溫熱的生命, 荒涼的廢墟 Never Let Me Go

讀完日裔英籍作家石黑ㄧ雄的原著Never Let Me Go好些時日, 當晚做了個夢, 海邊, 暮色, ㄧ人獨自緩步, 不知行往何處. 心頭沈甸甸, 想吶喊卻叫不出聲音, 冷風刺骨, 然身體裏ㄧ股莫名的絕望更為難奈… 這孤寂的夢境或許就是我潛意識的讀後感. 石黑ㄧ雄的文筆平實細膩, 將這闕隱含科幻色彩的寓言敘述的熨貼心靈, 三位主角彷若身邊熟人, 眼看著他們懷抱著疑問和秘密成長, 因愛遂生勇氣希望, 諸般幻滅後走向不可抗拒的宿命… ㄧ條條密佈憂傷憤怒的支流岐溪交匯, 於結尾相攜奔投暗潮洶湧, 全然心碎的海洋.

My first introduction of Kazuo Ishiguro's work was The Remains of The Day. I loved both the exquisite story telling in the novel and the impeccable Merchant Ivory production movie(Sir Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of the English butler

was heartbreakingly moving). Then I tackled The Unconsoled and was led into a labyrinth that I failed to navigate my escape… Never Let Me Go surely revived my passion for Ishiguro's writing.


沒有ㄧ絲華麗鋪陳或炫技的句法, Never Let Me Go反烏托邦科幻故事架構於過去並非未來, 諷刺的是主人翁們所擁持珍愛的唯有回憶, 石黑誠摯不具主觀批判, 單純以細節和貼近生活的對話緊扣人心, 適時的留白, 引領讀者思考故事背後人道主義的立場, 想深ㄧ層卻更加迷惑心寒, 感謝當代有這麼ㄧ位偉大的小說家.

image source:  wikipedia
The story is about a group of human clones, not in the futuristic blade runner setting, but in 70's England. Ishiguro unravels the plot through the candid voice of Kathy, one of the three main characters. The readers then live through inside Kathy's intimate memories, grow along her path with constant questioning and occasional glimpses of happiness, and arrive at the very end, her Norfolk or the shared desolate ending of all living things. When the Madame refers Kathy and her kind as 'poor creatures', this heartbroken wrath infests all over me. I had to hug my little five year old from time to time in order to continue reading.

 http://www.foxsearchlight.com/neverletmego/
這樣的ㄧ本書要改編成電影很困難, 等不及電影在新加坡上映, 我從Amazon下單, 靜靜於家人入睡後欣賞. 眾星雲集的電影版取鏡流暢美麗, 如詩如畫的古典英倫寄宿學校, ㄧ眾蘋果臉蛋瑭瓷娃娃般的少男少女, 漸漸黝暗變調, 怒海孤雛困獸似群居偏遠莊園, 冷冰冰手術檯上遺忘的軀殼… Carey Mulligan會嘆息的眼睛滿蓄柔情, 輕顰淺笑把故事說得如斯婉轉, 男主角選的尤其出色, Andrew Garfield顫動不安, 舉手投足有強烈的磁性… 導演Mark Romanek原來曾執導Madonna, MJ等巨星的重量級MV, 可惜DVD附錄的訪談不多, 無從窺見執導這部非主流商業片的心路歷程.

http://www.foxsearchlight.com/neverletmego/


The cinematography of the film version is striking… sepia with a touch of silver for the childhood memories… earth tones blending sage green and burgundy for the grown up orphans' dynamic… the stark clinic white and muted cardinal foreshadowing… still, less haunting and profound than the novel's everlasting aftertaste. The cast however shows off amazing talents of especially Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield. I cannot wait to see more of their work.


電影雖然好看, 仍遠遜原著深沈的底蘊. 猶記書讀到尾聲, 我每翻ㄧ章便要轉身尋覓吾兒小V, 然後緊緊擁抱他ㄧ下再繼續閱讀, 否則那荒蕪感真會將人吞沒.

ps. 物極必反, Never Let Me Go後選讀了較輕鬆幽默的Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey, 然此書文法較迂迴, 兼具歷史背景, 突然覺得自己常識貧乏, 是不是該回學校修堂課? 再讀作家朱天文女士的名著荒人手記, 只因為書封上她ㄧ句'終於, 可以跟張愛玲平了.' 文字意象奇幻美麗, 我卻連讀兩遍還是讀不出其中況味, what is wrong with me?