Chapter 18 – Royal Society of Literature (1)

─This writing is groundbreaking. If Hanslow Jin comforted children's hearts with Peter Perry, now he has become a champion for adults, striking at society.

─It is radical. But let's think about it. Hasn't our society stagnated to the point where such writing is necessary?

─As of today, I will stop reviewing Hanslow Jin. From now on, I consider myself united with him. Any attack on him will be considered an attack on myself.

The Guardian, Financial Times, Daily News.

A few days after its release, progressive newspapers collectively showered Vincent Villiers with praise.

Originally, during this period, the British literary world was divided into three main factions, regardless of artistic movements like Realism or Romanticism.

Popular appeal.

Social critique.

Conservatism.

Of course, these categories weren't strictly defined.

Even Charles Dickens wrote novels with popular appeal, but they also contained plenty of social critique.

When it came to Jane Austen, she wrote transcendent works that were easy for the public to read, while unflinchingly portraying social conditions and embedding conservative romantic values.

However, that was in the relatively flexible society of the early to mid-19th century.

As the Labour Party was founded, the East End redevelopment policies stalled, and discussions on women's rights and Irish independence intensified, novelists began to reveal their true colours through their writing.

Were they to criticize society and call for progressive reforms like George Bernard Shaw?

Were they to uphold social norms and write for the royal authority like the Royal Society of Literature?

Or, if neither, were they to leave the politicized and muddied literary world behind, honing their craft solely to satisfy the public?

Generally, the most popular novels of the present, Peter Perry and Sherlock Holmes, fell into the third category.

Sherlock Holmes, while unravelling London's crimes, showed little interest in the reasons behind these crimes. Most of the crimes were personal, motivated by passion or greed, without involving societal issues.

Peter Perry went even further.

Without depicting London itself in the novel, how could it criticize or defend society?

Thus, like many centrist works, both novels were recognized and scorned by both the left and the right.

"A young hero who drew Excalibur? What is this? Does it endorse monarchy? Or does it mean he intends to overthrow the current dynasty and become king himself?"

"A novel about fairies from Celtic culture? What is this? Does it endorse Irish rebels?"

Yet, Hanslow Jin, who had been writing Peter Perry, suddenly began a weekly serialization of Vincent Villiers, a novel that combined social criticism with popular appeal.

Although it still leaned heavily towards popular appeal, compared to Peter Perry, it overwhelmingly attacked the establishment, particularly the aristocracy.

Naturally, many progressive critics cheered.

The flood of positive reviews reflected this situation. While some of the praise was due to the quality of the writing, it was also because of this context.

And that meant...

It also meant making an enemy of the conservative faction, represented by the Royal Society of Literature.

Bang!!

"I knew this thunder-struck fool would be trouble from the moment he started his weekly serialization!!"

Hardinge Stanley Giffard, Earl of Halsbury and president of the Royal Society of Literature, slammed the table as if he would break it.

He was originally a politician with the Conservative Party and a legal elder known by nicknames like "Union Buster" and "Strike Breaker."

This meant he was a die-hard reactionary and a living symbol of the Royal Society of Literature's right-wing stance.

To him, serialized novels were nothing but symbols of youthful arrogance and impudence.

His lifelong hatred for the slippery Charles Dickens of Portsmouth played a part, but fundamentally, he despised popular novels.

─Novels must pursue literary perfection in rhythm and artistic excellence.

─What do the ignorant masses know about literature? Literature and art should be written solely to stimulate the intellect of the educated, under the patronage of intellectual aristocrats!

─In that sense, so-called "popular literature" is merely a joke and consumption, and can never be considered literature!

To him, the recent sensational novels Peter Perry and Sherlock Holmes were nothing more than despicable third-rate trash.

At least Sherlock Holmes had some literary merit and upheld social norms, but Peter Perry was completely heretical.

Yet, the reason they had not taken any particular action until now was that these works were considered children's stories. 

However, the new work Vincent Villiers being serialized by Temple Bar was different.

This was something only renegades like George Bernard Shaw would appreciate, a vile, treasonous piece of writing!

Such a thing could not be allowed to thrive in the sacred literary world.

Giffard emphasized this point.

"We must immediately request the authorities to shut down Vincent Villiers, no matter what!"

"But, President, doing so might provoke the citizens," another member of the Society said fearfully. He was more afraid of his wife, who read Peter Perry to their child, but it was true that citizens would be angry.

Their wives were also citizens of London, after all.

Besides, just look at the current situation. The citizens were ready to burn down the publisher because the protagonist died.

Despite that, the author had no intention of stopping the serialization, proving their resilience that even Giffard had to acknowledge.

"If we shut down Vincent Villiers, they will bring that fury to our doorstep."

"Damn, Londoners are crazy. How could they do such a thing over a novel's protagonist?"

"Indeed. No one has ever done that for my novels."

"Oh, your new novel? I read it too. It was incredibly boring."

"Duel, you bastard!!"

It was chaos. Giffard clicked his tongue as the members of the Royal Society of Literature began to fight among themselves.

"Silence! Silence, I say! The important thing now is to remove these anti-social works produced by Hanslow Jin, who has no literary sensibility whatsoever, from the market!"

The members nodded in agreement.

After all, even to them, Vincent Villiers was dangerous.

Peter Perry did not vividly depict the life of an aristocratic family.

A romance novel set in an aristocratic family did not criticize the aristocracy.

However, Vincent Villiers boldly exposed the lives and businesses of aristocratic families, naturally criticizing their corrupt behaviours.

Of course, it also authentically depicted the miserable lives of the lower class in the East End, but people inherently pity poverty and envy wealth.

By "revealing things as they are," it was effectively the strongest weapon against polarization.

Most members of the Royal Society of Literature were aristocrats or, at the very least, gentry with a business or large estate.

Continuously exposing their monopolized wealth would endanger their class.

Although the sacred private property could not be touched by the state, these were suspicious times.

"But..."

Even so, how?

With the strongest measure of shutting down the publication blocked by the power of the citizens, the Royal Society of Literature had few options left.

At best, they could only use indirect means.

Giffard Marquis sneered at these pathetic people and said,

"Do you even need to ask? Of course, we must find the author directly!"

"What?"

"We need to find that bastard Hanslow Jin and make him pay for insulting the aristocracy! Let's start by investigating the noble and business circles. If he knows our affairs this well, he must be at least gentry level!"

"Well, that's true, but…"

"Then we must deal with him directly. What good will shutting down the magazine do? You can't solve anything by just putting a lid on the pot!"

The council members hesitated slightly. Despite everything, they wondered if they should do this, considering the freedom of literature.

But when they thought about it more deeply… was it not the other side that started this fight?

Those who were quick-witted were already coming up with ideas.

"There are rumors he's the illegitimate child of Baron Byron. Shall we look into that?"

"That household has so many illegitimate children. You could practically build a nation with them."

Having a mistress or a lover was a basic part of English social life. Openly flaunting them was, of course, a basic part of French social life.

And even in such social circles, the Byron family was notorious. It was famous for having produced an incestuous child by the time of its 6th Baron.

"Considering his knowledge of fairies, could he be Irish?"

"He mixes all kinds of cultural fairies, so that's unlikely."

"Yes, considering the prominence of elves and dwarves, he seems closer to the Nordic side."

"All right. This should be enough."

Satisfied, Giffard murmured and nodded.

"Literature is an art that inevitably reveals the author's experiences."

Hanslow Jin, that treacherous bastard, had exposed too much evidence. Giffard grinned, baring his teeth.

"Then let's search every Nordic aristocratic house or gentry. We must find and punish Hanslow Jin, who, despite his noble blood, has tarnished the name of the aristocracy!"

"Understood, President!"

And naturally.

No one suspected a lowly servant from Devonshire's Coolly.

***

"Achoo."

"Are you catching a cold?"

"Who knows. Maybe someone's talking about me."

"Well, that aside…"

Are you really going to do it?

Mr. Miller looked at me and asked. I shrugged.

"I have a couple of ideas for a side story. It's a meaningful project, after all."

"That's true, but the rumours about that person aren't very good."

"Oh, come on. Do rumours put food on the table?"

I said confidently with a laugh. In my hand was a personal invitation to speak at a school.

From none other than.

"Lewis Carroll wouldn't do such a thing."

Disney's most famous fairy tale writer.

And the man notorious as the worst lolicon of this era.