Country of My Skull

出版者:Three Rivers Press

作者:Antjie Krog

页数:432

出版时间:2000-8

价格:USD 16.00

装帧:Paperback

isbn号码:9780812931297

具体描述

Ever since Nelson Mandela dramatically walked out of prison in 1990 after twenty-seven years behind bars, South Africa has been undergoing a radical transformation. In one of the most miraculous events of the century, the oppressive system of apartheid was dismantled. Repressive laws mandating separation of the races were thrown out. The country, which had been carved into a crazy quilt that reserved the most prosperous areas for whites and the most desolate and backward for blacks, was reunited. The dreaded and dangerous security force, which for years had systematically tortured, spied upon, and harassed people of color and their white supporters, was dismantled. But how could this country--one of spectacular beauty and promise--come to terms with its ugly past? How could its people, whom the oppressive white government had pitted against one another, live side by side as friends and neighbors?

To begin the healing process, Nelson Mandela created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, headed by the renowned cleric Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Established in 1995, the commission faced the awesome task of hearing the testimony of the victims of apartheid as well as the oppressors. Amnesty was granted to those who offered a full confession of any crimes associated with apartheid. Since the commission began its work, it has been the central player in a drama that has riveted the country. In this book, Antjie Krog, a South African journalist and poet who has covered the work of the commission, recounts the drama, the horrors, the wrenching personal stories of the victims and their families. Through the testimonies of victims of abuse and violence, from the appearance of Winnie Mandela to former South African president P. W. Botha's extraordinary courthouse press conference, this award-winning poet leads us on an amazing journey.

Country of My Skull captures the complexity of the Truth Commission's work. The narrative is often traumatic, vivid, and provocative. Krog's powerful prose lures the reader actively and inventively through a mosaic of insights, impressions, and secret themes. This compelling tale is Antjie Krog's profound literary account of the mending of a country that was in colossal need of change.

用户评价

这本书的构思之精巧，简直让人拍案叫绝。作者对人性的洞察力，如同手术刀般精准而犀利，毫不留情地剖开了角色内心深处的幽暗与挣扎。故事的叙事节奏掌握得恰到好处，时而如和缓的溪流，娓娓道来，将宏大的背景徐徐铺陈；时而又陡然加速，如同山洪暴发，将人瞬间卷入高潮迭起的冲突之中。我尤其欣赏作者在塑造人物群像时的细腻笔触，每一个配角都仿佛拥有自己完整而复杂的人生轨迹，并非仅仅是推动情节的工具。他们的言行举止、细微的表情变化，都充满了真实感和说服力。阅读过程中，我常常会停下来，陷入对某些段落的沉思，思考作者试图探讨的哲学命题。那种被一个故事深深吸引、甚至影响到自身世界观的体验，是阅读的至高享受。它不仅仅是讲述了一个故事，更像是在引导读者进行一场深入的自我审视，迫使我们直面那些平日里试图回避的内心深处的困境与选择。这本书的文字功底扎实得令人敬佩，很多句子本身就具有极强的文学美感和画面感，读来朗朗上口，韵味悠长。

从文学性的角度来衡量，这本书无疑是当代小说中的一股清流。它的语言风格是如此独特，融合了古典的庄重和现代的冷峻，形成了一种既陌生又亲切的阅读体验。我特别注意到作者对场景描写的偏爱，那些关于地理环境、建筑细节的描述，无一不带着强烈的象征意义。例如，某个特定的光线角度、某一片被遗忘的角落，都不仅仅是背景，它们本身就是角色情绪的延伸，甚至预示着接下来的命运。这种将环境与内在世界高度统一的写法，使得整部作品的质感非常厚重。我很少遇到一部小说能让我在阅读时，仿佛能闻到空气中的尘土味，感受到皮肤上的寒意。书中的对话也极为精妙，简洁有力，每一句看似随意的交谈，都可能埋藏着未来冲突的伏笔，充满了言外之意的张力。它要求读者全神贯注，稍微走神就可能错过关键的信息节点。

这本书的社会观察角度是其最引人注目的一点。它仿佛是用一种显微镜的视角，聚焦于现代社会中那些被我们习以为常却又充满矛盾的机制。作者毫不留情地揭示了权力结构、阶层固化以及信息不对称是如何无形中塑造和控制着个体的命运。读完之后，我发现自己看世界的角度都有了微妙的改变，开始对那些看似透明的社会规则产生质疑。这种颠覆性的力量，是优秀批判性文学作品的标志。它没有采用说教式的口吻，而是通过角色的具体遭遇，让这些宏大的社会议题变得可感、可触。特别是关于记忆、历史重塑的部分，探讨得极为深刻，令人深思我们所相信的“事实”究竟有多少是构建出来的幻象。这种发人深省的力量，让这本书的价值远超单纯的娱乐消遣。它提供了一个重要的思想平台，供我们反思自身的处境和我们所处的时代。

这本书给我的整体感受是震撼与沉浸的完美结合。作者构建的世界观极其庞大且自洽，虽然故事发生在看似写实的环境中，但其内核充满了形而上的探讨。阅读过程中，我完全忘记了外部世界，完全沉浸在故事的逻辑和氛围之中。更值得称道的是，作者在处理悲剧性元素时，展现出了一种令人心碎的克制美学。所有的痛苦和失落，都不是为了煽情而堆砌的，它们是角色选择和环境压力下必然产生的后果，因此更具感染力。结尾的处理尤其高明，它没有提供一个大团圆的结局，也没有陷入无尽的绝望，而是在一种充满张力的开放式状态中戛然而止，给读者留下了无尽的想象空间和回味余地。我合上书本时，久久无法平复内心的波动，这本书的影像和情感仿佛已经烙印在了我的脑海深处。这是一部需要时间来消化的作品，其后劲之大，令人回味无穷。

这部作品的结构布局，简直是教科书级别的典范。它采取了一种多线叙事的手法，看似杂乱无章，但最终所有的线索都以一种近乎宿命般的必然性汇聚到一起，让人在“原来如此”的恍然大悟中感受到作者布局的宏伟。我必须承认，在故事的中段，我一度有些迷失在错综复杂的人物关系和时间跳跃之中，但这反而激发了我更强烈的探索欲。我甚至忍不住拿起纸笔，试图勾勒出人物关系图谱，以期更好地理解事件之间的因果链条。这种需要读者投入心力去解码的阅读过程，极大地增强了代入感和成就感。作者在处理转折点时的手法尤为高明，总是在你以为一切尽在掌握之时，抛出一个意想不到的变数，让剧情的走向瞬间翻转。而且，这本书的高明之处在于，它没有给出任何廉价的答案或简单的道德评判，而是将所有的复杂性原封不动地呈现在我们面前，把最终的解读权交还给了读者，这份尊重让人倍感舒畅。

种族隔离无可厚非是违背人道主义的。中国人似乎觉得种族这个词离我们很远，人道主义我们也不常听说。我在读这本书的时候一直在思考西藏问题，不知道中国人里有多少可以理性而充满人道主义的思考西藏问题呢？

heart-wrenching accounts of the TRC's hearings. Would absolutely enjoy it more if it wasn't assigned as the reading for an emotionless analytical paper

heart-wrenching accounts of the TRC's hearings. Would absolutely enjoy it more if it wasn't assigned as the reading for an emotionless analytical paper

种族隔离无可厚非是违背人道主义的。中国人似乎觉得种族这个词离我们很远，人道主义我们也不常听说。我在读这本书的时候一直在思考西藏问题，不知道中国人里有多少可以理性而充满人道主义的思考西藏问题呢？

Weird writing style but a real shock.