Soldier of the Great War

出版者:Harcourt

作者:Helprin, Mark

页数:0

价格:309.00 元

装帧:HRD

isbn号码:9780151836000

具体描述

From Publishers Weekly With energetic， often lyrical prose capable of poetic images of great intensity， coupled with an antic imagination unleashed in scenes of high adventure and bizarre and droll events， Helprin's ( Winter's Tale ) dramatic， sweeping narrative focuses on one man's experiences during a turbulent period of history. Septuagenarian Alessandro Giuliani， scion of a cultured Roman family， looks back on a life whose direction was irrevocably altered and thereafter shadowed by WW I. Idealistic Alessandro first sees action in the Tyrol (giving Helprin the opportunity to display his knowledge of mountain climbing)， is part of a "phantom" unit sent to Sicily to capture deserters， becomes a deserter himself and later a prisoner sentenced to death--in short， undergoes experiences that encapsulate war's many horrors， ironies and tragedies. As counterpoint to brutal battle scenes， there is dark comedy in the character of the demented dwarf Orfeo Quatta， who pursues his awesome responsibilities at the Ministry of War with capricious mania. Helprin uses Giorgioni's painting La Tempesta to convey the novel's message: that women， with the promise of love and new life， are civilization's salvation in the aftermath of war. The author himself again demonstrates his ability to create vivid settings: magnificent landscapes teeming with activity and colored by extremes of weather， illuminated with the clarity of a classical painting . While the plot early on sometimes seems padded and digressive， the reader will soon find Alessandro's story a gripping， poignant and universally relevant moral fable. 125，000 first printing; $100，000 ad/promo; BOMC main selection; paperback rights to Avon; author tour. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information， Inc. From Library Journal In summer 1964， a distinguished-looking gentleman in his seventies dismounts on principle from a streetcar that was to carry him from Rome to a distant village， instead accompanying on foot a boy denied a fare. As they walk， he tells the boy the story of his life. A young aesthete from a privileged Roman family， Alesandro Giuliani found his charmed existence shattered by the coming of World War I. The war led to an onerous tour of duty， inadvertent desertion， near-execution， forced labor， service high in the Italian Alps that took advantage of his (and Helprin's) skill at mountain climbing， capture by the enemy， and return home， dispossessed of most of his friends and family. Along the way， he gains， loses， and eventually rediscovers love. This rousingly good story of survival is all the more remarkable in the telling. The language is rich without cloying， complex yet luminous in Helprin's best style. In a number of thoughtful philosophical passages as engaging as any adventure story， Alesandro struggles to reconcile his appreciation of beauty and his religious faith with the horror around him. That he finally persuades us to believe in a "God without any hope， in a God of splendor and terror" is testimony to the indomitable human spirit. Highly recommended. Previewed in Prepub Alert， LJ 2/15/91.-Barbara Hoffert， "Library Journal"Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. See all Editorial Reviews

用户评价

这本书的整体氛围营造得非常成功，有一种挥之不去的史诗感和宿命感交织在一起的独特韵味。从开篇的场景设定到结尾的意境收束，作者始终保持着一种高昂而又略带悲怆的基调。它并非仅仅记录了历史事件，而是深入挖掘了那些事件对人类精神世界留下的不可磨灭的印记。我注意到，作者在描述环境和天气变化时，常常将其作为人物内心状态或未来事件的隐喻，这种文学手法运用得炉火纯青，极大地丰富了作品的层次感。阅读过程如同经历了一场漫长而又深刻的旅程，虽然不乏痛苦和迷茫，但最终留下的，是一种对生命韧性的敬畏。它不仅仅是一部关于过去的小说，更像是对所有身处巨大时代洪流中的个体命运的一次深沉致敬，让人在合上书页后，依然能在脑海中回荡起那些遥远而又清晰的时代之声。

我对这本书中关于人际关系和道德困境的探讨印象尤为深刻。作者似乎并不急于给出简单的“好人”或“坏人”的标签，而是将人物置于一个道德的灰色地带，让他们在极端环境下做出痛苦的抉择。这种对人性的复杂性的坦诚展现，使得人物形象立体饱满，远超脸谱化的设定。我尤其欣赏作者如何通过细微的互动，比如一个眼神、一句未说出口的话，来揭示人物之间隐藏的权力关系、爱慕与背叛。这些关系网错综复杂，相互纠缠，最终推动着情节向更深处发展。它探讨了忠诚的代价、背叛的诱惑以及在绝境中人与人之间建立联系的迫切需求。读完之后，你或许会对书中某些角色的行为感到不解甚至愤怒，但这恰恰证明了作者成功地引发了读者对于伦理和生存哲学的深入思考。

从结构上看，这本书的宏大视角与微观细节的平衡处理堪称一绝。作者似乎非常擅长在广阔的历史背景下，聚焦于几个核心人物的生命轨迹，并通过他们的视角来折射出时代的巨大变迁。这种处理方式避免了以往历史题材作品中常见的枯燥和说教感，因为读者是通过情感和具体的生活琐事来理解历史的，而不是被动地接受信息。我发现，即便是对战争场面或政治斗争的描写，也往往是通过人物的视角被过滤和扭曲，展现出其主观性和不确定性，这大大增强了作品的真实感和批判性。尤其值得称道的是，作者对于时间线的掌控，时而快速跳跃，时而又在某个关键时刻进行极度拉伸的慢镜头处理，这种节奏的变化，使得故事的张力得以在不同层面保持。这不仅仅是一个故事，更像是一次对特定历史时期的多维度体验。

这部小说的文字功底实在令人佩服，它呈现出一种古典而又充满现代张力的独特美感。语言的运用极其精准，每一个词汇的选择都仿佛经过了千锤百炼，既能精准地传达场景氛围，又不失文学上的韵味。我特别留意到作者在描绘场景时所使用的意象，那些关于天空、泥土和废墟的描述，充满了象征意义，引导读者去思考更深层次的主题，比如存在的虚无与坚韧。与一些过于直白或平铺直叙的作品不同，这里的文字更像是一种精心编织的挂毯，需要读者慢下来，细细品味那些潜藏在字里行间的深意。这种阅读体验非常奢侈，让你忍不住会停下来，反复阅读某一段落，仅仅是为了享受那种文字在舌尖上流淌的美妙。尽管题材可能偏向沉重，但作者通过高超的语言技巧，成功地将沉重转化为一种深沉的力量，让人在阅读过程中感到精神上的洗礼，而不是单纯的感官刺激。

这本书的叙事节奏把握得极佳，让人一翻开就难以放下。作者似乎对历史的肌理有着深刻的洞察力，笔触细腻却不失力量，将那些宏大叙事背景下的个体命运刻画得入木三分。我尤其欣赏他对人物内心世界的挖掘，那种夹杂着恐惧、希望与麻木的复杂情感，被描绘得真实可信。例如，书中对某些关键转折点的描写，那种环境的压抑感和人物选择的艰难性，都让人感同身受，仿佛自己也置身于那个动荡不安的年代。情节推进并非一味追求戏剧冲突，而是自然而然地铺陈开来，每一次事件的发生都有其内在的逻辑和必然性，使得整个故事结构显得非常扎实。即便是对于那些看似不重要的支线情节，也巧妙地与其他主线相互呼应，最终汇集成一幅完整而又令人深思的历史画卷。读完整部作品后，那种意犹未尽的感觉，更多的是源于对人物最终命运的牵挂和对作者叙事功力的赞叹，而非情节的未完待续，这无疑是一部值得反复品味的佳作。