22.10.2006
Eleven Minutes
I've been thinking about the book “Eleven Minutes” a lot lately. It took me five days to finish it and in between these five days I had time to ruminate.
Day One - not too bad
Day Two - I liked it
Day Three - not so sure
Day Four – getting irritated
Day Five - finally finished it and I didn’t believe in it
Just like a simple curve, my appreciation for this book went up steadily and then went down steadily. But why? You once told me you liked it and you thought I would too. So what made me liking it at first, then hating it in the end?And here is the truth. The truth is, I don't like the fairy tale.
In fact, I don't believe in fairy tales. I tend to believe that life is dark and intimidating. Pessimistic me just doesn’t believe that life can be so simple without any complication.
And I don’t believe that love is the only salvation.
It just doesn’t make sense to me. It’s just all too easy.
It shouldn’t be that easy, I think. It should be harder for her. It should be harder for him. They should have come across all the inconceivable difficulties, they should have battled all the indescribable humiliation, they should have…they should have… suffered. Because love should not come easily.
Can you believe it? After almost three years I wrote “The language of love” for you, I still believe that, without obstacles, love does not exist.
But it does, does it?
Like you and me.
I started to see the underlying reason that made me feeling uncomfortable liking it. Because somehow I saw my story in hers, and hers in mine.
She lost her belief in love. Love to her, is a painful thing that only wounds her with unbearable heartbreaking aches.
The only way to avoid it is to block it. Yes. To block it. Entirely.
To run when you see it coming near you.
You push it. You snub it. If necessary you humiliate it with contempt.
You don’t need love because it only gives you pain. And you can’t control pain.You can, however, control yourself by not falling in love again.
And therefore when you first came into my life all I wanted to do was to block you. I wanted to be in love with you but my subconscious told me that it would come to an end dreadfully soon.
So I built this massive wall. The more I fell for you, the more bricks I laid. This wall grew higher. And I concealed myself behind it.
Do you see the similarity here? In this book, she ran away. Although she knew the man she fell in love with would cherish her, nurture her, cultivate their love and encourage it to grow further and further. She still ran away. And he came to get her.
I ran away too. And you, you never let me go.
11:28 Posted in 讀書會 BOOKS | Permalink | Comments (10) | Email this | Tags: Books, life, love, dairy
21.10.2006
Lovely Bones
最近看了幾本好書，”THE LOVELY BONES”便是其中之一。
“THE LOVELY BONES”中文譯名是”蘇西的世界” ，但以英文直譯的話卻是”可愛的屍骨” 。屍骨與可愛怎麼可能相提並論呢? 然而就如同看似突兀的書名，這本書裡充滿著原本應該對立的情緒，殘酷與溫柔，憤怒與慈悲，成長與停滯。
作者在開章第一篇第一節第一段便以第一人稱的方式告訴讀著主角蘇西已經被殘酷地謀殺死了。蘇西由天堂俯視人間，過去式的敘事帶領讀著走過遇害的過程，緝兇的過程，家人友人因為此事而經歷的變化影響…。
剛開始讀這本書的時候，我所關心的是”真相大白” ，就像閱讀任何一本懸疑推理 小說一般，希望殺害蘇西的兇手能被緝捕到案。但當我繼續閱讀下去時我發現曾幾何時”真相大白”已經不是最重要的了，因為日子一樣要過，留下來的人一樣要承受諾大的傷悲，即使這懸案有了水落石出的一天那又怎樣呢？死去的人可以結案，活著的卻要面對無止境的影響。於是我所關心的漸漸成為”希望留下來的人可以受到某種程度的救贖與幸福” 。
當我讀完最後一頁將書闔上時，有一種獲得慰藉的感覺。人世間是會有許多令人孤立無援殘酷慘痛的事件，但是除非遇到生命的終結，日子還是必須忠實的過下去。我們可以選擇用憤怒或抱怨來對待，我們也可以選擇悔恨與停滯不前，舔噬傷口方法有很多種，然而真正能獲得就贖的也許只有成長、寬容、與愛。
15:30 Posted in 讀書會 BOOKS | Permalink | Comments (6) | Email this | Tags: Book, literature
28.08.2006
Shopgirl
如果把電影類型比喻成大眾賣場或專門店, "Shopgirl"這部電影就像是間精品店. 陳飾的東西都很精緻美麗, 但是當你走進店裡的時候卻多多少少感到一些疏離感. 而我覺得這就是Shopgirl想要營造的效果.
因為真的很喜歡這部電影, 於是我特別去書店買了原著來看.
然而在看完之後, 我發現, 如果把小說類型比喻成商店的話, 文字的Shopgirl應該是一間芳療工房. 在闔上書本的那一刻還被文字暖暖的薰著, 微微幸福感.
Synopsis from Publisher - Barnes & Noble.com
Mirabelle, a semi-glamourous young woman who is making her way through the romantic jungles of Beverly Hills/Los Angeles, is an aspiring artist who prides herself on her clothing aesthetic. Unfortunately, she doesn't always have the best taste in men. When she meets a young Turk named Jeremy, whose idea of a great second date is a visit to the Laundromat, she sees him through a haze of prozac and other anti-depressants, and through the prism of her own poor self-esteem. But then she meets Ray Porter and thinks he could be her Knight in Shining Armor. In fact, he does turn out to be a worldly, rich gentleman who is a kindly and even exciting lover, but he never really takes Mirabelle seriously.
Together, Mirabelle, Ray, Jeremy, and a few other suporting characters populate this insightful piece that is sometimes quirky, sometimes comic, and sometimes languid as a summer day.”
15:17 Posted in 讀書會 BOOKS | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: book, literature, movies
04.07.2006
Eight Million Ways To Die
作者 Lawrence Block 主編: Avon 年份 1993
很喜歡這本書裏一層層看似漫不經心又及其突兀的邏輯, 灰暗沮喪的色彩卻又有滲著撥雲見日的樂觀. 很難喜歡書裡的主角卻又暗自希望他的生命獲得救贖...
我覺得這是一本偽裝成犯罪小說 偵探小說的哲學論文. 讓我們在讀完最後一字的時候並不因為案子的解破而興奮, 反而感到淡淡憂愁, 開始檢視自己自以為優越的人生.
16:50 Posted in 讀書會 BOOKS | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: book, literature
03.07.2006
祕石會議 Le Concile De Pierre
作者 Jean-Christophe Grange
主編: 皇冠
年份 2005 年 01 月 10 日
Another great book from Jean-Christophe Grange (now you can tell that I am a huge fan!). Unfortunately this book has not yet an English edition. I was fortunate enough to read it in Chinese version (祕石會議）.
Again the incredible journey took place in multiple locations across Europe and Asia (Jean-Christophe Grange likes to write in a grand scale geographically, I found). Again it was very dark and gory and this time even involved the supernatural power!
A great read but not recommended for those who has weak heart, or vegetarian.
16:35 Posted in 讀書會 BOOKS | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: book, literature
02.07.2006
Blood-red Rivers
作者 Jean-Christophe Grange, Ian Monk 主編: Harvill Press
年份 2000
"The Crimson River" is the more famous title - also the name of the movie that was based on this novel.
I watched the movie long before reading the book. Because I was a huge fan of Jean Reno I thought the move was excellent. But I must admit that after reading the original novel I realised that nothing can be more excellent than the power of words (and imagination).
16:30 Posted in 讀書會 BOOKS | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: book, literature
01.07.2006
Flight of the Storks
作者 Jean-Christophe Grange, Ian Monk
主編: Harvill Press
年份 2001
I finished reading the Chinese version of Flight of the Storks (鸛鳥迷蹤）in just four hours. It was extremely dark and gory that I found it difficult to fall asleep afterward - and when I did, I had nightmare!
However, I didn't mean that is was a bad read at all. In fact, it had to be good to make that kind of impact on me.
I recommend it to readers who like the twist after twist after twist and the twists that make your brain really works.
16:10 Posted in 讀書會 BOOKS | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: book, literature