Gauguin's work was entrusted to the Royal Press Office.

In the next few days, Lu Shi was busy with the publication of "Lord of the Flies".

Because it was multilingual, it took some time.

After that, early the next morning, he went to the Royal Opera House to watch the rehearsal of "Lolita", and worked with George Bernard Shaw on how to change the script.

George Bernard Shaw complained: "This one is inevitably too difficult to change." Compared with "Hunting", it is not an order of magnitude at all. ”

Lu Shi wanted to laugh when he heard it.

It is inevitable that it will be difficult to change,

The only film script in the life of the original author Nabokov is "Lolita",

And his self-written introduction is:

——

A light and lively variant,

A mischievous fantasia in which words leap across to the infinite possibilities of images.

——

It can be seen that if you want to put it on the big screen, even the author himself has to modify the original serious and literary style.

And at the beginning of the 20th century, there were no long films, only stage plays,

It's harder to change the script.

Lu Shi asked the other party in a low voice: "What do you think are the main aspects of difficult change?" ”

George Bernard Shaw said: "The text is too poetic, and it needs to be changed to be more popular." It's not that hard, I'm very experienced. The key is that the script is suitable for the performance, and that's ......"

He nodded in the direction of the stage,

"It's funny, Miss Dale plays it very well, but it's Henry, and it doesn't feel like Humbert at all."

Henry Owen's previous roles include:

Dracula in "Dracula";

"Yes! Humphrey in The Prime Minister;

Lucas in "The Hunt";

……

Looking at this string, you know that there is no problem with acting.

Lu Shi asked in a low voice, "What's the matter?" ”

George Bernard Shaw sighed,

"Let him tell you for himself."

With that, he waved to the stage and signaled for the rehearsal to stop.

For a while, the actors and the field workers all relaxed, resting when they should rest, and chatting about what they should gossip.

Phyllis trotted over,

"Teacher, I'm doing a good job!"

Lu Shi laughed,

"Of course!"

It can be said that Phyllis played Lolita alive, with a girlish nature, but with a hint of lightness, coupled with appropriate makeup, it is inevitably reminiscent of the so-called "pure desire style" in modern times.

And Phyllis's acting skills have improved significantly,

It must be admitted that this thing does have a perception of the saying,

After "Roman Holiday", Phyllis's acting skills visibly became stronger with the naked eye.

Owen was a little helpless,

"It's hard to play a pervert well, ......"

The crowd laughed.

Actually, it's a bit of an exaggeration to say that Humbert is a pervert, but it's certainly not right to say that he's a normal person.

George Bernard Shaw asked, "What do you think, Henry?" ”

Owen looked helpless,

"I told you all my thoughts without reservation."

The two have had a discussion about acting many times, but each time it has not benefited much.

Fortunately, Lu Shi is here today, and he may be able to gain something.

Owen continued: "I'm an experiential, so the first thing to be clear about is what kind of pervert Humbert is. ”

"Poof!"

Phyllis on the side was amused.

Owen said, "What are you laughing at? You don't know men, and there are many kinds of perverts. Desire-based, psychologically defective, anti-social ......"

Phyllis groaned,

"Humbert seems to have a little bit of everything."

Owen went on to explain: "So that's the hardest part. Let's just talk about the desire type, as long as I release my primitive impulses, I'm basically a pervert. ”

There was a silence,

“……”

“……”

“……”

Phyllis couldn't hold back after all, turned his head away, and laughed again.

Owen was very helpless,

"Seriously! Let's get down to business! ”

Phyllis smiled more and stepped aside, saying, "I'll go to the door to get some air." The discussion about the types of perverts is better for you men to digest internally, and I don't participate. ”

Looking at her back, George Bernard Shaw smiled,

"Miss Dale has matured a lot, and she has changed a lot from when we first met."

Owen waved his hand,

"Don't be emotional. Help me first. ”

George Bernard Shaw spread his hands and said: "I wanted to change the script before, but if you don't agree, then I won't have a move." You can ask Lu, is he the original author~"

Owen looked at Lu Shi expectantly.

Lu Shi groaned,

Recently, he has been studying Gauguin's "The Whispers of an Art Apprentice", which has given him a deeper understanding of the psychological ups and downs of people.

At the same time, the desire to write "The Moon and Sixpence" was born in his heart.

But there have been a lot of things lately, and I have only written roughly, and many details have not yet fallen to the end of the pen.

He said: "You still have to figure out Humbert's psychology. Why did he become like this? Is it a lack of love? Or have you had the experience of being bullied? are all worth in-depth analysis. ”

This chain is not even a problem,

Because it's been made very clear.

Owen didn't either,

"Sir Lu, I'm almost able to memorize "Lolita" completely, but I still can't help it."

Lu Shi said: "If you want to experience perversion, the most direct way is to force others. For example, go to school and bully children, steal their snacks, and threaten them to help you contact the nuns in the school...... cough cough cough ...... Why do you think of me like that? ”

George Bernard Shaw's eyes were full of shock when he looked at Lu,

Owen, on the other hand, was a little eager to take the plunge.

Lu Shi hurriedly said: "Sir Owen, I'm just giving an example, you...... Don't take it seriously! ”

Owen nodded,

"I understand!"

"Hiss......"

Lu Shi gasped, feeling that the other party didn't understand.

If the elder brother really snatches the children's snacks, then his own sin will be too great.

He was about to explain,

At this time, George Bernard Shaw nodded in the direction of the door,

"Lu, it should be looking for you."

Looking in the direction of his gaze,

I saw Jasmine Wood of the Royal Press Office standing in the doorway,

Margarita was also there.

Her Royal Highness the Princess was chatting with Phyllis at this time,

The two of them laughed and laughed, and from time to time let out pleasant, "giggle" laughter, which couldn't help but remind Lu Shi of the picture of the upper and lower houses reaching an agreement on a coalition government.

"A Girl in Cooperation" seems to have really become a girl in cooperation.

Lu Shi walked over.

Phyllis gave him a bow, and ran back to the stage for the rest of the rehearsal.

The remaining three said hello and took their seats in the last row of the theater.

Lu Shi said, "Mr. Wood is here to find me?" ”

Wood nodded,

"Sir Lu, you commissioned me to publish "The Whispers of an Art Apprentice" and "Before and After", and the sales were very ...... Forehead...... I'll make it clear. 500 copies were printed each, and only seven copies were sold, which led to my complaints from major booksellers. ”

Land Hours: ???

"It's only seven!?"

Even French, with the endorsement of the Royal Publishing House, would not have ended so dismally.

Wood sighed,

"I heard His Highness say, have you read both books?"

Lu Shi nodded,

"Yes. What's the problem? ”

Wood whispered, "When you were reading, you didn't notice that Mr. Gauguin's mind was a little confused......"

The latter words are really against gentlemanly manners and cannot be spoken.

He put it another way,

"The logic of the two books is very jumpy, and there is a feeling of talking about one sentence in the east and one sentence in the west."

Lu Shi was dumbfounded, and probably understood what was going on.

Margarita was puzzled,

"Mr. Wood, can you be more specific?"

Wood groaned,

His eyes fell on the stage, watching Phyllis and Owen perform, and said, "Your Royal Highness, please see how Miss Dale interprets Lolita, her performance has an internal logic." ”

At this time, the rehearsal is the last scene, and the relationship between Humbert and Lolita has collapsed.

Irving's Humbert wants Raphilis's Lolita's hand, but is ruthlessly dodged.

Wood said: "When he saw Humbert approaching, Lowe immediately felt nervous and disgusted, and this was the feeling; Then she thought to herself, 'Is this man going to be obsessed with me again?' This is judgment; After judging before acting, she stepped back, dodging Humbert. ”

Feel→ judge → act,

This logical chain is complete and clear.

And Gauguin's writings always lack one or even two of them,

Readers are certainly confused when they read it.

Coupled with the language barrier, it's no wonder it's not easy to sell.

And Lu Shi will not have this kind of trouble,

He was very familiar with "The Moon and Sixpence", knew Gauguin's life, and was proficient in French, so he did not notice the problems in Gauguin's writing.

What's more, Gauguin was already a half-crazy and half-genius existence in Lu Shi's heart.

Isn't it natural that his work is obscure?

Lu Shi sighed,

He found that the publication of the two books would deepen the world's prejudice against Gauguin.

It's like Van Gogh cutting off his own ear, which did not attract pity and recognition, but more disgust.

This backfires.

Wood said helplessly: "Reading the works of Mr. Gauguin is like watching the rhapsody of a madman." ”

Lu Shi said: "Perhaps, Mr. Gauguin really has some ......"

He pointed to his own skull.

Gauguin's illness often caused a high fever, which in turn affected his consciousness.

Lu Shi asked, "Mr. Wood, I understand the situation. You're coming to me to give me some advice, right? ”

Wood asked, "Her Royal Highness the Princess told me that a large part of Mr. Gauguin's paintings are in the Luk Museum, so I would like to lend a few to the major bookstores as a gimmick." Of course, this is the next step. If you can hold an exhibition in the museum and sell books at the same time, the effect will definitely be better. ”

Lu Shi nodded,

"No problem. However, Monsieur Gauguin's painting has not yet arrived in London, and it will have to wait a few days. ”

Wood also knows the situation,

"Yes."

After speaking, he touched his forehead a little depressedly, and said with little confidence: "But even so, I am thankful that the two books can sell in three digits." Alas...... I'm afraid I'm going to be counted by those booksellers for a while~"

Lu Shi couldn't help laughing,

"Mr. Wood, with your current position, are you still worried about this?"

Because of the big tree with his back to Lu Shi, Wood was responsible for publishing a large number of best-selling books.

So, he's now the editor-in-chief.

Wood spreads his hands,

"Then I can't be tossed by my poor temperament."

His grievances are just right and not offensive.

The corners of Lu Shi's mouth hooked up and said, "In this way, I will give you a book and entrust it to the Royal Publishing Bureau to publish." ”

Wood's eyes lit up,

"Lord of the Flies!?"

The story of the innocence trilogy has spread,

As the finishing work after "Hunting" and "Lolita", the gimmick is very full and is bound to sell well.

And at the level of land time, the literary quality will not be bad,

The Royal Publishing House is sure to gain both fame and fortune.

But Lu Shi shook his head,

"Our own publishing department is already running Lord of the Flies, and it will be available in about ten days."

"Ah......h

Wood has some regrets,

But soon adjusted the mood,

Lu is not Gauguin,

Regardless of Toon's status, this pen name represents the highest level of European literature.

So, don't worry even if it's not Lord of the Flies.

Wood asked, "Sir Lu, what are you going to write about this time?" ”

Lu Shi said: "I created with Mr. Gauguin as the prototype. Rest assured, my mind won't jump like he did. ”

Wood was stunned, then laughed,

"Good, good!"

With Lu Shi's book as a gimmick, why do you need to hold an art exhibition?

If the three books are sold together, the sales will definitely be fine.

Wood laughed so hard that he couldn't close his mouth,

"In that case, then I'll wait for the good news from Sir Landing! And, if you write fast enough, the new book might even hit the market with Lord of the Flies. You know, when it comes to publication review, the Royal Publishing Bureau has obvious advantages. ”

As he spoke, he stood up,

When he was about to leave, he remembered something and asked, "Do you want to reprint Monsieur Gauguin's book?" ”

This question shows that we are confident in Lushi's ability to drive sales.

Lu Shi groaned,

"Don't print it."

"Huh?"

Wood was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly realized: "Artificially creating scarcity, the price will inevitably rise." Sir Lu wants to recycle the first version of "The Whispers of an Art Apprentice" and "Before and After", and then speculate the price? ”

Lu Shi shook his head,

"It's not to make money, just sell it at the original price."

Wood looked deeply at Lu Shi,

Since it's not for making money, it's only about fame.

Not Lu's fame, of course,

He doesn't need to.

In doing so, it is Gauguin's reputation that is enhanced,

As the topic climbs, more and more people will definitely take the initiative to learn about Gauguin.

Wood said to Lu Shi: "Sir Lu, I admire you. ”

Lu Shi said with a smile: "There is an ancient Chinese poem, 'Vote for me with papaya, repay with Qiongju', just like for Mr. Wilde and Mr. Zola, which is what I should do." What's more, the paintings that Mr. Gauguin gave me are priceless, and I should repay them. ”

At this time, Gauguin's paintings were not worth much.

Therefore, Wood believed that Lu Shi was out of kindness, and admired it more and more.

"I fully support Sir Luk's decision. In this case, I will prepare first, and strive to start printing as soon as possible. ”

Margarita covered her lips and smiled,

"Mr. Wood can't wait, either. Before I saw the manuscript, I started to think about printing. ”

Wood explained: "Sir Lu is a notoriously fast gunner, so of course I had to prepare for it. ”

After saying that, he got up and said goodbye to the two,

In a short time, the back disappeared at the gate of the opera house.

Margarita was curious,

"Teacher, have you already thought of the theme?"

Lu Shi looked at the performance on the stage and said thoughtfully: "Art and literature are not always lofty and arrogant. ”

Margarita said "um",

"After meeting Mr. Picasso, I learned that art also needs packaging. Sometimes, art is even philistine, pandering, and hypocritical. ”

Lu Shi: "......"

"No, no, I didn't mean that."

"Ah......h

Margarita was puzzled.

Lu Shi chuckled,

The heart says,

After Her Royal Highness became a strong woman, her thinking changed, and she always wanted to make money.

"Don't think about Mr. Picasso," he said. Think of Van Gogh, think of Gauguin......"

Margarita instantly blushed and said in a somewhat coquettish tone: "Then I'll change my words~ Sometimes, art even smells of blood, so there will be so many ill-fated martyrs throughout the ages." ”

Her Royal Highness the Princess became quite fast.

Lu Shi smiled: "What I want to create is such a person." ”

He closed his eyes in contemplation.

In fact, in his mind, "The Moon and Sixpence" is a work that "fame is greater than reality".

This has something to do with modern marketing routines.

A book, if it has a particularly prominent, chicken-soup-style title or quote, is easy to be taken out and consumed repeatedly.

And "The Moon and Sixpence" is just that.

There is a saying that is widely circulated:

"There were sixpence all over the ground, but he looked up and saw the moon."

Many people who have never read a book but are familiar with it are due to marketing.

This sentence was chosen for marketing because the two images are simple enough and used very appropriately.

Sixpence is money and represents reality;

The moonlight is unattainable and represents the ideal.

You can understand it at a glance.

That's why this phrase can spread very quickly.

This also leads to people reading "The Moon and Sixpence" because of a certain sentence or title, and inevitably have high expectations, only to find that there is a serious deviation from what they think, resulting in the so-called "name is greater than reality".

There is another wonderful feature of this book –

There is no psychological analysis or psychological depiction of Strickland.

The protagonist who has no psychological activities, and it is difficult for platinum writers who carry the sub-level in the online literature industry to write well.

(laughs)

Because without mental activity, it is difficult to see the growth of the character, and it is even more difficult to see the struggle of the character.

Written like this, the character arc is bound to be not eye-catching enough.

After thinking about it, Lu Shi decided to make some changes to Maugham's original work in this regard,

It's not too difficult for him,

Because I have two books at hand, "The Whispers of an Art Apprentice" and "Before and After", which tell about Gauguin's mental journey, which can be used as a reference.

Lu Shi got up,

"I'm going back."

Margarita asked, "Write a book?" ”

Lu Shi nodded,

"Well, I'm actually already writing it, but there are still many details to be perfected."

Margarita blinked subtly,

Thought

I guessed it right,

The parcel sent by Mr. Gauguin really stimulated the teacher's creative desire.

That book will definitely be a classic.

She asked curiously, "Teacher, what is the name of the book?" ”

Lu Shi replied: "The Moon and Sixpence." ”

There are many kinds of coins in the UK,

The smallest denomination of the silver coin was sixpence. (Early 20th century)

Margarita chewed on the name and muttered, "When people look up at the moon, they often forget the sixpence at their feet; But the reverse is also true, when one only pays attention to the sixpence at one's feet, one inevitably forgets to look up at the moon. ”

"Whew~"

She let out a sigh of relief,

"What a name."

(End of chapter)