介绍:
For Anglophone readers, French novelist Patrick Modiano used to be off everyone's radar. When he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature last October, even the reaction from some of the most well-read critics was: "Who?"
But in China, a nation far off from France, this low-profile wordsmith has enjoyed quite a reputation among the literati.
So for today's bookshelf, let's follow Li Ningjing to learn more about this Nobel laureate and his everlasting popularity in China.
Reporter:
On October 9th 2014, in the full view of cameras and journalists, Peter Englund, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, announced the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Since then, this once-unknown writer has come to the limelight. However, due to the lack of the English translation of his works, the choice of the Academy has baffled many in English-speaking countries.
But according to Yu Zhongxian, renowned Chinese translator in French literature, Modiano's laurel is not such a big surprise for Chinese, since his novels have already been widely translated and accepted in China.
"As early as 1982 or 1983, we have already known him from his two novels published on the literary magazines: 'World Literature' and 'Foreign Literature and Art'. After reading through those novellas, people started to realize how good this writer is. Because at that time, many French literary giants past away, such as Jean-Paul Sartre and Louis Aragon. People were concerned about a successor. But in fact, writers like Le Clézio and Modiano have become the inheritors of French literature. "
Born in the western suburb of Paris in 1945, when the aftershocks of the WWII still lingered, Modiano is a writer obsessed with the wartime Paris. Loosely blending autobiography, fiction and reportage, his writings explore the intertwined relation between identity, memory, oblivion and guilt buried during that watershed moment of French history.
Among his over 30 works, nearly half of them have been introduced to China, which are far more than the number of the English versions. Although not everyone is acquainted with the historical backdrop of his books, these fictions still strike a chord among Chinese readership.
Multi-award winning author Xu Zechen,whose most famous book is Jerusalem, explains.
"He emphasizes more on the inner state of human being and expresses certain concerns, such as seeking identity in one's spiritual world, which is a very pure and practical question in literature."
Among all his introduced books, the detective thriller Missing Person is arguably the most popular one. Not only translated into four different Chinese versions, it has even affected the writing style of several Chinese authors, including the late novelist Wang Xiaobo, the dark horse of contemporary Chinese literature.
Book critic Zhi An introduces.
"There are two Chinese writers deeply influenced by Modiano. One is Wang Shuo and another is Wang Xiaobo. Wang Xiaobo held the book 'Missing Person' in high regard and he was particularly fond of the first phrase of that novel: 'I am nothing'."
Flipping the pages of Wanshou Temple, one of Wang's most notable pieces, loyal Modiano fans may feel a strong sense of déjà vu: the first sentence is a perfect duplication of Missing Person; Modiano's name has been mentioned repeatedly; while the main character suffering from amnesia sets out to piece together his own identity through strange leads, which shares great similarity with Modiano's plot.
Crowning Modiano as one of the world's greatest novelists in the article "The Art of Fiction", Wang also borrowed certain elements from him into his own stories. Similar with his French torchbearer, Wang Xiaobo delved into the past through the eyes of a reminiscent narrator and paid allegorical and ghostly tribute to the history. His clear, concise language plus the licentious and mysterious style shocked the Chinese literati at the end of the 20th century and inspired more to read Modiano.
According to the famous book critic Zhi An, even Wang Shuo, the leader of Chinese hooligan literature, falls for Modiano's charm.
"Modiano used to be extremely popular in China during the 1980s. You know, Wang Xiaobo might be a bookworm, but Wang Shuo was probably not. However, he has been affected by Modiano as well, thus wrote his highly influential gangster story 'Playing for Thrills'. "
Zhi An emphasizes that, by sliding back and forth in time, Modiano opens a window for contemporary Chinese literature and evokes people's interest to investigate the weightiness and art of our memories.
After the announcement of 2014 Nobel Prize in Literature, the recognition of Modiano is no longer confined to the literary circle but firmly expands to the public view. Many of his books have been reprinted due to the high demand.
Although some question that if the general public are just jumping on the band wagon, Zhi An believes that the popularity of Modiano writings will not easily fade away, since he rips out the universal veil enveloped over human history.
"What is the relationship between Patrick Modiano and today's young readers? What he writes is exactly the mental state of young people. They want to decrypt the mystery of the unknown. Although they may fail in the end, they still endeavor to the best, which touched me deeply when I was young. Nobody could capture that mood so clear like him. So to those young people who want certain guidance for their life, I will recommend Modiano fictions."
Accordingly, there will be more Chinese versions of Modiano works to be published in the near future.
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