Chapter 479 Ovi, Don't Be Careless

Chapter 479 Ovi, Don't Be Careless

Chapter 479 Ovi, Don't Be Careless
To be honest, the country's geographical location is still important, but its international presence is not strong. The most famous in the field of entertainment are its more than 3,000 metal bands.

In other words, the field of literature is not acceptable.

Correspondingly, the literary atmosphere is not strong, but today is a bit of an exception?
The National Museum of Finland, the pointed tower-like building with a blue roof, is one of the landmark buildings in Helsinki and houses important cultural relics.

There is actually a challenge event at the National Museum today.

World Literature Quiz Challenge!

There are various related questions. For example, "Why are there so many repeated names in One Hundred Years of Solitude?" "How long did it take to write Faust? A5 years, B10 years, C20 years..." "Which of the following is a female writer in the Renaissance?" and so on.

The above problems are relatively normal, so what are the abnormal ones? They are the following problems.

[Who is the best-selling Chinese writer today?]

A Mo Yan, B Gu Lu, C Yan Lianke, D Can Xue]

[Why is Gu Lu called the writer who knows Leo Tolstoy best by the famous writer Yuri Buida of the Bear Country? ]

There are a total of 50 questions in the question bank. Each contestant will randomly select questions, and each contestant will be involved in at least four or five questions related to Gu Lu.

"What a pity! You answered this question incorrectly." After passers-by participate in the event, staff will award prizes based on the number of questions they answered correctly.

"Although Mr. Mo Yan is a Nobel Prize winner in literature, his book sales are not as good as Gu Lu's. Many of Gu Lu's books have sold very well in markets around the world, and the cumulative sales have exceeded 20 million copies. He is the best-selling writer in contemporary China."

The staff will also give appropriate explanations on the questions that the contestants answered incorrectly. Other questions will be explained briefly, while questions related to Gu Lu will be explained in detail.

The world literature quiz is free for anyone to participate in, and the prizes are pretty good, including handicrafts and practical rice, flour, grain and oil.

The Finnish National Museum is located in the city center and is busy with people coming and going, so many people came to attend the event because they thought they were going to attend.

"I saw in the news that many countries were vying for the friendship of a Chinese person. It felt like a strange Christmas village. I didn't expect that Gu Lu wrote the world-famous "The Little Prince" and the strongest sequel to Sherlock Holmes when he was only 15 or 16 years old. It's like God has become a Chinese. Such a genius has a good impression of the country - it's really worth looking forward to."

"It's like Mozart in the field of music. It's hard for any musician to surpass him. Mozart's friendship is indeed worth fighting for. At the age of 25, he is the best-selling Chinese writer of the contemporary era. It's hard to imagine what he will become in the future."

"Only if you truly understand him can you understand the depth of the Three Kingdoms' struggle. But... why are there so many questions about Gu Lu in the world literature quiz?"

Passersby were talking about it.

The first day was just an experiment, but in the next few days, the Finnish Arts Council launched an event called "Finland and World Literature". Hundreds of similar question-and-answer events were held across Finland.

The Finns, even more than the French and the British, understand how talented Gu Lu is and what his status is in the field of literature.

The effect was very encouraging. On the Finnish version of Twitter, the number of discussions about Gu Lu increased exponentially.

A Finnish netizen left a message on Twitter: "It is easy for humans to have geniuses like aliens. A distant example is Gauss, and a more recent one is Gu Lu. For the sake of human development, can we dissect him? Let's see what the difference is between the body of a genius and that of an ordinary human."

"Gu Lure" is like a violent storm, coming with great force.

After all, Elisa's family background is related to the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, and the means they can use are also related.

There is nothing new under the sun. He, the butcher, is wrong, but the Frenchman (Dibo) is useful, so why can't she, Elisa?
One can’t even imagine how much effort Elisa, the Finnish ambassador to China, put in to deal with the pizza falling from the sky. Anyway, the nationwide campaign is just the first step.

For the remaining second and third steps, do not use a broad perspective, but express them from a personal perspective.

Take for example a Finn named Joba Idaranta, a famous European critic, theatre consultant and writer. Even if she is not very famous, she is still a big name in Finland. Her work, Memory of Water, has won many domestic and international awards and has been translated into more than a dozen languages.

By the way, Idaranta is also the Finnish leader of the cultural exchange group to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Finland and China this year.

"Robai, have you paid attention to the book A Man Called Ove Decides to Die?"

Mr. Pertola, Chairman of the Finnish Council for Arts and Culture, called me and he is also the direct person in charge of the Finnish cultural exchange group.

"Of course there is attention. To be more precise, I can't help but pay attention. Yesterday, when I passed by a bookstore, I saw the promotion of the new work of Chinese writer Gu Lu. I haven't seen such crazy promotion for a long time." Comparing the promotion of his own book published last year, Idaranta clearly felt that the promotion momentum was lagging behind.

But she thinks it is normal. Idalanda's books are all published by Werner Publishing House, which is the oldest publishing house in Finland. It was founded in 1878. The works it has translated and published are more than those translated by the entire Daying Publishing House. It is so cool.

Unfortunately, in terms of Finland's publicity channels, the largest ones are foreign publishing groups, and Werner is not ranked.

"Mr. Pertola asked, right?" Idaranta asked.

"A Man Called Ove Decides to Die" is a book Gu Lu wrote for Finland," Pertola said. "Robai, you said in our previous chat that you wanted to write a story that takes place in Asia. If possible, it would be best if it was set in China."

Pertola added, "As the best writer in our country, I think your works will not be worse than Gu Lu's."

That's right. Idaranta has been writing for more than 30 years and has won many awards. It should be no problem for him to be compared with talented writers.

The key is to set a goal. Idaranta doesn't like to be restricted in writing.

"If the subject matter is suitable, I'll give it a try," Idaranta responded.

After all, it is a work expressing friendship between the two countries, so negative themes are definitely not good.

"Well, when are you going to China?" Pertola asked, "Have you dealt with the affairs of the cultural exchange group?"

The venue for the cultural exchange for the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Finland is in Siberia, because the th anniversary was in Helsinki. As mentioned earlier, the main venue is one side at a time.

As the group leader, she is definitely the one who arranges the time. Plus, Idaranta is also very careful, a quality that is consistent with her works, with delicate emotions and the ability to capture very tiny things.

Idaranta briefly explained the arrangements, and Pertola was very satisfied. They were both busy people, so after they finished talking, they hung up the phone without any greetings.

After a few seconds of distraction, Idaranta withdrew his gaze from the bookcase and asked, "What could Gu Lu feel about Finland?"

Idaranta decided to go and buy it in a couple of days.

Forty-eight hours passed in a flash, and when Idaranta came to the bookstore, she noticed that there were many customers with the same purpose as her.

"Seeing so many people praising Gu Lu on the Internet, I want to know what his works are like", "I read an article he wrote in Spanish, the first long novel in Finnish, I must read it.", "There are many recommendations for European and American writers in the book jacket"...

The recommendation on the book jacket was all about social etiquette. Idaranta took the book from the most conspicuous place, and only took two steps forward to the cashier when it was his turn.

The queue length... is definitely a bit far.

The queues in Nordic countries are quite long, and people pay more attention to personal space.

Pay the bill and go home.

The price is 25 Euros - don't think it's expensive, it's actually very cheap. Books in Finland are generally expensive.

Idaranta drove home, looking at the lone pedestrians outside the car window. Even though the snow had stopped in April, she could still feel the coldness of the country from the atmosphere on the streets.

When she got home, she immediately made herself a cup of coffee and curled up on the sofa.

"Martini, stop it. I got it. I'll get you some food right away." Idaranta was interrupted by the family dog ​​when he was about to pick up a book.

The dog kept coming over to rub against me.

After raising the dog for four or five years, Idaranta knew that the dog had no food. He put some snacks in the dog bowl, and Idaranta started to read quietly.

An elderly Finn whose wife left him and who was fired from his job at the factory.

Any normal person would dislike Ove leaving the job he had held for decades.

Put yourself in her shoes. Idaranta has been writing for more than 30 years. If she were asked to put down her pen for half a year now, she would also feel uncomfortable.

The plot is also straightforward, just like the title, this Finn named Ove is about to die.

"It's really the stereotypical Finnish character, not good at speaking and introverted." Idaranta felt a little awkward when he read foreign writers writing about their countrymen.

There is a joke in Finland that most Finns will look at their own shoes when chatting, while a few will look at the other person's shoes. Yes, the latter is the extroverted character of Finland.

After reading a third of the book, Idaranta still didn't think the Finns in the book were that good.

Then there are stories to fill in...

On the way to commit suicide, an annoying neighbor Parvana, who is a foreigner, does not have the sense of distance like the locals and often troubles Ove.

Anyway, Idaranta feels that this neighbor is very close to him.

There is also my old friend Rooney, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. If he is sent to a nursing home according to the policy, then his life will have no dignity.

Of course there is also his very good wife Sonya, because these characters form a very vivid Finnish community.

Before you know it, you're deeply involved in it.

But Idaranta still thinks that Ove’s characterization is... not flat, but his character arc is rather bland. However, he also wants him to continue living and live healthily with his neighbors.

Unfortunately, the book ends: Ove seems to be sleeping soundly. Parvana has never seen him so peaceful. The cat lies beside him, with its head carefully placed in his palm. When it sees Parvana, it slowly stands up...

There is also the suicide note, which specifically talks about the division of his inheritance. Ove and his wife once had a child, but they were in a car accident while pregnant, and the child was gone, and his wife was paralyzed. In general, the weird old man Ove has no children.

Idaranta was not very involved in the property issue. What touched her was a detail in the suicide note: "The cat eats tuna twice a day. It refuses to poop in a stranger's house. Don't force it. There is a lawyer in the city. He has all the important documents."

The arrangement of the cats at home is described, even the cats' pooping is described. This is how the charm of the characters is slowly described in the arrangement of the stereotyped characters.

"The more lonely a person is, the more attached he is to this world..." Idaranta admitted that she was healed by this evil neighbor.

Soon, the emotion on Idaranta's face froze, because he remembered what he had promised Mr. Pertola two days ago, which seemed too impulsive.

"Gu Lu can indeed write about the charm of the Finns. This is what the Finns are like, and he really understands them." Idaranta had to admit.

That’s right, just like when a fortune teller mentions a general advantage, most people will identify with it.

In fact, Ove's kindness, his cold appearance but warm heart, and his seriousness about work and life are all traits that exist in every country.

But - to borrow Idaranta's reading experience "This is the Finn.

Think about it, even famous writers can't avoid thinking this way, let alone ordinary Finnish readers.

Therefore, "A Man Called Ove Decides to Die" instantly ignited the Nordic country of Finland, with such heat that it could burn ice and snow.

"The streets of Helkischen in winter are unbearably cold, but it is also what I miss in the end. Just like Ove, what makes him miss is the unbearable life he once had."

"A Finn decided to die, but failed to commit suicide because he had to help his neighbor reverse his car, fix the heater, lend a ladder, adopt stray cats, and take in a young man who was kicked out of his home. The author is Chinese, I think he must have been helped by a kind Finn. After reading this, I also hope to be a Finn like Ove."

"Only Finland, a land of ice and snow, could have produced an old man like Ove. I thought it was a work with a strong oriental flavor, but it turned out to be a heartwarming work. I began to understand why Gu Lu is loved by readers from so many countries around the world, and now I like him too!"

Wait, the first batch of readers who finished reading the book became tap water.

In addition, the “Finland and World Literature” event a few days ago made Gu Lu well-known to most Finns.

Adding the two together, the popularity of Gu Lu and his works is almost reaching the level of the "hot dance storm".

So what is the hot dance controversy? Actually, it’s nothing, just that the video of the female boss dancing in the nightclub was exposed and caused an uproar…

Continuing, the Finnish Culture and Arts Council proudly announced to the world, "It turns out that Gu Lu knows Finland best!"

The situation is that France, Britain and Russia were originally unwilling to submit to each other, and the situation had even reached the point of personal attacks.

But now you come out and talk about something at length, and the situation has changed...

The Finns woke up to find themselves at the center of discussion.

(End of this chapter)