讀書筆記： “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand” by Helen Simonson

“Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand” by Helen Simonson

喜歡Jane Austen嗎？ “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand” 應該正合您的口味。 這個故事的主題是背景設於英國東南小鎮的黃昏之戀。 男主角Major Pettigrew是位68歲退休喪妻的老式紳士，女主角Mrs. Ali則是鎮上雜貨店老板娘，巴基斯坦後裔。 原本以為人生已經走到遲暮，不會再出現意外的彩虹，但兩人因著對文學的愛好，對喪偶的懷念，逐漸成為彼此的心靈支柱。 他們的黃昏戀也很甜蜜很浪漫喔－－海邊的漫步，探討文學的下午茶，開著車兜兜風。。。而且，不僅是心靈更是身體的passion呢！ 哇啦啦。 

在這個傳統、封閉的小鎮上，膚色信仰迥異的這一對當然屬於異數。 鎮上的三姑六婆，高爾夫球俱樂部的成員，還有兩人的子女親戚，都對他們明嘲暗諷，甚至百般阻攔。 Major Pettigrew當然要勇敢地力排眾議，打破成見，抱得美人歸。

這是一本輕鬆的愛情喜劇，也同時探討老人問題、種族差異和兩代之間的親子關係。 作者頗得Austen的真傳，文筆機智幽默，書裏的言語機鋒，多處一針見血，叫人不禁莞爾。 同時對八婆村民們的狹窄心態也多有諷刺，但也頗有人情味。 隻是人物刻畫比較stereotypical，讀起來不真實，像一群人在用力地上演一出話劇，還用喊的。 不過我喜歡Jane Austen，那種詼諧諷刺調調正是我的茶，讀起來還蠻享受的。

Quotes:

“Unlike you, who must do a cost-benefit analysis of every human interaction," he said, "I have no idea what I hope to accomplish. I only know that I must try to see her. That's what love is about, Roger. It's when a woman drives all lucid thought from your head; when you are unable to contrive romantic stratagems, and the usual manipulations fail you; when all your carefully laid plans have no meaning and all you can do is stand mute in her presence. You hope she takes pity on you and drops a few words of kindness into the vacuum of your mind.”

“You are a wise man, Major, and I will consider your advice with great care—and humility." He finished his tea and rose from the table to go to his room. "But I must ask you, do you really understand what it means to be in love with an unsuitable woman?"
"My dear boy," said the Major. "Is there really any other kind?”

看看他多幽默:
“Men these days expect their wives to be as dazzling as their mistresses.”
That's shocking," said the Major. "How on earth will they tell them apart?”

“He cursed himself for having assumed the weather would be sunny. Perhaps it was the result of evolution, he thought--some adaptive gene that allowed the English to go on making blithe outdoor plans in the face of almost certain rain.”

“You must know that I am entirely yours to command."
"I see chivalry lives on," she said.
"As long as there's no jousting involved, I'm your knight," he said.”