I am a literary giant in Europe

Chapter 217 Show goodwill!

Tuesday, October 2002, 1.

The New York Times published a review of The Old Man and the Sea.

The topic is: Please others or please yourself
I like short and sharp stories.

At the beginning, all I saw was a dilapidated village and a group of fishermen struggling to make a living.

Those men had dark, unresolved faces, looking no different from the fishermen in Boston Harbor.

They have similar lives, from birth to death.

Ernest was one of them.

Perhaps, compared to those fishermen who had clothes to wear and food to eat, he was poorer and would not attract anyone's attention.

The story is very cleverly designed.

Because it is a fishing village, close to the sea.

Otherwise my eyes might become sleepy.

Everything, very natural.

My eyes followed me from the village path to the coast, onto the fishing boat, and out to sea. I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed these moments. Every moment like this, about to set off and embrace a completely unfamiliar world, excites me.

The vastness of the sea makes people dizzy.

I would like to guess what Amos was thinking at that time?
He probably wanted to show that although this character is so materially deprived, his spiritual world is as rich as the ocean.

Before I encountered the big fish, I imagined Ernest's boring 84 days out at sea with nothing to show for it. But I also understand that all good stories are like a late train. Before it arrives, we must do something that seems meaningless: wait!

Yes, wait!
The greatest wisdom of humanity is to wait and hope!

This is exactly what the last sentence of The Count of Monte Cristo says.

I suddenly thought that the meaning of waiting is to make the time before the story happens extremely boring, and then make the story extremely delicious.

This is such a sinister world!

The story arrived as expected.

There were no surprises, and from the encounter to the capture of the big fish, I saw Ernest's wisdom in dealing with problems as an experienced person. But to be honest, there was nothing that could arouse my interest.

Maybe one thing is the stars above the sea.

I love stars, and I guess the stars above Ernest's head are as bright as the stars above the Boston fishing village, so bright that they are about to fall to the earth.

Ernest hauled the fish home.

This is the climax!

He accepted the challenge of the shark again and again, constantly consuming his weapons and energy, and finally returned to the fishing village with the remains of the big fish.

Very intense!
I was impressed that he was able to stab the shark's eyes so accurately and the small boat did not capsize.

I want to be thankful that it was a calm day without any strong winds or waves.

I thought the story had ended here.

But what really shocked me was Amos's calm and relaxed ending.

He was so exhausted, he went home and fell asleep!
I guess he must be smiling with satisfaction, he must be dreaming about his lions again...

I admire Ernest's bravery, tenacity and perseverance.

But what really touched my soul was his ability to stand out in the world.

He doesn't need an audience; from start to finish, he's content with his own spirit. He doesn't catch big fish just to sell them for a good price. He respects his opponents, even treating them as friends, and he's content with the challenge of challenging himself.

Throughout the process, his body was extremely exhausted.

But I can feel his happiness!
Yes, that must be a kind of happiness, with no audience, only yourself.

Ernest, amusing himself.

So, when everything was over, he slowly put this turbulent process into his dreams in a calm manner.

He doesn't need to share, so how can he share?

I like this Chinese boy Amos, he is a real free spirit.

From Captain Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean to Ernest in The Old Man and the Sea... the Chinese boy is so unique. He doesn't try to please anyone, he tries to please himself, just like the snow on Mount Everest, the ice sculpture that stands proudly on top of the world.

If you have ever failed, read The Old Man and the Sea.

If you ever succeed, read The Old Man and the Sea.

If you are confused, please read "The Old Man and the Sea".

If, if you have nothing to do at this moment, please sit down, buy a cup of fragrant coffee, and read "The Old Man and the Sea" quietly.

……

This is a review of nearly a thousand words.

Sitting there was Stephen King, a writer with countless readers, who had created countless classic works and had a strong influence in America. Along with his review, countless reviews came pouring in.

Bestselling authors, successful businessmen, celebrities, politicians, and even the guy sitting in the White House have commented.

"Crazy, Amos, you know what? America's crazy about you!"

Ms. Luo from Senqu called and was very excited.

As an excellent editor, I am honored to be able to oversee the publication of such a work that has the potential to become a great masterpiece.

Liu Jin, on the other hand, was very calm.

He had previously learned about the popularity of "The Old Man and the Sea" in North America through Mela.

Although it has only been published for three weeks, it has already achieved huge success.

For the third week, The Old Man and the Sea retained its top spot on the America's bestseller list, with weekly sales exceeding one million copies, reaching 1,345,672 copies.

The sales of Pirates of the Caribbean reached 670,000 copies.

At this point, The Old Man and the Sea had sold 2.7 million copies in three weeks, while Pirates of the Caribbean had successfully exceeded 1.5 million copies.

“Amos, by the end of January, sales of The Old Man and the Sea will have exceeded four million.

"Pirates of the Caribbean can break through two million... I must congratulate you in advance. According to this trend, you may become the fastest bestselling author to break through ten million copies since the millennium."

Liu Jin seemed to see countless US dollars pouring towards him...

“It’s not all praise.”

He asked with a smile, sitting on the second-floor terrace, drawing while holding the phone.

"that's for sure!"

Ms. Senqu Luo also laughed.

"Many people say that the classical English you use is dull and boring.

Some people also say that your writing style is pretentious and that you use a lot of gorgeous but useless words in order to deliberately create Ernest as a tough guy.

Some people also think that as a Chinese, you cannot understand freedom.

Of course, the publisher is already preparing to file a lawsuit. His remarks were clearly racially discriminatory.”

If, if this book only sold 100,000 or 200,000 copies...

I guess Random House won't even come forward.

But now, anyone who dares to throw dirty water will destroy their financial resources. Given the victim's nature, they will definitely fight to the death.

Liu Jin was mentally prepared for this.

There is no best in literature!
Since ancient times, it has been normal for scholars to look down on each other.

I guess the person who said he plagiarized is also a green hand. When The Old Man and the Sea was already a done deal, saying that was a slap in the face of Random House.

Not to mention Random House, even a small publishing house would launch a fierce counterattack.

"Liu, I heard from Mela that you have a book about the victims of World War II in the Magic City of China?"

"Yes."

“Can we, Random House, publish it?

You know, we've collaborated on many projects, and for a project like this, Random House is the perfect partner."

Liu Jin was stunned, then he laughed!

To be honest, he has always been worried that after Singla publishes "Life is Beautiful", he will be suppressed by public opinion.

That is a country that has so far refused to admit its invasion of China and has so far refused to apologize for its crimes during World War II.

Their influence, especially in America, is not low.

Large amounts of lobbying funds are spent in America every year, and are inextricably linked to America's media and political circles.

Otherwise, how could that damn General Staff Headquarters be revived in 2025?
"Ms. Senqu Luo, I am very grateful to Random House for its interest in Life is Beautiful.

But you have to understand, this book touches on numerous crimes committed by the "Xiao Ri Zi" (small-time people)... They're a tough bunch. Iris Shun-Ru Chang, a Chinese-American author in America, previously wrote "The Rape of Nanking." Xiao Ri Zi used all sorts of power to suppress her work, threatening and smearing her.

They are very powerful!

I personally don’t care. If things really don’t work out, I can escape back to China to hide.

But you... I'm worried that Random House will be affected. You are the best partner, and I don't want Random House, President Olson, or you to suffer tremendous pressure and harm because of the problem of "Life is Beautiful."

Every word is for your sake.

Every word touched Sen Quluo!
She sneered, "Amos, thank you for considering us, but please believe Random House, our daily lives are not enough to make us bow our heads!"

……

(End of this chapter)