manynovel Chapter 583 The artistic content of this book is far beyond your imagination
Chapter 583 The artistic content of this book is far beyond your imagination
Chapter 583 The artistic content of this book is far beyond your imagination
"Good morning, Mr. Futami."
When the manager of Minglun Bookstore, Minglun Yoshihiro, saw the visitor, he quickly greeted him. The reason why he called Futami Jiraiya teacher was not only because of his identity as a critic, but also because the old gentleman's main job was a professor of literature in the Faculty of Literature at the University of Tokyo. He was a serious teacher.
"Well, good morning, manager." Teacher Futami nodded, neither enthusiastic nor cold, and did not enter the store.
The boss was puzzled when he saw that this respected customer did not say anything or enter the store, but just stood at the door like a prosecutor. However, as the heir to a hereditary bookstore, who had met the literary giant Dazai Osamu in his mother's arms when he was two years old and had been imbued with spiritual energy at close range, Manager Minglun believed that he had a good understanding of literati and writers.
Teacher Futami must be thinking about something important, like the difference between today and yesterday. It's better not to disturb him, or he might lose his inspiration because of his recklessness.
So the store manager nodded politely to this important customer and began to direct the staff to place the posters.
The most important thing in running a store is the first impression it gives to customers. If a bookstore looks messy from the outside, customers who like books and reading will definitely stay away from it, so how to decorate the store becomes the top priority. It is necessary to keep the store clean and fresh, and to attract customers through posters of books and CDs. Generally, employees who master this skill will become the favorites of the store manager.
Therefore, even though Miss Yuriko had been asking at least a hundred times, "When will Mr. Hojo's new book be delivered?", Manager Minglun still smiled gently and kept replying with the same sentence:
"Whether Hojo-sensei's new work can sell well depends on you, Yuriko. You must put the poster in the most eye-catching position! If the number of customers who pre-order exceeds expectations, I will place an additional order with the publisher. As you know, if you purchase more than 3,000 copies, you can get promotional material support from the publisher. Then, Yuriko, you can also participate in the lottery to win Hojo-sensei's gift."
The store manager knows how to crack a whip and dangle a carrot in front of the door at the same time. Well, Japan's reservation system has penetrated into every corner of society, especially bookstores. Bookstores are not only places to sell books, but also part of a huge sales network, booking and selling tickets for concerts and baseball games, selling records and albums, and mailing new magazines to customers...
"Oh, time goes by so slowly." The clerk Yuriko lamented and carefully adjusted the angle of the poster stand.
The street where the bookstore is located runs north-south, so we need to pay attention to the sunlight. If the reflection of the posters disturbs passers-by, not only will they not enter the bookstore, but they may also be dissatisfied with the books on the posters and lose potential customers. At the same time, there can't be no light at all, otherwise the posters will not be eye-catching enough. This is a big question!
While no one was around, the salesgirl updated the books on the recommended bookshelf facing the store entrance, removed the books that were not popular enough, put up the books that she thought were good and that had a surge in online ratings, and then attached many eye-catching labels.
Of course, the most eye-catching one is the poster next to the bookshelf.
The poster was a realistic painting. In the dark room, there was only a faint light coming in from the window, like moonlight or the light of a cloudy day. The light spread on the ground, illuminating a person tied up in a quilt. It was a fat man with something stuffed in his mouth, looking panicked and desperate.
Another person stood in the darkness in the middle of the room. His face could not be seen clearly, but he was a well-proportioned man wearing a very sophisticated black suit. A hanging rope hung from the ceiling, and the man raised his hand and gently stroked the ring of the rope. On his exposed wrist, the cuff of his shirt was pinned with a shiny cuff.
The bold black font at the bottom row: "The Dreams and Death of Writer K", the new work of "The Devotion of Suspect X" by Kyosuke Hojo, will be on the shelves on April 4, so stay tuned.
"Indeed, time passes too slowly."
After standing at the door for a long time and almost becoming a decoration, Jiraiya Futami suddenly spoke.
Manager Minglun was startled and quickly turned around to ask what happened with his eyes.
"Mr. Store Manager, this book hasn't arrived yet?"
Teacher Futami asked, pointing at the poster.
"Oh, yes. The publishing house said that they will start shipping to various places tomorrow. Our store should be able to get it tomorrow at noon." This is Tokyo, always at the forefront of this country.
Manager Minglun replied, and he realized that the teacher was standing at the door looking at the poster, and then he added:
"Even this poster was only delivered this morning, and it was said to have been completed yesterday."
"so perfect."
Futami Jiraiya uttered an admiration that sounded like a sigh.
"Yes, I am also looking forward to Mr. Hojo's new book." Manager Minglun nodded in agreement.
"I mean this poster."
Futami shook his head and continued:
"Just by looking at this poster, I am willing to walk into a bookstore and pay for this book. Today's publishers are really terrible. They know the psychology of customers very well."
"Hmm? It's rare that Futami-sensei would be interested in a novel just because of a poster."
Manager Minglun was surprised. You know, this gentleman had criticized some books for using pornographic covers to attract readers before. He had also criticized some new generation writers and idols who made money by publishing books in newspapers and TV programs. It was amazing that he had such a high evaluation of this poster.
"If you read books like Aesthetics, Eastern Aesthetics, and Principles of Aesthetics, there will be a 10% chance that you will understand me."
Futami Jiraiya proudly named more than a dozen books, which made Minglun Yibo feel dizzy. What? It's just a poster. Is the threshold to become an audience so high now?
He indeed thought that the poster of Hojo's new work was beautiful, but he did not expect to hear such praise from this harsh critic.
Fortunately, Futami-sensei was able to distinguish between real life and literary criticism, and his words were not as sharp as those in newspapers and magazines. After all, he had a good relationship with the store manager, and whenever he needed to find some books or information, he would actively help him contact them. The two sides could be said to have been friends for more than ten years (including the previous store manager Minglun), so Futami very kindly shared his feelings:
"Look, the only light in the whole painting is a fat man who is like a lamb to be slaughtered. When you see this, do you feel a deep despair?"
"Hmm...should I feel desperate?" asked Manager Minglun uncertainly.
"Of course. The moon is bright outside the window, but my hands and feet are tied up. I can't even wail."
"Hiss...Hearing you put it that way, it is indeed quite hopeless." Store manager Minglun nodded heavily. He could no longer use question marks, otherwise he would be regarded as an idiot.
"Look again, it's clearly a hanging rope symbolizing death, but the man in a well-dressed suit is so elegant, his movements are so graceful as if he is stroking his lover's smooth back, as if he is not creating death but completing a gorgeous drama, death and elegance have achieved a perfect unity, with a kind of cruel beauty.
Seeing this, don’t you feel hopeful? Aren’t you curious about what this man is doing?”
Teacher Futami spoke so emotionally that not only the store manager and the clerk, but even a passing office worker stopped and listened attentively.
"Don't say that, don't say that... You really got it right, Teacher Futami!"
Manager Minglun clapped his hands and spoke louder:
"This is a mystery novel, and the man on the poster is the hero. When I went to the publishing house to attend the promotion meeting, Mr. Hojo said that this is both a trick and an art, and a drama dedicated to the world."
"I see. It seems this isn't just a book that deceives people with its poster." Teacher Futami nodded.
"Please register me. I want to reserve a copy."
"And me, I want one too!" a passerby office worker also said hurriedly.
After registering the two people, Manager Minglun came to the store door again, stroked his chin and looked at the poster of "The Dreams and Death of Writer K".
It is indeed very artistic, full of artistic sense, with both postmodern style and neon tradition...
"Hey, Minglun-san, what are you doing here?"
The sudden sound interrupted Manager Minglun's thoughts on beauty. He turned around and saw that it was Mr. Oyama who ran a ramen shop nearby.
“I’m looking at this poster.”
"Poster? What's so good about a poster?" Mr. Xiaoshan walked over and took a look at it.
Upon hearing this, Mr. Minglun looked at the vulgar cook with a look of contempt that combined that of an artist and a critic, and then he said:
"Look, the only light in the whole painting is a fat man who is like a lamb to be slaughtered. When you see this, do you feel a deep despair?"
"This... I think the whole picture is quite bright. If it weren't bright, I wouldn't be able to see it clearly."
Perhaps it was because there was too much artistic flavor in Manager Minglun's words that Mr. Xiaoshan's tone sounded a little timid.
Upon hearing this, the store manager first sighed and then shook his head again. Mr. Xiaoshan clearly felt that the look in this good neighbor's eyes was full of sympathy, as if a human was looking at a monkey in the glass window.
"Look again, it's clearly a hanging rope that symbolizes death, but the man in the suit is so elegant, his movements are so graceful, as if he is caressing his lover's smooth back..."
Mr. Minglun spoke in a deep tone.
"hiss……"
Mr. Oyama stared at his neighbor with wide eyes. Others might not know, but he knew it: don't think that people whose families run bookstores are necessarily cultured people. If they were really cultured, they would not come back to inherit the family business and open a bookstore. Minglun Yoshihiro's favorite thing to do is to come to his ramen shop to drink and watch baseball games, and he swears even more rudely than himself. What happened today?
Although he was confused, Mr. Xiaoshan knew that he could no longer use question sentences, otherwise he would probably turn from a monkey into a brainless sea urchin.
So he nodded in agreement.
"If you read books like Aesthetics, Eastern Aesthetics, and Principles of Aesthetics, there will be a 20% chance that you will understand me."
But Manager Minglun obviously saw through Xiaoshan's disguise and sighed.
"You bastard..." Mr. Xiaoshan was so angry at the contemptuous look that he stiffened his neck and shouted:
"Who said I can't understand this poster? I think you are the one pretending to understand!"
As he spoke, Mr. Xiaoshan stepped forward and pointed to the title of the book below the poster and said:
"Isn't it true that the man touching the rope must be the writer K?"
"Correct."
“The man tied to the ground is the dream of writer K! That’s why he is endowed with light, and now writer K is going to kill his dream with his own hands! This is the meaning of the title and poster of “Writer K’s Dream and Death”!”
"hiss……"
Manager Minglun was shocked, staring at the vulgar neighbor cook with wide eyes in disbelief. You guy, you really saw through something?
Seeing his neighbor's shock, Mr. Xiaoshan sneered in his heart, waved his hand casually and announced:
"Give me ten copies of this book."
“It hasn’t arrived yet.”
"Then I'll make a reservation. Please also give me a copy of the poster so I can take it to the store to help advertise for you."
"This... okay."
Manager Minglun, who had suffered a devastating blow in the field of art, did not dare to refuse and could only take out the poster he planned to keep as a treasure and present it to the buyer.
Oyama and Futami-sensei must have a lot in common.
The bookstore manager thought so as he looked at the back of Ramen shop owner Xiaoshan walking away with the poster.
Oyama Ramen
"You're so slow! Are you lost just because you bought some soy sauce?"
In the store, an old customer who had been waiting so long that his stomach growled saw Xiaoshan coming back and immediately started to urge him loudly.
"Why are you rushing me? Do you know that the most important thing for a bowl of ramen is soy sauce? My family, Xiaoshan, only uses Bundesliga soy sauce!" Xiaoshan said perfunctorily, and instead of going to the kitchen, he came to the wall holding the poster.
"Asshole, didn't you say last time that noodles are the most important?" The old customer glared at him.
"Idiot, noodles are made by noodle machines nowadays, can I still deduct his salary?"
Xiaoshan was not polite at all. His was the only ramen shop open at this time nearby. He had scolded this old customer for more than ten years. It showed his deep love for him.
After pulling off the tape and sticking the newly acquired poster on top of a picture of an unknown idol, Xiaoshan took two steps back and stroked his chin to admire it.
It is indeed very artistic, full of artistic sense, with both Victorian style and pop art...
"Xiaoshan, what are you doing? Go and cook some noodles. I'm starving." The old customer was angry.
"Eat, eat, eat. Don't you know anything else except eating? Don't you know that art is spiritual food? Even if you fill your stomach every day, but your head is empty, you can't be considered a complete person!
Look, the only light in the whole painting is the fat man who is like a lamb to be slaughtered. Do you feel a deep despair when you see this? Look again..."
The old customers looked at the chef Xiaoshan talking about art, and then looked at the posters on the wall, and just felt that this world was really crazy.
Am I going to starve to death?
Thanks to the big guys for their monthly tickets, recommendation tickets and reward support, thank you
(End of this chapter)