Chapter 3 My Great Wall of Books

In the collection of books that I lost during the Shanghai Anti-Japanese War, although there were no particularly precious books, the number was quite large, with more than 10,000 volumes.Moreover, I accumulated them from editing fees and royalties when I was 20 to 30 years old, so once I lose them, it is really not easy to ignore them.During the Anti-Japanese War, I also missed the collection of books I left in Shanghai from time to time, and prepared to rush back to Shanghai to sort them out after the war.Unexpectedly, I got news later that they had been separated during the Occupation, so I was cold and disheartened, and I didn't even have the interest to go back and have a look.

Most of my collection of books are western books, the process of purchasing and developing, the ups and downs involved, really only I know.The original Germ, Mr. Duff gave me a few volumes, all English novels and essays.After reading it, he casually handed it to me: "This is very well written, you can read it." In addition, Mr. Zhang Wentian also gave me a few volumes, most of which were works by Oscar Wilde.At that time, I was living in Minhou Nanli, and I was still a student in an art school.He also lived in the same alley and worked in the editorial office of Zhonghua Book Company.Because I met his younger brother Jianle from Mr. Duff, and we often went to his place to play together. He knew that I was studying art and liked literature and art. At that time, he seemed to be translating Wilde's "Prisoner", so I He sent me several collections of essays and fairy tales.It was from these anthologies that I first read Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince.

I was very poor at that time, and I walked to and from Ximen Ximen Bridge from the vicinity of Hartong Garden to my classes, and sometimes I owed money for a bowl of Yangchun noodles at noon.But at this time, I already have the habit of running to second-hand bookstores.At that time, I had to pass through the long Foch Road every day, and there was a thrift store near a crossing, and there were always bundles of Western books piled up for sale at the door of the store.I remember that I once bought a collection of poems by the American poet Whitman and the British painter and poet Rossetti at a price of 10 to 20 cents, which made me so happy that I almost "forgot to eat and sleep".

My collection of books started from such germs and gradually developed and grew up.Until the period when I joined the editorial department of "Flood", I still had almost no fixed income every month, so I still couldn't afford to buy more or more expensive books.Fortunately, the old books at that time were really cheap and good. As long as you know how to choose, you can often buy good books by accident. Therefore, you accidentally bought some rare books. Can't help but be envious. Later, when I edited "Fantasy Continent" by myself, and published a separate volume, there were editing fees and royalties for manuscript fees, so I could buy them freely, so the books on my bookshelf quickly became the envy of my friends. of the object.