Chapter 11 Defense of Literature——Introduction to "Memorandum for the Next Round of Peace and Prosperity" (Author: Wu Qiancheng)

Italo Calvino (1923-1985), a master of novels of a generation, unfortunately passed away due to cerebral hemorrhage on the eve of preparing to leave for Harvard University in the United States to deliver the "Norton Lecture".Calvino is naturally taciturn, especially unwilling to reveal himself, but he welcomes this opportunity to talk about all kinds of literary creation.The lectures he has conceived inevitably refer to his own work, his methods, intentions, and hopes.Therefore, this book is regarded as Calvino's legacy to the world; the literary value he carefully outlines in the book can be used as a yardstick for evaluating general works and as a guide for understanding Calvino.

What is there to cherish about writing?Calvino explained the five indispensable literary values ​​in five speeches (five memos to readers).The first lecture is "Lightness", citing Greek mythology, Ovid, Boccaccio, Cervantes, Kundera, Kafka and other works to interpret: the heaviness of life must be borne in a light manner; the second Lecture "Quick", explaining how to combine "action" (fast) and "contemplation" (slow) with agility; the next third lecture "Quasi", emphasizes the precision and clarity of language; ", explaining that visual imagination is a medium for understanding the world and the self; the fifth lecture "Traditional" is a masterpiece, vividly and wonderfully describing how literature goes out of the way, trying to convey the pain, confusion and joy of human beings in the face of infinite possibilities. uplifting.

Calvino's access to ancient and modern classics, quotations from many sources, reading taste and academic insights are breathtaking. This book can be said to be a memo written for connoisseurs and readers who are familiar with and love the art of fiction. A literary apology for protection, an appropriate gift for the next millennium, readers who are worried and concerned about the future fate of literature can find very powerful testimony here.