No Place of Safety

作者:Barnard, Robert

页数:188

出版时间:2009-1

价格:$ 14.95

isbn号码:9781439155257

具体描述

Fifteen-year-old Katy Bourne and sixteen-year-old Alan Coughlan are missing. Though they are students at the same school, they hardly know each other, so it's strange that they should disappear together. Katy's mother, self-centered and unloving, doesn't mind if her daughter never comes home. Alan's solid working-class parents are pained and puzzled by their son's departure. There's not much the police can do about runaway teenagers, but Detective Constable Charlie Peace goes through the motions. He interviews the families, he visits the school. Alan had friends and had aspired to a good education. Katy had nothing, least of all self-esteem. The two teens could be anywhere, even living dangerously on the streets of Leeds, so it's with relief that Charlie discovers them in a hostel for homeless young people. But are they safe? And who is Ben Marchant, the man who runs the shelter? Whoever he is, he seems to be doing well. Young people beg or work as street musicians during the day, then eat and sleep at the hostel at night. They can remain there two weeks and then must leave for two weeks before beginning the cycle again. Only Katy and Alan stay longer. Only they have a special, mysterious understanding with Ben. But all is not well at the shelter. Neighbors complain about strange goings-on. Residents too often display feelings of jealousy and suspicion. A young woman flees from a violent family member, perhaps bringing danger with her. Emotions run high, ranging from love and gratitude to fear and hate. One person may even hate enough to murder. One person's hate may destroy this place that some regard as a haven of peace and safety and others fear as something more complex and diabolical. No Place of Safety combines brilliant social commentary with a mesmerizing mystery plot that will once again enthrall Robert Barnard's legion of fans. Recognized as one of the best of all contemporary crime writers, Barnard is in top form.

用户评价

**第二段** 我必须承认，这本书的阅读体验是极其“考验人”的。它不是那种提供心灵慰藉的读物，相反，它更像一面冰冷的镜子，毫不留情地反射出世界残酷的底色。作者的文风冷峻而克制，如同在冰面上行走，每一步都小心翼翼，却又暗藏着巨大的力量。情节的推进如同慢镜头下的爆炸，每一个细节都被放大，放大到你不得不去正视那些令人不安的现实。我花了好长时间才消化完最后几章，因为我需要时间去整理自己被剧烈冲击后的思绪。这本书的厉害之处在于，它没有给出任何廉价的答案或虚假的希望，它只是呈现，让读者自己去体会那种无处可逃的压迫感。从文学技法上讲，其对环境氛围的渲染达到了极高的水准，那种渗透到骨子里的萧瑟和危机感，是许多同类型作品难以企及的。

**第四段** 这部作品的语言风格有一种独特的韵律感，读起来非常具有音乐性，即使是在描述最紧张的冲突场面时，文字的流动性依然保持得很好，这使得阅读过程虽然紧张，却不至于感到疲惫。我特别喜欢作者运用大量的意象和象征手法来推动叙事，这些视觉化的元素不仅仅是装饰，它们本身就承载着重要的信息和情绪负载。例如，书中反复出现的某种特定的自然景象，在我看来，已经超越了背景的范畴，成为了角色内心挣扎的外化表现。与其说是在阅读一个故事，不如说是在体验一种沉浸式的艺术装置。它迫使你放慢速度，去品味每一个措辞背后的潜台词。对于那些追求文学美感和叙事创新的读者来说，这本书绝对是一场盛宴，它证明了严肃的主题同样可以被包裹在精致优雅的文字外衣之下。

**第一段** 读完这本书，我的内心久久不能平静。作者用极其细腻的笔触，描绘了一幅幅震撼人心的画面，仿佛将我带入了那个充满未知与恐惧的时代。文字的张力十足，每一个转折都恰到好处地撩拨着读者的神经。我尤其欣赏作者在构建人物内心世界上的功力，那些复杂的情感纠葛，那些在绝境中迸发出的求生意志，都刻画得入木三分。这不是一本让人读完后能立刻放下，然后就彻底忘记的书，它会像一块烙印一样，深深地刻在你的记忆里，时不时地跳出来，让你重新审视自己对“安全”的定义。叙事节奏的掌控也堪称一绝，时而舒缓沉思，时而急促紧张，高潮迭起却又自然流畅，让人完全沉浸其中，无法自拔。那种对人性深处的挖掘和对环境压力的细腻呈现，无疑是这本书最核心的价值所在。

**第三段** 初翻开这本厚厚的书卷时，我原以为会是一次传统的冒险故事，但很快我就意识到我完全低估了它的深度。这本书的结构极为精巧，它巧妙地编织了多条看似不相关的线索，最终汇聚成一个巨大的、令人窒息的命运之网。作者对于细节的把握达到了近乎偏执的程度，无论是对某一特定场景的描摹，还是对某种特定心理状态的刻画，都显示出扎实的研究和深刻的洞察力。特别是书中对于群体行为心理的分析，那种在压力下社会秩序的瓦解与重建过程，写得鞭辟入里，令人不寒而栗。我欣赏这种不走寻常路的叙事角度，它拒绝用传统的英雄主义来粉饰太平，而是选择直面那些幽暗、复杂、甚至丑陋的人性侧面。看完后，我感觉自己对人类的适应性有了一种全新的理解——或者说，对人类的脆弱性有了更深的敬畏。

**第五段** 这本书给我最大的冲击，来自于它对“界限”的模糊处理。你很难清晰地界定谁是绝对的好人，谁是纯粹的恶棍，每个人都在生存的重压下做出了复杂甚至矛盾的选择。这种灰色地带的处理，让整个故事充满了现实主义的重量感和思辨的深度。我经常在想，如果我身处书中设定的那种极端环境，我是否会比书中的角色做得更好？这种自我的拷问，正是优秀文学作品的价值所在。作者似乎对人类固有的局限性抱有一种近乎悲悯的理解，他笔下的角色，无论多么挣扎，最终都逃不出自身性格和环境共同铸造的牢笼。它不是一本让你感到“爽”的书，它是一本让你思考“为什么”的书，一本需要你投入心力去解码的深层文本。对于渴望深度阅读体验的读者，我强烈推荐。