I am a literary giant in Russia

Chapter 165 George Sanchopin and His New Works
Regarding the top salons in Paris, the more traditional one is Madame Récamier's salon, which still centers around the old aristocracy and requires participants to have hereditary titles or high-ranking clergy. Madame Girardin's salon, which is equally famous, is more innovative and does not pay much attention to class barriers, so the guests attending her salon can be said to be very diverse.

Among them, besides Balzac, another writer who seemed particularly special immediately caught Turgenev's attention. Since Turgenev had a basic understanding of the guests in the salon before he arrived, he quickly called out the writer's name in his mind: George Sand.

This writer had a great influence even in Russia, and among them, Belinsky was undoubtedly the most enthusiastic and powerful spokesperson for this writer in Russia. He directly regarded this writer as the embodiment of the spirit of the times, the highest manifestation of humanism, and a beacon of progressive thought, and also published many reviews and letters about George Sand's works.

Since she is so highly praised by Lao Bie, the inclination of her works is basically clear. Simply put, in her works such as "A Short History of Carpentry" and "Consuelo", she clearly expresses her deep sympathy for the suffering of the lower class, especially farmers, denounces social injustice, and defends human dignity.

As a rare female writer of this era, her experience is quite legendary. To put it simply, she had an unhappy marriage and separated from her husband at the age of 21. While struggling to make a living, she still persisted in her writing ideals.

In early 1831, she settled in Paris with her son and daughter. She then began to frequent Parisian salons in a way that was considered shocking at the time, such as dressing in men's clothing, smoking cigars, drinking spirits, and riding horses. In this way, she quickly became a celebrity in Parisian cultural circles and was often surrounded by many followers.

Meanwhile, after 1832, she rose to fame with her first novel, *Antiana*, and her success thereafter was unstoppable. Furthermore, she was not influenced by societal norms in matters of the heart, as she herself said:

It's not unusual for a woman as emotionally rich as her to have four lovers at the same time.

Among her lovers, the more well-known ones include the poet Alfred de Musset and Chopin, whom she met through the introduction of the later "King of the Piano" Franz Liszt and with whom she lived for ten years.

We'll leave the details about Liszt and Chopin for later, because when Mikhail comes to Paris, he'll certainly be happy to meet these two pianists. The reasons for this plan are twofold: first, to meet these historical figures; and second, because Mikhail has started learning how to play the piano for some reason, and he might be able to consult these two pianists then.

As for Mikhail's learning progress, it's fair to say it's a bit challenging.
Returning to the present, Turgenev was certainly very curious about this rather legendary female writer, but George Sand was now clearly an old woman, just as Balzac described her: "with a double chin and very fat."

Although she was somewhat plump, the writer did indeed have a pair of sharp eyes. At this salon, she was undoubtedly one of the focal points of the crowd. At this moment, she was talking intently to the people around her, and her followers listened attentively to her words, some even taking notes.

Upon seeing this scene, Turgenev immediately thought of Mikhail, who was far away in Russia.

In Turgenev's view, Mikhail's current disadvantage in St. Petersburg is his youth and status. There are always some older or more prestigious people who are not convinced. What would happen if Mikhail were older and more experienced?
After briefly contemplating the matter, Turgenev, as a new and inconspicuous guest in the salon, naturally took the initiative to strike up a conversation with others. However, before Turgenev could say more than a few words to the guest in front of him, he suddenly noticed that the person in front of him was looking straight behind him and then giving him a somewhat ingratiating smile.

When Turgenev turned around, he found George Sand, one of the focal points of the salon, standing before him, and asked with interest, "Are you a friend of that mysterious Russian writer?"

"Yes!"

When George Sand spoke up, Turgenev suddenly felt that all the other old Parisians in the room were looking at him, to the point that he seemed to have become the focus of the salon for a moment.

After realizing this, Turgenev, who once again felt the mysterious power from Russia surging into his body, was not intimidated at all and introduced himself quite politely.

"Now it seems everyone is talking about your writer friend."

Looking at Turgenev before him, George Sand, while marveling at how a Russian writer could be discussed to such an extent in Paris, couldn't help but praise Turgenev:
"However, in my opinion, even if his work is really good, it might not have been able to open up the market in Paris so quickly without your efforts. It's great to have a friend like you."

“My dear Mikhail said the same thing.”

To this question, Turgenev replied with a smile: "He almost attributed all his success in Paris to me! But in fact, it was his works that opened up many avenues for me. Sometimes, thinking about what he said makes me feel a little embarrassed."

"Is he really that kind of person?"

Upon hearing this, George Sand, who was already very interested in this mysterious Russian writer, couldn't help but ask, "So when exactly is he planning to come to Paris? Many of the people I know would like to have a good chat with him."

"It should be by the end of this year or the beginning of next year."

"That's really nice."

After discussing this matter, George Sand talked with Turgenev for quite a while about Russian literature. As the works of that Russian writer spread and gained popularity, quite a few people in the Parisian literary world had indeed developed a considerable interest in Russian literature.

Unlike Balzac's dissatisfaction and jealousy, George Sand genuinely thought those works were quite good. Even the so-called "science fiction" novel that was being serialized truly impressed this well-traveled writer with its novel form and content.

That's why she talked with Turgenev for quite a while, only stopping after someone reminded her. And after George Sand excused herself to attend to other matters, the way everyone in the salon looked at Turgenev was naturally very different from when they first started.

The literary circles in Paris are known for their pragmatism. The fact that they could chat with such a writer for so long meant that Turgenev was definitely not some nobody. And when they found out that Turgenev was actually a friend of the Russian writer who had recently caused a great deal of discussion, the people in the room looked at him with even more enthusiasm.

The debate surrounding "Around the World in Eighty Days" has been a hot topic in recent magazines and newspapers. Reviews, whether sarcastic or praising, have undoubtedly fetched a good price. If one could get firsthand information from the author himself, wouldn't the resulting review be a huge hit?
Consequently, some people actually approached Turgenev, to which Turgenev could only say that this was a mysterious force from Russia.
After these minor incidents, the salon quickly resumed, during which a wide variety of topics were raised and discussed, including sensitive issues such as government corruption and colonial policies.

Meanwhile, George Sand and Honoré de Balzac, the two great writers, were not idle either, debating issues such as the mission of literature and social criticism as usual. These two writers had a good personal relationship, but they clearly had different views on many issues, including literary stance. Simply put, George Sand's works during this period leaned more towards a humanist stance, while Balzac's writing tended towards determinism, as George Sand stated in her rebuttal to Balzac:

"You say Grandet was an inevitable product of his time? No! You've deprived him of the possibility of choosing good—that's more alienating than money."

Debates like these often don't necessarily have to determine a winner, but rather provide an opportunity for both sides and those listening to learn and grow.

Just as Turgenev was listening with great interest, Balzac, who was getting increasingly carried away with the debate, was about to calm down when he suddenly spotted Turgenev's face in the crowd. The conversation from before immediately came to mind, and after a moment's thought, Balzac quickly steered the conversation towards the new work Mikhail had presented:
“I just heard this young man mention that the Russian writer seems to have written a new French work and wants Parisians to see it, and that it’s related to what we’re discussing now. Why don’t we listen to it now and then continue our discussion around his novel?”

The reason for this suggestion was not that Balzac wanted to mentor young people on a whim, but simply because he was in a very bad mood, and George Sand was probably no less so. In this mood, listening to someone else's novel would inevitably lead to a harsh critique.
Others were surprised and curious about his suggestion. As for Turgenev, although he did feel that the atmosphere was a bit off, after thinking about Mikhail's manuscript for a moment, Turgenev, who suddenly felt full of energy, immediately agreed to the proposal.

So soon, under the watchful eyes of the two solemn-looking writers and everyone else in the room, Turgenev began to read.

Mikhail once again entrusted Turgenev with short stories, and to make them more relevant to the times, he naturally made some alterations. As for the content of the stories...
"A poor old man with a white beard begged us for money. My companion, Joseph da Franchet, gave him a five-franc silver coin. I was surprised, and he said to me, 'This poor old man reminds me of a story I've never forgotten, and I'll tell you about it now. It goes like this:'"
My family was originally from Havel, and we weren't wealthy; we just managed to make ends meet, that was all. My father worked very late and didn't earn much money. I have two older sisters.

My mother was deeply distressed by our family's financial difficulties. She often vented her anger on her husband with sharp, sarcastic remarks and subtle, venomous accusations. The gesture this poor man made at that moment made me extremely uncomfortable. He opened his hand and wiped his forehead, as if to wipe away non-existent beads of sweat, and remained silent. I understood the pain he felt because of his own powerlessness.

If I lose a button or tear my pants, they'll yell at me.

Since this novel seems to be told from a child's perspective, the opening content is almost unadorned, but it is precisely this content that seems to immediately touch a nerve with many people.

Even in such poverty, there seems to be hope in their lives:

"But every Sunday, our whole family would dress up and stroll along the seawall. My father would wear a formal suit, a top hat, and gloves, and my mother would hold his arm, while my mother, dressed in red and green, looked like a festive boat."
Every Sunday, when my father saw the ocean liner returning from a distant, unheard-of country sail into the harbor, he would repeat his words verbatim: "Ah! If Jules were on board, how wonderful that would be!"

This uncle used to be very outrageous, but after he made his fortune, he wrote back:
"My dearest Philip, I am writing to you so that you will not worry about my health. I will return to Havel once I have made my fortune. I hope that the time when we meet again will not be too far away, and then we can live happily together."

This letter became our family's gospel; we would take it out and read it whenever we had the chance, and show it to everyone we met.

Sure enough, ten years passed without another letter from Uncle Jules, but as time went on, my father's hopes grew stronger each day. My mother often said:
“Our situation will change one day when this kind-hearted Jules returns. He’s a man of many ways!”

The family had always held onto this hope, even relying on Uncle Jules' letter to finally marry off their daughter. To celebrate, the family chose to travel to a small island, which should have been a joyous occasion. However, just as the father was about to treat the children to oysters, he suddenly discovered something unexpected:

Suddenly my father became uneasy; he took a few steps back, staring at his daughter and son-in-law crowded around the oyster seller. Suddenly he walked towards us, his face pale and his eyes strange. He whispered to my mother, "How strange, this oyster seller looks so much like Jules!"

My mother was very surprised and asked, "Which Jules?"

After the father found out everything, Uncle Jules' identity was undoubtedly confirmed. Faced with their uncle who was unwilling to burden his relatives, what decision would this family make?
The mother immediately replied, “The children should be taken away. Since Joseph knows everything, let him go and bring them back. Be especially careful not to let our son-in-law find out.”

My father looked disheveled, and he muttered, "What a bolt from the blue!"

My mother suddenly flew into a rage. She said, "Hmph, I always knew that thief would amount to nothing. He'll come back to drag us down sooner or later. What hope can we have for the Dafranch family?"

Things have come to this point, yet it's a child like "me" who has to pay the bill, and:
I looked at his hands, a sailor's hands, wrinkled and worn. Then I looked at his face, an old, poor face, full of sorrow and bitterness. I murmured, "This is my uncle, my father's brother, my uncle."

I gave him a ten-cent tip, and he thanked me, saying, "God bless you, young sir!"

He used the tone of a poor person receiving alms; I think he must be eating over there.

When I returned the two francs to my father, my mother was surprised and asked, "What? You spent three francs? How is that possible?"

I said firmly, "I gave a ten-copper tip."

My mother was startled and stared at me: "Are you crazy? Giving this guy ten copper coins, you stinking beggar!"

Soon, Turgenev read to the end of the story: "I never saw my father's brother again! From now on, you will see me sometimes giving 5 francs to vagrants, and that is why."

After reading it, Turgenev naturally looked at the audience's reactions and found that the two great writers, who had been arguing fiercely, now seemed to have completely calmed down. In fact, towards the end, they couldn't help but look at each other, as if they were exchanging some opinions.
(End of this chapter)