I am a literary giant in Russia

Chapter 139 Russian Jokes and Alexandre Dumas
Regarding whether exile can have a positive impact on a person, if we have to say, it certainly can. For example, before Herzen was exiled, his understanding and hatred of the Russian autocratic system might not have been as profound as it is now. Instead, it was more about a romantic fantasy of martyrdom for a great cause. Young people often have such fantasies, but if they are immersed in this kind of aristocratic romantic fantasy, they may not actually be able to accomplish anything.

On the contrary, they are more likely to become "superfluous people" in the works of writers.

Once a person has truly faced reality and pain, they may collapse, or they may become stronger through this pain and eventually forge their own path. Herzen was almost the latter.

It is also worth mentioning that although Herzen was the father of Russian SHism handpicked by Vladimir, he was not actually very fond of Marx's theories and organizational methods. This was mainly because after participating in and witnessing the failure of the European Revolutions in 1848, he became a centrist in another sense.

Turgenev was a moderate centrist who often moved between different factions, saw the merits of each, and hoped that everyone could sit down and have a calm discussion.

As for Herzen...
Which of you are revolutionary radicals, liberals, old-fashioned conservatives, Slavophiles, or Westernists?

Which of you is a leftist, a rightist, or a centrist?

Get out of the queue!

I'll fuck your mothers! I'll give you a stun gun!

As for the specific reasons, we'll discuss them later. Since we live in this era, Mikhail doesn't want to miss those major historical events if he can, even though those events might not be pleasant to behold.

In short, it was precisely because Herzen later became such a centrist that Vladimir described Herzen after 1848 as a "pathetic madman."

Whether it's right or wrong, Herzen at this stage is generally a cheerful, enthusiastic, imaginative, and knowledgeable person, and chatting with such a person is indeed a pleasant experience.

Unfortunately, his conversation with Mikhail didn't last long. Soon, he had to say goodbye to Mikhail with great regret. However, because he had a very good impression of Mikhail after their conversation, Herzen, despite his still somewhat sensitive status, couldn't help but tell a Russian joke:
"Although I would love to talk to you a little longer, the surveillance on me doesn't seem to have completely disappeared yet, so I can't stay here with you for too long, or your walls will soon grow eyes and ears."

The reason for this joke is, of course, a famous quote from Nicholas I: "In my house, even the walls should have ears and eyes."

To be honest, Mikhail didn't immediately understand the joke, but he instinctively replied:
"Hopefully there isn't one in the restroom, otherwise it would be quite embarrassing."

"You're right, hahaha."

After hearing Mikhail's words, Herzen was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh:

"In that case, you should be careful in the bedroom. Luckily, you're not married yet."

“Mikhail and Alexander, what kind of talk are you spouting?”

Perhaps because he was a rather serious person, Belinsky was not satisfied with these jokes that bordered on bawdy, so he said, "Mikhail, you should cover these ears with your hands and blind those eyes with your pen! I would rather dig these festering sores right off the wall!"

After Belinsky said that, the three of them suddenly burst into laughter, and Mikhail's living room was instantly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Mikhail, who seemed to snap out of his daze as he laughed, simply said, "."

If this continues, secret police will really flood in.
However, after laughing, Herzen did not linger. After shaking Mikhail's hand firmly, Herzen said, "See you later! I have a feeling we will meet again, and it may not be in St. Petersburg. I will follow every one of your works. I have a feeling that one day you will write a masterpiece that will shock all of Russia and even all of Europe!"

Mikhail: “?”

If we meet again in a foreign land someday, will the word "fellow Daoist" be a testament to the viciss

During the conversation, Mikhail actually picked up on some of Herzen's thoughts. In Herzen's view, Russia offered no room for advancement for a young nobleman full of enthusiasm and aspirations for public affairs.

Such an idea certainly has some merit, but for Mikhail, his family, friends, and their shared cause are now all rooted in Russian soil. If things don't turn out badly, Mikhail hopes he can lead "The Contemporary" through the most difficult period after 1848.

To reiterate, now that Mikhail is in this position, he is willing to take on the responsibilities he should bear. What kind of behavior is it to simply enjoy the benefits without doing anything?
Of course, this is on the premise that Mikhail has not been noticed and no measures have been taken against him.

If that's the case, Mikhail isn't entirely unprepared. At the very least, he is writing some manuscripts that aren't easily censored, so that even if he's temporarily gone, the magazine "Modern Man" can continue to survive on this.

The more I talk about it, the more I feel like I'm setting a flag.
In short, after seeing Herzen off, Mikhail chatted with Belinsky for a while longer.

Herzen's visit was not only to meet Mikhail, a rising star in St. Petersburg's literary world, but also to discuss with him the matter of sending Belinsky abroad for medical treatment.

These days, the cost of going abroad for medical treatment is extremely high. Although the sales of "Modern Man" magazine are getting better and better, in order to avoid putting too much pressure on the magazine's finances, Panayev, after discussing with Mikhail and others, decided to try to seek some support from Belinsky's friends as well.

On the one hand, Belinsky's friends were mostly nobles who were financially well-off; on the other hand, with Belinsky's current annual salary, it wouldn't be difficult for him to pay off the debts owed to these friends later.

It's worth mentioning that Mikhail paid Belinsky's salary in full, of course. At first, Belinsky had expressed some concern, saying, "Isn't this salary a bit too high? Can the magazine's finances handle it? Maybe we should cut it by a third, Mikhail."

But his concerns were quickly dispelled by the flourishing success of the magazine "The Contemporary" just over two months later. In this situation, some of Belinsky's friends did indeed offer assistance, as did Herzen, who even planned to recommend some doctors to Belinsky.

This was precisely what Mikhail wanted to tell Belinsky:
"Vesarion, I think you'd better be skeptical of the doctors recommended to you. There are far too many quacks and charlatans these days, and many of their treatments are downright absurd. Here are some things you should be wary of."

To be honest, Mikhail knew absolutely nothing about medicine, but in Europe these days, if you simply told your patient to go to a scenic place to adjust their mood and live a healthy life, you could surpass almost half of the doctors.

Belinsky's situation was that he finally managed to go to a sanatorium, but four friends introduced him to four quack doctors. The first doctor had Belinsky take belladonna, which directly caused him to be poisoned by atropine. The second doctor treated Belinsky like a guinea pig, only knowing how to inject various drugs into his anus.

The third doctor kept sending Belinsky to hot springs for bathing and massages, a place he had a partnership with. The fourth doctor kept Belinsky locked up in the manor and made him do exercises every day.

It's so outrageous that Mikhail suspects Old Bie might have been set up by capitalists.
Mikhail didn't know much about how to treat tuberculosis, but his medical ideas as a modern person certainly still had some advantages in this day and age.

He couldn't figure out why someone would pour medication into the anus of a tuberculosis patient, no matter how hard he tried.

At first, Belinsky was not convinced, after all, Mikhail had no medical experience, so what kind of advice could he give in this regard?
But as Belinsky listened, he found Mikhail's explanations so rigorous and scientific that he found them increasingly reasonable, and eventually he even asked for paper and pen to take notes.

Finally, Belinsky said sincerely, "Mikhail, although some of what you said seems unverified, I feel that what you said is probably correct. Perhaps you should talk to some doctors about it when you have the chance."

In my opinion, you could certainly achieve great things as a doctor, but think about it carefully, and maybe you should reconsider. While physical illness is certainly unbearable, aren't the deep-seated problems of the mind just as deadly?

Although Mikhail didn't really know much about what Belinsky said, it would be good to share these things with the right person. Often, for geniuses in other fields, a vague direction might be enough to pave their way forward.

These days, there are countless literary figures who can connect with each other, often from various fields. Take, for example, Ada Lovelace, daughter of Lord Byron, the London gunslinger. She was not only a renowned British mathematician but also the founder of computer programming, establishing the concepts of loops and subroutines. She also knew Dickens and Faraday.

Putting all that aside for now, several days quickly passed after my casual conversations with Herzen and Belinsky. During these days, Mikhail's serialized novel, as always, sparked much discussion and criticism.

Criticism has always existed, and the novel "The Insulted and Hurt" is certainly not perfect. However, some magazines and newspapers are not purely literary criticisms, but are mixed with complex factors such as sales figures and personal grudges.

Meanwhile, the news that Mikhail's novel, written in French, was about to be published in a Parisian magazine naturally sparked various discussions over time.

This event is sensational enough in itself, not to mention it can be viewed from all sorts of angles. Some say Russia has won again! Others say it's a fake Russian in French clothing! And writing it in French—what can it do besides pandering to French tastes? It wouldn't even get published if it didn't pander to them!

Others say that Mikhail made a shady deal with the French literary world in this matter. In fact, his French novel was terrible, but it was only because he paid a dirty price that it was published. This is a shameful thing!

Some newspapers even reported that the whole thing never happened, and that it was a lie fabricated by that vain writer and his magazine in their pursuit of fame.
Since people are complex, it is natural that there are all sorts of complex opinions. Moreover, if interests, grudges, and other factors are mixed in, it is not surprising that even more outrageous opinions may appear.

And as time goes by, similar situations continue to unfold in distant Paris as well.

Among them, a burly man with dark skin, thick lips, and curly black hair displayed an exaggerated expression after learning the news from others:

"What did you say? Did I hear that right? A French novel written by a Russian? In that country full of barbaric and terrifying inhabitants, there can actually be a decent novel? My God, could this author be the lover of some magazine owner's wife?"

When he said this at his home, many people from the literary world were present, including even the owners of French magazines. However, many of those present were already used to his remarks.

Firstly, it's his personality; not to mention he was once touched by the Tsar's large hand, so it's normal that he didn't have any good feelings towards Russia.

Furthermore, the French intellectual class, who were deeply involved in the revolution, generally perceived Russia as nothing more than barbarity and despotism.

Of course, while the Tsar's large hand could touch him, it would be difficult to arrest him. Firstly, he was abroad, and secondly, this prominent figure in the French literary world, besides being physically imposing at 1.85 meters tall, also had a great love for food. During his period of lavish living, he gained a lot of weight, and his belly bulged so much that it almost burst, pressing against the table.

In a sense, it is indeed a voracious appetite for French literature.

"You'll find out in a few days, Mr. Alexander."

Someone picked up where he left off: "You weren't around the other day, so you probably haven't heard of this author's novel, but it'll be published in a magazine in a few days. As for the debates about this Russian author's works, there have been far too many debates in the newspapers lately."

Of course, many people share your attitude. I do have a different perspective, but in any case, let's see how our French readers react.

"I don't have that much time."

Upon hearing this, Dumas let out another mocking laugh, patted his large stomach, and continued, "I'm already exhausted from dealing with women and writing. Where would I find the time to read the works of a Russian writer? I can guess the content with a few words. It's nothing more than the same old stuff: loyalty to the Tsar and aristocratic love."

Just you wait and see, our Parisian readers have absolutely no interest in this stuff. But what surprises me even more is where this Russian writer got his courage? Thinking about it that way, I'm starting to admire him a little.

(End of this chapter)