這人生,如煙花一場。
愛情的酒精揮發後,
逗留舌尖的,
是現實的酸苦澀餘味。
★BBC「大閱讀」讀者票選百大小說
★英國《衛報》最偉大的百大小說
★《新聞週刊》票選百大書單
★《時代》雜誌票選百大經典小說
★美國藍燈書屋世紀百大經典小說No.2
★法國《世界報》20世紀百大作品
★四度改編為電影,2013年最新電影版由《紅磨坊》大導巴茲・魯曼操刀,李奧納多・狄卡皮歐飾演「大亨」蓋茲比。
換個角度看美國文學經典:
◎《大亨小傳》的主角其實不是大亨!
《大亨小傳》的故事,只是窮小子蓋茲比愛上「白富美」黛西,黛西卻嫁給「高富帥」湯姆,後來蓋茲比鹹魚翻身,找鄰居尼克策劃橫刀奪愛,處心積慮拆散湯姆和黛西這對歡喜冤家……嗎?
在這本社會小說裡,主角其實並非苦戀未果的蓋茲比。一本好的小說,主角必須在腥風血雨中歷練成長;而在這場愛情大亂鬥中,蓋茲比執迷不悔,湯姆死性不 改,黛西不思改進,如何挑得起大樑?只有蓋茲比的鄰居尼克,既沉緬於紙醉金迷、燈紅酒綠,同時又能冷眼旁觀,體會燈火闌珊、酒醒人散的悵惘,看破榮華富貴 不過是過眼雲煙,並將所見所聞「寫成」這本《大亨小傳》,以淒婉的豔筆刻畫戰後一代對美國夢幻滅的悲哀。
最佳男主角,尼克當之無愧。
◎《大亨小傳》描寫的不是愛情,而是社會人情!
費滋傑羅以爵士時代為經,以黛西─湯姆─蓋茲比的三角戀為緯,交織出酒食徵逐的社會風貌,刻畫出壁壘分明的階級界線,在轟轟烈烈的愛情故事底下,默默上 演著真實世界的人生百態,一九二○年代的紐約歷歷在目,裡頭有「一座座白色的大廈,一幢幢方糖的矮樓」,居住著「李蛭夫婦」、「竹本瓜夫婦」、「品玖嘉公 子」等角色……這些人豈是二○年代紐約所獨見?
愛情的酒精揮發後,逗留舌尖的,是社會寫實的酸苦澀餘味。
為每一本經典,找到在當下重新閱讀的理由;
給每一本經典,內容與形式上的雙重新貌。
*此中文簡介取自中譯本<<大亨小傳>>由漫遊者文化出版
In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald captures the flamboyance, the carelessness and the cruelty of the wealthy during America's Jazz Age.
The Great Gatsby lives mysteriously in a luxurious Long Island mansion, playing lavish host to hundreds of people. And yet no one seems to know him or how he became so rich. He is rumoured to be everything from a German spy to a war hero. People clamour for invitations to his wild parties. But Jay Gatsby doesn't heed them. He cares for one person alone - Daisy Buchanan, the woman he has waited for all his life. Little does he know that his infatuation will lead to tragedy and end in murder.
This beautiful Macmillan Collector's Library edition of The Great Gatsby features an afterword by David Stuart Davies.
Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.