Literature's useless ... and vital
By Yao Min-G |
May 18, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FRENCH writer Charles Dantzig visited Shanghai recently to coincide with the publication of his collection of essays "Why Do We Read?" in Chinese - his first book to be published in the language.
In this book, the 41-year-old writer and publisher has included everything about reading literature from the reader's point of view, from why to read, where to read, how to read, when to read to why not to read.
His answer to the final question is that "literature is useless, nonetheless, it goes beyond economic profits or materialistic value and provides readers with precious spiritual freedom."
He chatted with Shanghai Daily about his reading experiences, his books, his views on literature and hopes for contemporary Chinese literature, as an author, publisher and reader.
Q: Is this your first trip to China?
A: I visited China back in 1986, after I finished the exam needed to enter university. It was China before all these skyscrapers and the amazing GDP numbers. It is very different today.
I'm very happy about this trip, and I'm very proud of the fact that my books are translated and published here. Because in quantity, you have the most readers.
Q: What inspired you to write a book about reading literature?
A: I've written in many different literary forms, including poetry, novels, criticism, essays, among many others. About six or seven years ago, I published a book called "A Selfish Dictionary on French Literature," and it sold 100,000 copies, a great success.
In that book, I expressed my personal opinion on French literature. I commented on the characters in the books and on the creative process of the writers from an author's point of view. But a book has both an author and many readers, so I got the idea to write from a reader's point of view, hence "Why Do We Read?"
There are many different kinds of books that one can choose to read, usually to learn something. For example, you read a history book to learn the history of an area, an economics book to study the economic development of a place, but why will you read literature?
Some people read pop novels to get entertained, and they consider entertainment a big reason to read. That's not true for me. Otherwise, what's the difference between reading great literature and eating chocolate?
So in the book, I listed all the different reasons one may have to read literature. And my final simplistic answer to the question is that it is useless to read literature.
And it doesn't need to be practical like all other things we do, to make money or to gain power.
Reading literature is the only way for us to appreciate spiritual freedom. It is useless, but it can't be substituted.
Q: Many writers and publishers say that literature will be dead, or there are fewer people reading literature today in their countries. How about France? And what's your opinion on this statement?
A: France is the most literary country in the world and people in France love literature.
I'm a literary writer and I'm famous for being literary, and I can make living by writing literature. That is a statement. And I'm not alone.
But you are right, it is true that fewer people are reading literature.
The ordinary people are more concerned with getting information from online rather than reading literature.
Bourgeois are getting increasingly more materialized, so naturally they read less, because reading is useless.
And people are also heavily influenced by leaders. For example, Francois Mitterrand was a great fan of literature, but our last leader, Nicolas Sarkozy attacked literature from the beginning of his presidency, so I rejected the invitation to dine with him. As a writer, I don't want to meet a president who hates literature.
Q: How will you persuade those not interested in literature to read?
A: (long silence) I couldn't answer you right away because I was wondering whether a person can be changed. Let's just be optimistic and suppose they can. Then it is important to show them the fun and beauty of reading literature by offering the best from the very beginning.
For example, if you want to teach someone to enjoy great food, you won't start with McDonald's, you'll probably begin with the best hotel in town. Likewise, I won't start with Harry Potter or popular detective novels, rather, I'll ask them to start with "Remembrance of Things Past" by Marcel Proust.
Those books are not as difficult as people say they are, and they are great books to appreciate.
Q: Your book suggests that if we stop reading, society will lose its wisdom. Is that so?
A: Yes.
The biggest danger we face in modern society is the fragility of literature. We focus on economic development, which ultimately makes mainstream values undermine literature, to consider literature useless because it doesn't bring any economic profits.
But that is not the right idea.
For example, China has been developing so fast, in terms of economic and political power, but it is lagging far behind in literary power.
As a super power, China is also responsible of offering great literature.
I think Chinese leaders ought to bring great Chinese authors with them on their diplomatic visits.
Q: Who's the most well-known living contemporary Chinese writer in France?
A: That is exactly the problem. We don't know. The ones that French readers are familiar with and influenced by are still the same as 20 years ago, Lao She, Ba Jin and Lu Xun. It is actually amazing that we know so little about the new generation of Chinese writers.
Translation and publishing is a problem. French readers and publisher are interested in contemporary Chinese writers but it confuses us that we can't tell who are the good ones.
Another problem with the new generation of Asian writers is that they imitate Western works too much. French readers don't want this, we'd like to see the real China.
In this book, the 41-year-old writer and publisher has included everything about reading literature from the reader's point of view, from why to read, where to read, how to read, when to read to why not to read.
His answer to the final question is that "literature is useless, nonetheless, it goes beyond economic profits or materialistic value and provides readers with precious spiritual freedom."
He chatted with Shanghai Daily about his reading experiences, his books, his views on literature and hopes for contemporary Chinese literature, as an author, publisher and reader.
Q: Is this your first trip to China?
A: I visited China back in 1986, after I finished the exam needed to enter university. It was China before all these skyscrapers and the amazing GDP numbers. It is very different today.
I'm very happy about this trip, and I'm very proud of the fact that my books are translated and published here. Because in quantity, you have the most readers.
Q: What inspired you to write a book about reading literature?
A: I've written in many different literary forms, including poetry, novels, criticism, essays, among many others. About six or seven years ago, I published a book called "A Selfish Dictionary on French Literature," and it sold 100,000 copies, a great success.
In that book, I expressed my personal opinion on French literature. I commented on the characters in the books and on the creative process of the writers from an author's point of view. But a book has both an author and many readers, so I got the idea to write from a reader's point of view, hence "Why Do We Read?"
There are many different kinds of books that one can choose to read, usually to learn something. For example, you read a history book to learn the history of an area, an economics book to study the economic development of a place, but why will you read literature?
Some people read pop novels to get entertained, and they consider entertainment a big reason to read. That's not true for me. Otherwise, what's the difference between reading great literature and eating chocolate?
So in the book, I listed all the different reasons one may have to read literature. And my final simplistic answer to the question is that it is useless to read literature.
And it doesn't need to be practical like all other things we do, to make money or to gain power.
Reading literature is the only way for us to appreciate spiritual freedom. It is useless, but it can't be substituted.
Q: Many writers and publishers say that literature will be dead, or there are fewer people reading literature today in their countries. How about France? And what's your opinion on this statement?
A: France is the most literary country in the world and people in France love literature.
I'm a literary writer and I'm famous for being literary, and I can make living by writing literature. That is a statement. And I'm not alone.
But you are right, it is true that fewer people are reading literature.
The ordinary people are more concerned with getting information from online rather than reading literature.
Bourgeois are getting increasingly more materialized, so naturally they read less, because reading is useless.
And people are also heavily influenced by leaders. For example, Francois Mitterrand was a great fan of literature, but our last leader, Nicolas Sarkozy attacked literature from the beginning of his presidency, so I rejected the invitation to dine with him. As a writer, I don't want to meet a president who hates literature.
Q: How will you persuade those not interested in literature to read?
A: (long silence) I couldn't answer you right away because I was wondering whether a person can be changed. Let's just be optimistic and suppose they can. Then it is important to show them the fun and beauty of reading literature by offering the best from the very beginning.
For example, if you want to teach someone to enjoy great food, you won't start with McDonald's, you'll probably begin with the best hotel in town. Likewise, I won't start with Harry Potter or popular detective novels, rather, I'll ask them to start with "Remembrance of Things Past" by Marcel Proust.
Those books are not as difficult as people say they are, and they are great books to appreciate.
Q: Your book suggests that if we stop reading, society will lose its wisdom. Is that so?
A: Yes.
The biggest danger we face in modern society is the fragility of literature. We focus on economic development, which ultimately makes mainstream values undermine literature, to consider literature useless because it doesn't bring any economic profits.
But that is not the right idea.
For example, China has been developing so fast, in terms of economic and political power, but it is lagging far behind in literary power.
As a super power, China is also responsible of offering great literature.
I think Chinese leaders ought to bring great Chinese authors with them on their diplomatic visits.
Q: Who's the most well-known living contemporary Chinese writer in France?
A: That is exactly the problem. We don't know. The ones that French readers are familiar with and influenced by are still the same as 20 years ago, Lao She, Ba Jin and Lu Xun. It is actually amazing that we know so little about the new generation of Chinese writers.
Translation and publishing is a problem. French readers and publisher are interested in contemporary Chinese writers but it confuses us that we can't tell who are the good ones.
Another problem with the new generation of Asian writers is that they imitate Western works too much. French readers don't want this, we'd like to see the real China.
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