英國現代女作家布魯克諾

我很喜歡讀英國現代女作家布魯克諾(Anita Brookner）的小說。布魯克諾是當代著名的18 和19世紀法國藝術史學家，曾在劍橋大學執教多年。退休以後，大部分時間寫小說，被英國文學界稱為當代的奧斯丁。布魯克諾差不多每年發表一部小說，至今已出版了20多部。她的好幾個故事已被BBC改拍成電視劇。她的很多書我都有收藏，閑來無事之時，拿出來看看，對人生頗有啟發。 

布魯克諾的故事都是描寫英國中產階級， 大部分是中年女人，雖然衣食無憂，卻生活很空虛，但是又沒有勇氣或途徑改變自己的狀況，就這樣無可奈何地默默度過平凡寂寞的人生。她的故事大都沒有緊張情結，基本是女主人公自述。布魯克諾文筆優美， 清新流暢。在讀她的故事時，就好像在漫長的旅途夜晚，聽一位陌生旅客娓娓傾訴她的一生經曆（坐過長途火車的人有時會有這樣的經曆）。 

我曾經特特地向我先生推薦過布魯克諾的一本小說，希望他讀完之後和我交流（讀書之後互相交流也是人生一大快樂）。我先生睡覺前看了兩章，告訴我他以後慢慢看。兩個月後我問他那本書讀完沒有。我先生是學工科的，為人忠厚老實，不會撒謊。他臉一紅，支支吾吾地說還沒讀完。我問他讀到哪一章了，他說第三章。我說兩個月前不是已看完兩章了，怎麽現在還在看第三章。他這才說，看了兩章後，什麽都沒發生，到了第三章，女主人公仍在Bla, Bla, Bla（喋喋不休地嘮叨）, 實在看不下去了。男人大概都不喜歡看有太多心理描寫的小說。

在這個世界上，誰又能真正了解他人的生活？有時候，與其說讀書是為了了解他人和外界，不如說是通過閱讀別人的故事來解析自己。有一次，在我讀一篇故事的時候，忽然想起年輕時令我困惑的一件往事，突然豁然開朗，放下書本，不禁歎道：“原來如此！”在讀書的時候，我經常想起我青少年時代的朋友，他們帶給我的歡樂和悲哀。

Brookner is highly regarded as a stylist. Her novels explore themes of emotional loss and difficulties associated with fitting into society, and typically depict intellectual, middle-class women, who suffer isolation and disappointments in love. Many of Brookner's characters are the children of European immigrants to Britain; a number appear to be of Jewish descent. Brookner's fourth book, Hotel du Lac (1984) was awarded the Booker Prize.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_Brookner

[夕陽漫步]

All of these things are present in A Closed Eye, yet I think it is the most different of all Brookner's novels. Protagonist Harriet Lytton rages against the inertia of life like no other Brookner character in my memory. But true to Brookner's fach, Harriet's rage is silent and largely unacted upon. So intensely does she want her daughter Imogen to capture all the life she herself has missed that she fails to do anything about her own situation. She accepts, in fact encourages (albeit silently), Imogen becoming spoiled, self-centered, and insufferably intolerant of her. And although, like most other Brookner heroines, Harriet's life is once of complacency, surrounded by death and depression and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, she does at least have old school friends that form a support network. And Harriet makes at least one bold move that separates her from the typical Brookner model. And in the end--so subtle that one could miss it--there is a glimmer of hope.

There is something about these bleak books that not only fascinate me but comfort me as well. I recognize that there is something about the isolation that I find alluring. But I have opined before that I am also drawn to these characters because they are cautionary tales. Perfect examples of what I don't want to become. A typically bleak scene:

"Suddenly there was nothing for her to do. Freddie ate lunch out, so she made do with a sandwich. She could have taken a long walk, for in the early days of her marriage she had keenly regretted her lost liberty, but now that she was older she preferred to stay indoors and look out of the window. There was little to see in the quiet square; few people passed, and if she saw anyone she knew she retreated instinctively."

So what of the plot? There is one, there always is with Brookner. But the details and the emotions are so much the point that plot doesn't really matter. And for once I have an answer to the question: "Which Brookner should I start with?" I have never been able to answer this before because of the sameness of Brookner's novels. For those that think you would be predisposed to like this kind of book, you can start anywhere. But for those of you who aren't sure, you should start with A Closed Eye. It contains enough action that it could unwittingly ease you into the depressing, but cosy, warm-bath-water-world of Brookner's fiction. Like slipping into a coma.

On the other hand if you are prone to depression you might want to steer clear of Brookner entirely.