Chinese Summary/中文概要: Veronica來到倫敦,將投海自殺大哥Liam的遺體帶回都柏林。當家人齊聚守靈時,她和大哥孩提時守護的秘密,也因此逐漸顯露線索,Veronica據此追溯至父祖輩三代,發現了糾結著愛、恨、性與秘密的家族故事。全書以Veronica第一人稱的意識流式描述,呈現愛爾蘭天主教大家庭裡的貧窮、擁擠,以及遭受忽略的孩提時光對成年人的影響;而Enright在追探Veronica的過去以及Veronica和Liam的複雜關係時,盡力避免過度多愁善感的文筆,用真實的冷酷語言,托出幾近殘酷的傷痛記憶,透過苦澀,橫渡失去摯愛親人之痛。究竟這個家族有著怎樣不可告人的秘密,因為這個秘密,讓兄弟姐妹各奔東西?在個性最強的大哥Liam去世了之後,九個存活下來的兄弟姐妹又重聚於都柏林,往事一一浮現…為愛爾蘭文學傳統注入新血,融合舊式抒情體與新式的震撼,帶來這個關於失望與愛情的家族故事,受阻的情慾與無限的渴望交織而成這部小說,訴說著這個家族成員出生就無法改變的命運。 本書描寫橫跨兩個世代的家庭悲劇,女主角Veronica從弟弟自殺的事件裡,追溯家族三代不堪、灰暗的歷史,作者將各個家庭成員各自扭曲的記憶,細心縝密的勾串成一部黑暗,卻難以逃避的家庭史詩。獲頒英國布克獎(Man Booker Prize)。 (TT)
Awards/获奖情况: 布克獎推薦理由:Anne Enright寫一個家族「無路可逃」的「命運必然性」,深深打動讀者的心。 BBC書評:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7046443.stm 衛報(The Guardian)書評:「作者在乎的不只是說一個故事,而是『好好地』說一個故事。」 此書選為2007布克獎得主/The Man Booker Pize 2007 Winner has been announced 版權銷售狀況: UK: Cape; US: Grove Atlantic; France: Actes Sud; Germany: DVA; Holland: De Bezige Bij; Israel: Hakkibutz; Portugal: Gradiva; Spain: offer. 2008 Orange Prize longlist. Praise for THE GATHERING: “The writing is superb – bleak, truthful and controlled” ---Times "Anne Enright’s style is as sharp and brilliant as Joan Didion’s; the scope of her understanding is as wide as Alice Munro’s; her sympathy for her characters is as tender and subtle as Alice McDermott’s; her vision of Ireland is as brave and original as Edna O’Brien’s. THE GATHERING is her best book."---Colm Toíbín “Anne Enright has all she needs in terms of imagination and technique and she’s a tremendous phrase maker”---Observer “It is clearly the product of a remarkable intelligence, combined with a gift for observation and deduction”---AL Kennedy, Guardian
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