On August 11, local time, The Nobel Prize in Literature and writer of British Indian descent V.S. Naipaul died at the age of 85.
Naipaul was awarded the Booker Prize in 1971, the Queen of England in 1989, the David Cohen Prize for Literature in 1993 and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001.
Naipaul attends the Shanghai Book Fair. Source: Oriental IC
Speaking of Naipaul's work, Ye Zhaoyan said that he is a very good contemporary writer. Regarding his sudden death, Ye Zhaoyan said: "My heart is very uncomfortable, and I can only feel that life is impermanent, because I really did not expect it. ”
In an article titled "Me and Naipaul", Ye Zhaoyan talked about one of Naipaul's works that impressed him, "Miguel Street". "Naipaul has become part of the English literary tradition. Like Elliot's british citizenship, Naipaul became a British citizen, a form of cultural aegis. In Miguel's Rue Miguel, Naipaul apparently finds a narrative tone that belongs to him. To use an inappropriate metaphor, the voice of childhood is combined with the gaze of middle-aged people, or the perspective of childhood is mixed with the perspective of middle age. Although Naipaul was just twenty-two years old when he wrote Miguel's Rue Miguel, because of his good literary influence, his tone was already filled with an educated detachment. This is a cultured person telling uncultured things, calm, sober, helpless, because of the insight and to the point, the author is immersed in the novel, and forgets to form outside the novel. To be fair, this tone of writing was originally a public instrument for writers in the world, but Naipaul used it better. It was through this work that Naipaul found the key to the labyrinth of art. ”
"Rue Miguel"
Of Naipaul's writing, he said, "Although Naipaul did not want to write for Indians, did not want to pay attention to society that had not yet fully civilized, and did not care to speak for the oppressed, the result was the same." Attitude sometimes says it all, sometimes it doesn't say anything. Writing is always meaningful only to those who read, culture can only produce sparks when communicating, and as a descendant of Indians, Naipaul does not have the magic of pulling his hair and jumping outside the earth. ”
"This is a wise man, in a wheelchair but with eagle-like eyes, a calm and rich heart, sharp and not clever," said Naipaul, a now-retired publisher who was still working in Beijing's New Classics during Naipaul's visit to China, and he accompanied Naipaul through the days of his visit to Shanghai.
At that time, Naipaul was arranged to live in sinan's mansion, and Huanan told him that this was once the French Concession, and he lamented that he could not feel the French style. Naipaul's keenness to observe society was the most impressive to Nanfang, who said: "Seeing the tall buildings and such prosperity here is very different from what I have read, heard and imagined before, but I think you will face challenges from all sides in the future, and I think you may have enough wisdom to deal with future challenges." ”
"His perspective and latitude of seeing the world are not the same as others, more plain and more objective." Communicating with people is not flattering at all, often very direct to say his opinion, and sometimes his wife has to help embellish and harmonize some of his words. ”
During his time in Shanghai, there was also an accident, Naipaul accidentally fell and dislocated, and Huanan and the staff sent Naipaul to Ruijin Hospital overnight, "I spent the night with Ruijin Hospital, and he joked that I was one of the few people who could see him naked." When such an accident occurred, he did not complain at all, and after being discharged from the hospital, he cooperated with us to participate in all the activities and arrangements in the future. ”
"On the day of his birthday party, he quietly greeted me and said, 'Thank you, thank you,' and the 'thank you' was because of that night in the hospital. To this day, the X-rays he took at that time still remain with me and become a special brand that he left in Shanghai," Huanan said.
On August 14, 2014, Nobel Laureate in Literature V.S. Naipaul visited Hangzhou. Visual China
Naipaul, who is not very talkative in the face of the public, gives the impression of being a bit arrogant. But in fact, in private, he is very interesting and kind. The writer Shi an recalls that Naipaul came to China on his 82nd birthday, "We gave him a birthday after attending the event, and went to a bar by the Huangpu River to chat, he rarely spoke in public, did not expect to be undefended in private, and spoke wisely and in place."
Naipaul is sometimes like a child, when eating Chinese food, he can't use chopsticks to pick up the dish, and after Ji An used the chopsticks to add to him, Naipaul still fiddled with the chopsticks relentlessly, "Finally he can pick up the dish, he is very happy, and a little showy to me." ”
If you want to ask the overall impression, Shinan's evaluation of Naipaul is a powerful person, "He will do a very in-depth study of the things he is interested in, he once went to the Ainu pavilion in Hokkaido, Japan, he read more than 100 related books beforehand, at that time the ordinary staff of the pavilion could not communicate with him in depth, and could only quickly call back the curator who was on a business trip in Tokyo." ”
Naipaul Source: Visual China
Li Yao, vice president of Beijing New Classics, the publisher of Naipaul's works, told the surging news reporter that Naipaul is not only a literary giant, but also a cultural giant. Talking about his general feelings about Naipaul's works, he said that Naipaul's works, whether novels or essays, focus not on private inner problems, but on the topic of huge plates between nations. Even works from fifty or sixty years ago can still bring people a sense of life. Even if you write about topics far outside of China, you can reach the hearts of Chinese readers across thousands of mountains and rivers. "This is where he is different from almost every writer today. His works are penetrating, penetrating time and space. Li Yao said.
In Li Yao's impression, Naipaul was a straight-tempered man who did not hide it. In the early years, he was more maverick and did not cooperate with reporters interviewed. But recalling Naipaul's 2014 trip to China, Li Yao felt that Naipaul's personality in his later years had changed from his earlier years, fading his untamed color and becoming much more polite.
While lamenting Naipaul's sudden death, Li Yao believes that the best way to commemorate a writer is to read his books, read his essence from the books, and experience his spirit.