet often choose to ignore or compromise on—

How should we properly teach our children?

This is the second entry point that Mori Tetsutaro has prepared.

In Japan, domestic violence, marital conflicts, and midlife crises are common topics of conversation.

These themes were also mentioned in Kitagawa's works, "Paradise Lost" and "South of the Border, West of the Sun".

When it comes to teenagers, the most common thing on the market is a poor imitation of "Confessions".

With "Confessions," Kitagawa-sensei ruthlessly tore off the ugly mask of Japan's flawed laws protecting minors, and then dragged out those little bastards who hid in the shadows and committed crimes by exploiting legal loopholes.

This landmark work led an era and steered the thinking of many writers toward criticizing the law and juvenile offenders.

Everything has two sides, positive and negative.

On the other hand, the victims of "violent families," like Alyosha, deserve more attention but are easily overlooked.

They are weak, helpless, and submissive, becoming victims of domestic violence.

Alyosha was beaten by his grandfather and uncles, and even the servants in the house dared to get involved.

He often had head wounds and was covered in injuries.

However, his maternal grandfather, Kashilin, said that this was "necessary corporal punishment," and that it was "better than being beaten by other people outside."

Is this educational approach truly for the good of Alyosha and his ilk, or is it simply a way to satisfy the selfish desires of the perpetrators?

The answer is self-evident.

In traditional Japanese family education, teaching the hierarchy of elders and juniors is an essential part of the education process.

Elders often use this reason to beat younger people, using their power to bully children and force them to comply.

Not every child is lucky enough to become Alyosha.

So how should parents educate their children?
Tetsutaro Mori continued writing, trying to find the answer to this question in "Childhood".

He was astonished to find that the more he studied "Childhood," the more surprises the novel brought him!
Only now, after improving his literary appreciation skills, has he realized that Kitagawa's novels are like a newly opened jar of fine wine, becoming more and more fragrant with each sip, and worth savoring repeatedly!

While Mori Tetsutaro was repeatedly studying "Childhood" and even planning to rewrite reviews of Kitagawa Hideo's previous novels, Kitagawa Hideo boarded a temporary flight from Moscow International Airport to Stockholm.

After publishing "Childhood," Kitagawa Hideaki, who was still in Tsarist Russia, immediately became a guest of honor for countless bigwigs in the country's literary and political circles.

"The New World" repeatedly broke historical records for pure literary magazines in Tsarist Russia. The first print run of "Childhood," published at lightning speed, was 20 copies, which were snapped up by enthusiastic book lovers in less than three hours. The publisher quickly printed another 30 copies, which were also sold out in less than half a day, causing countless book lovers who did not get to buy a physical copy to curse and swear.

The editorial department of "New World" had never seen such a scene before. For a moment, they forgot that they were competing with "Modern Man" and were short of paper and printing presses, so they actually went to borrow resources from their rival publisher.

The editorial department of "Modern People" was also outrageous. When they heard that it was to help reprint "Childhood", they ignored the opinions of the higher-ups and agreed.

At the same time, "Expulsion," published in "The Modern Man," also achieved remarkable success, becoming Yevgeny's highest achievement in history.

Unfortunately, under the dazzling light of "Childhood," "Expulsion" can only become the most tragic and weighty backdrop in the history of Tsarist Russian literature.

Yevgeny, on the other hand, has completely adjusted his mindset.

On the day the two magazines were released, he drove to pick up Kitagawa Hide and take him back to Moscow. At that time, he did this to avoid the noisy literary world and to avoid being unable to bear the psychological gap.

After a conversation with Hideichi Kitagawa, Yevgeny learned that Kitagawa had already completed his research in Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan, and had begun writing "My Apprenticeship" and "My Universities." Yevgeny instantly lost all sense of shame.

In that instant, he was more certain than anyone else that Kitagawa Hide was a madman, a madman who lived only for literature.

There's nothing shameful about losing to a madman.

Or rather, he felt a sense of pride in losing to a future "Tolstoy".

The winds of "Childhood" reached the Swedish Academy, and after a group of lifetime judges paid homage to it, an invitation from Göran Malmqvist arrived in the hands of Hideaki Kitagawa.

This time, Kitagawa Hide did not refuse them again, nor did he make any pretentious excuses.

After deciding to teach at the Swedish Academy and accept their honorary professorship, Kitagawa immediately bid farewell to Yevgeny and flew to Stockholm at lightning speed.

"I don't know whether to feel sad or fortunate to be born in the same era as you."

This was the last thing Yevgeny said to Kitagawa Hide before he boarded the plane.

Although they had known each other for less than a month, their compatible literary creation ideas, harmonious lifestyles, and similar values ​​quickly made them close friends.

Kitagawa Hide cherished this relationship and did his best to help Yevgeny break through his bottleneck and reach a higher level when they discussed literature.

The same was true of Yevgeny.

The more Yevgeny talked to Kitagawa, the more he felt the vast gap between himself and Kitagawa.

Before starting work at the Pushkin House, Yevgeny had asked a senior figure in the literary world a question.

"How can one accurately assess their own position in the world of literature, and whether their literary talent is truly exceptional?"

Every writer who has made it into the history of world literature is a genius among geniuses.

These kinds of geniuses often possess an arrogance and conceit that is difficult for ordinary people to match.

It's difficult to get them to admit that they are not as skilled as others.

Just like Yevgeny, who never actually met Tolstoy, even after reading "War and Peace" again and again, he was still not entirely convinced by Tolstoy's work—

The book is an excellent book, but whether the author is truly exceptional can only be determined by seeing it for yourself.

This scholar's pride is sometimes misunderstood by many as "arrogance and prejudice".

Yevgeny, who sought advice from his seniors on this issue, was just that kind of "fearless".

The old man replied to him like this: "To convince someone of something they've never seen before, you can talk until you're hoarse, and it won't work."

But if, and I mean if, someone appeared in your time...

He was able to surpass all the writers of his time.

It can even be unattainable for both the older and younger generations.

When such a person truly appears, and you go to talk to him, read his books, and listen to his understanding of literature, you will realize that your own status in the world of literature is insignificant, and that your so-called top-notch literary talent was merely a stepping stone to meeting that person.

It's like a mortal who has exhausted all kinds of opportunities and is like the protagonist, but after he overcomes all difficulties and cultivates to become an immortal, he suddenly finds that he is just one of the 100,000 heavenly soldiers and generals who were beaten up by a monkey.
Yevgeny was relieved.

So he said that to Kitagawa Hide.

Kitagawa Hide could roughly understand what he meant, but he didn't know how to respond, so he could only nod slightly in reply.

He was a man determined to become a literary giant.

He overcame numerous obstacles along the way, gradually transforming from a mere plagiarist into a creator befitting his reputation and status.

This path is difficult, and may even be a dead end, but he has to take it, he has to try.

So no matter how beautiful or breathtaking the scenery was along the way, it couldn't stop him for even a second!
Sixteen hours later, Kitagawa Hide successfully arrived at Arlanda International Airport.

After waiting for a long time, Göran Malmqvist and Knut rushed up and gave him a big hug, their joy evident on their faces.

"Professor Kitagawa, welcome back to Stockholm." Knut's welcome was heartfelt; he was one of the few Nobel Prize in Literature lifetime judges who had stood firmly in Kitagawa Hide's camp from the very beginning.

Göran Malmqvist offered his congratulations, and then, while leading Kitagawa Hide out, he explained some details about the upcoming trip to the Swedish Academy.

The Swedish Academy is full of aspiring young people from all over the world who love literature, a large portion of whom come from highly educated families in Sweden and Norway.

Contrary to Kitagawa Hide's perception of the Swedish Academy as a prestigious literary institution, the Swedish Academy, besides being the permanent awarding body for the Nobel Prize in Literature, is also a gathering place for a large number of wealthy white people.

This also means that teaching in such places requires taking into account some unspoken "rules" in the Western world.

"You are very famous. When they heard that you were coming to teach, many students who don't come to the academy for years booked plane tickets to fly back just to listen to one of your lectures."

This is a good thing, but it's also a troublesome thing.

These students have been pampered since childhood and are arrogant, so they are very likely to ask you some tricky questions in class.

If you don't want to answer, you can ignore this, but please don't argue with them.

Ma Yue Ran glanced at the equally young and impetuous Kitagawa Hide, and couldn't help but offer another reminder. (End of Chapter)