内容简介
Revulsionisgood.Revulsionishealthy.Eachofushaslimits,unarticulatedboundariesoftasteandtolerance,andsometimesweforgetwheretheyare.PeepLandisheretoremindus;afixedcompasspointbywhichwecangovernourprivatebehavior.Becausebeinggrossedoutisessentialtothehumanexperience;withoutaperceiveddepravity,we'dhavenothingagainstwhichtogaugetheadvanceordeclineofculture;ourart,ourmusic,ourcinema,ourbooks.Withoutsleaze,theyardstickshrinksatbothends.TeamRodentdoesn'tbelieveinsleaze,however,norinold-fashionedrevulsion.Squareinthemiddleiswhereitwantsusalltobe,dependableconsumerswithpredictableattitudes.Themessage,neverstatedbutavuncularlyimplied,isthatAmerica'svaluesoughttoreflectthoseoftheWaltDisneyCompany,andnottheotherwayaround.
作者简介
Whenonethinksoftheclassicsofpulpfiction,certainthings--gruff,amoralantiheroes,unflinchingnihilism,andacertainmelodramaticself-seriousness--inevitablycometomind.However,thenovelsofCarlHiaasencompletelychallengethesepulpyconventions.Whilethepulpofyesteryearseemsforeverchiseledinanalmostquaintblackandwhiteworld,Hiaasen'sbooksvibratewithvividcolor.Theyareveritableplaygroundsforwildcharactersthatfloutclichés:aroadkill-eatingex-governor,abouncer/assassinwhotakescareofbusinesswithaWeedWacker,afailedalligatorwrestlernamedSammyTigertail.Furthermore,Hiaaseninfuseshisabsurdiststorieswithapowerfuldoseofsocialandpoliticalawareness,focusingonhishometurfofSouthFloridawithanunflinchingkeenness.HiaasenwasbornandraisedinSouthFlorida.Duringthe1970s,hegothisstartasawriterworkingforCocoaTodayasapublicinterestcolumnist.However,itwashisgigasaninvestigativereporterforTheMiamiHeraldthatprovidedhimwiththefundamentalsnecessaryforacareerinfiction."I'dalwayswantedtowritebookseversinceIwasakid,"HiaasentoldBarnes&Noble.com."Tome,thenewspaperbusinesswasawaytolearnaboutlifeandhowthingsworkedintherealworldandhowpeoplespoke.Youlearnalltheskills--youlearntolisten,youlearntotakenotes--everythingyouuselaterasanovelistwasvaluabletraininginthenewspaperworld.ButIalwayswantedtowritenovels."Hiaasenmadethetransitionfromjournalismtofictionin1981withthehelpoffellowreporterBillMontalbano.HiaasenandMontalbanodrewuponalltheyhadlearnedwhilecoveringtheMiamibeatintheirdebutnovelPowderBurn,asharpthrilleraboutthelegendaryMiamicocainetrade,whichtheNewYorkTimesdeclaredan"expertlyplottednovel."TheteamfolloweduptheirdebutwithtwomorecollaborativeworksbeforeHiaasenventuredoutonhisownwithTouristSeason,anoffbeatmurdermysterythatshowcasedtheauthor'sidiosyncraticsenseofhumor.Fromthenon,Hiaasen'ssensibilityhasgrownonlymorecomicallyabsurdandmoresociallypointed,withaparticularemphasisontheenvironmentalexploitationofhisbelovedhomestate.Inadditiontohisirreverentandhowlinglyfunnythrillers(DoubleWhammy,SickPuppy,NatureGirl,etc),hehasreleasedcollectionsofhisnewspapercolumns(KickAss,ParadiseScrewed)andpennedchildren'sbooks(Hoot,Flush).Withhisuniqueblendofcomedyandrighteousness("Ican'tbefunnywithoutbeingangry."),thewritercontinuestoviewhallowedFloridainstitutions--fromtourismtorealestatedevelopment--withadecidedlyjaundicedeye.AsKirkusReviewshaswrylyobserved,Hiassendepicts"...theSunshineStateastheweirdestplacethissideofOz."
