Author: zz lei

Link: /question/66532349/answer/375179380

Source: Zhihu

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I had heard Wang Xiaobo’s articles and was deeply affected by them. My admiration for Wang Xiaobo aroused my interest in reading him. In addition, during this period, I originally wanted to practice my ability to choose words and form sentences, so I gritted my teeth and bought Calvino's "Our Ancestors" trilogy. Among these three books, I chose "The Non-Existent Knight" to read first.

Since I am purposefully learning from the master, I will be more inclined to appreciate the text (writing style) of Calvino's "The Non-Existent Knight" itself.

When I opened the first chapter, the first thing I felt was two damn words: "magnificent". What kind of grand method? Please see below how Calvino describes the military parade:

“The armies of the Frankish Kingdom are arrayed under the red city wall of Paris. Charlemagne is about to come here for the military parade. The officers and soldiers have been waiting for more than three hours, and the weather It was an early summer afternoon, and the sky was filled with clouds, which looked a little gloomy. The people in the armor were like being simmered in a pot over a slow fire. However, the armors, without exception, stood erect on the saddle in the same posture. Three military calls suddenly sounded, and the feathers on the top of the helmets rustled, as if a breeze blew through the dull air, blowing away the tsunami-like heavyness. The sound of breathing disappeared, and the warriors had been holding back their breaths due to the collars of their helmets. Charlemagne finally came, and they saw him coming from a distance. His mount seemed larger than a normal horse. With his long beard brushing his chest and his hands holding the armrests of the pommel, he looked majestic and heroic, both heroic and majestic."

The opening chapter is perfect. If you read this paragraph carefully, you will find that Calvino draws you into the scene he created, and he even secretly mobilizes your sense organs. You are immersed in the medieval city walls and feel the dusty smell. I have underlined the wonderful words in this passage, namely: stew and thick.

I once saw a question like this on Zhihu: How to distinguish the difference between excellent writers and ordinary writers? I think I can answer it now. Most writers use the word "sultry" to describe sultry heat, while Calvino uses "stew". Does adding the word "fire" next to it reflect the heat immediately? It reminds you of salmon in a steamer and makes you sweat. Most writers only use "heavy" to describe difficulty in breathing, but Calvino uses "heavy". Does the word "rough" immediately reflect the difficulty in breathing? It reminds you of a stuffy nose and air blockage.

In the first chapter, Calvino has already used his talents to perfection. He spent a lot of time writing about the military parade. But this was actually deliberate, part of his grand plan. He asked Charlemagne's military parades again and again to achieve the role of background introduction. Calvino has achieved his goal while the reader is immersed in medieval warfare.

He made Agilulfo's appearance appear natural and clever, and used this to describe Agilulfo's appearance. Then, through Charlemagne's dialogue, Agilulfo's secret - the non-existent person - was written logically.

The author's purpose is thus achieved.

As we reach Chapter 4, a new and important character appears. The author explains the reason for the emergence of this character this way: The emergence of the "I" as a narrator and commentator shifts part of my attention from the storyline to the writing activity itself, to the complexity of life and the arrangement of this complexity with alphabetical symbols. On the relationship between sexual manuscripts.

Obviously this character is a nun.

As for the nuns, the author's description is even more beautiful, and he can describe it in four words: unconstrained and unconstrained. He made me understand what it means to control the characters in an article. It was the appearance of the nun that made me discover that the author is the creator. It turns out that articles can be played in this way and tossed around in this way. Please see below how Calvino made such a superb text jump:

“In order to write down the story as I envisioned, I had to create abrupt cliffs and sand and rocks on this piece of white paper. , a picture of juniper bushes. A winding path stretches out. I want Agilulfo to walk along this road. He sits on the saddle with his chest raised and a majestic attitude of fighting. On this page, there is nothing but sand and gravel. In addition, there needs to be a sky covering this land. The sky is low, and only noisy crows can fly between the sky and the earth. My pen almost scratches the paper, but I have to paint gently, and it should be on the grass. It shows the track of a snake crawling hidden in the grass. There should be a hare in the wilderness. It will jump out for a while, stop, raise its short beard and sniff around, and then disappear without a trace. "

This description is like the Creator opening the sky and splitting the earth. The three-dimensional world has been developed into four dimensions. Wherever the author's pen goes, he does whatever he wants, but at the same time, he also follows the rules of story development. But it is true that this story is firmly in Calvino's own hands. Can you say that the plot of the story is untenable? cannot.

Because this itself is controlled by Calvino, he is right when he says right, and wrong when he says wrong.

Of course, at the end, the author lets the narrator, the nun, transform into Brada Mante. I still don’t understand the inner meaning of such a dramatic transformation (the author explains that it can combine inner wisdom and outer vitality, but I think this has the opposite effect and makes the text a bit confusing. But Calvino has a grand scheme, who knows what he thinks).

The setting of the pure white armor in "The Non-Existent Knight" is also very interesting. I wonder if readers have noticed the change in the description of pure white armor at the beginning and end of the article:

(Opening article) There is only a very thin black piping on the white armor, and the rest is white, and it is very well-dressed. It is cherished, there is not a single scratch, the stitching is extremely dense, and a feather that is probably an oriental rooster is stuck on the helmet, shining with rainbow-like colors. A broad, pleated cloak is painted on the shield. There is a badge sandwiched between the two fronts, and there is a smaller badge inside the badge.

(End) But that armor, Ajlulfo’s white, flawless and intact armor, is now covered with a layer of mud, stained with the enemy’s blood, scarred and riddled with holes. , scratches, cracks, the feathers on the helmet were broken, and the mysterious emblem was scratched off the shield.

The gap between the front and the back is huge and obvious, and it is clear at a glance. The pure white armor naturally symbolizes the spirit of chivalry, and the final ending is undoubtedly a reflection and doubt.

As for the theme of the article, the author believes that one thing can be vaguely seen from the comparison between Agilulfo and Gurduru. The author is exploring the relationship between consciousness and existence.

I won’t say much about the discussion of the topic here, because this is another matter.