Chapter 45 Section VIII

After drinking the coffee, Mr. Yuan Zi proposed: "How about it, do you want to include Kikuchi Kanya in the list of suspects?" I paused and said, "That's right, Kikuchi is indeed his close friend." Mr. Yuan Zi heard my insincere tone and said, "You don't think so?" "Yes. Compared with Tanizaki and others, it seems that the two of them discuss less literary topics. But of course, that's because Kikuchi has become a popular writer." "Speaking of Kikuchi, most people still have a good idea of ​​his image after he wrote "Ms. Zhenzhu". And his novels are no longer read. Because of social changes and novel skills are also improving with each passing day, he has fallen behind. I was a student Times have read a few of his novels, and they were indeed difficult to read. It’s hard not to look at them from the standpoint of a third party. When you read them, you can’t help wondering: Was this style of writing really popular at the time? "

"No fun to read?" "You can say that. It's an extravagant expectation to say it's interesting, so I can't help but want to read other books." "In Mr. Yuan Zi's time, did anyone still read his novels?" "Troublesome. I'm not that old, okay? I'll buy a few volumes of the complete works at a used bookstore. Otherwise, even in my day, Kikuchi's books would not be available on the market. However, Kikuchi's The work won overwhelming support from the public when it was published. On the other hand—" Mr. Yuan Zi narrowed his eyes suddenly. "There is a writer called Shigeharu Nakano, right?"

"right." "He wrote such a passage: I know literature and art, but I don't know music. That's because I don't have money. In literature, at least I can afford cheap novels, but poor people can't get close to music." "If you consider the environment of the times, what he said should be correct." "I think so. When you see bourgeois kids coming back from a concert at the station, you'll hate them and think they're vulgar. And—here's the point. In short, he writes that he doesn't understand music at all. That's how he describes it. How incomprehensible I am: "In terms of music, I'm not even as good as the public bath proprietress who sits at the checkout counter and reads Kikuchi Hiroshi's novel.'”

"what……" "Kikuchi himself, even if he hears this kind of thing, he probably has nothing to refute. He probably can only reply that writing for women sitting at the checkout counter is the real popular literature. But even so, He is 'a writer who represents the level of ordinary people who don't understand literature'. It's amazing, right? It's not irony, but it shows how important the existence of Hiroshi Kikuchi is." I gradually felt his status in the literary world. "How is he and Akutagawa? Are there any literary contacts?" "The two of them should discuss art a lot, especially when they're young."

"But, Akutagawa doesn't seem to have written many letters to Kikuchi, does it?" Although I seem to understand it well, in fact, the diaries and letters in the complete works of Akutagawa, at most, I only flipped through the Chunyangtang version, and didn't read it carefully at all.That's why I blurted out the words.My indiscretion was punished, and I hit a nail at once. "You mean, not much?" "Well, I think so..." I feel guilty.Mr. Yuan Zi responded with a smile, "Actually, there is no' at all." "what?" "No. There is no letter to Kikuchi in the complete works of Akutagawa. Not only that, but in the suicide note, I did not see the letter written to Kikuchi a few months before his death. Those written to others, even if it is specifically stated that they must be burned after reading. The dropped letters were kept and printed. However, the name Kikuchi never appeared.”

"That's too powerful, isn't it?" "If the letters are still kept, I think the number should be quite considerable. Kikuchi himself said that he didn't keep the letters because he was too lazy, but he did it so thoroughly, it is still shocking. Speaking of thoroughness, Muramatsu Sokaze wrote An interesting thing. I think it should be included in "Modern Writers' Biography". It is said that Saupaze asked Akutagawa what he thought of Kikuchi?" "yes." "As a result, Akutagawa listened, smiled mockingly, and said: 'When you went to Kikuchi's house, didn't you find that the sliding doors, paper doors, and low cabinets next to the floor must all be pulled up from the opposite direction? I originally Thought it would close in the normal way at least once in a while, it must have turned out the other way around.'”

I was taken aback again. "Sounds scary." "However, the content of this passage is the 'content' narrated by Akutagawa. Thinking about it this way, it is confusing whether it is 'Akutagawa' or 'Kikuchi' that is scary." I feel defeated. "That's true. No matter how you say it, it's impossible to be 'certain'. That's the 'Kikuchi man' described by Akutagawa." "right." "Akutagawa likes to use this shocking statement. Eguchi Kazuki introduced it in "My Generation's Literature Half a Century". It is said that Akutagawa once said to his friends that Arishima Takero's novels are like listening to famous Western songs on the radio."

Mr. Yuan Zi nodded: "Ah, I remember that. It's like a cross talk show, throwing out a certain topic, but using a certain statement that seems irrelevant at first glance to explain the burden, right?" "Yeah, what he thought was 'If it's real, I wonder how good it would be.'" "The effect of throwing out a sentence like this is really violent. It reveals the sincerity of the speaker." "That kind of statement, if you see it in printed biographies, it's an elegant anecdote. If you hear the chat between banquets, I don't know how spicy the content will be."

Mr. Yuan Zi said calmly: "Arrogance and confidence and slenderness and sensitivity are by no means contradictory."