内容简介
Afterhisbrother'sdeath,Henry,withhisparents,movestoanewtown,wherehemeetsandbefriendsMr.Levine,anelderlysurvivoroftheHolocaustwhospendshisdayscarvingareplicaofhischildhoodvillage.EnterMr.Hairston,whoholdspoweroverHenry'slife.Heisamanofglitteringpromises,butheexactsaterriblepricefromHenry,involvingtheboy'sfriendshipwithMr.Levine.AllHenryhastodois...
作者简介
WithTheChocolateWar,anunsparingstoryofcorruptionandbrutalvengeanceataCatholicboysschool,RobertCormierturnedwhathadbeenthesunnyworldofyoungadultfictionupsidedown.ThebooklaunchedCormieronahighlysuccessfulandoftencontroversialcareer,inwhichhetackledthedarkerissuesofadolescenceandAmericansuburbanlife.LiketheanonymouslyauthoredGoAskAlicein1975,anattimesharrowingstoryofdrugabuseforyoungadultreaders,theChocolateWarandothersoftheauthorsbooks--ranintotroublewithparentgroupswhofoundthewriterssubjectmatterinappropriateandhisapproachtooexplicit.(AccordingtoHerbFostalsBannedintheUSA,TheChocolateWarwasfifthonalistofthemostfrequentlybannedbooksinAmericanpubliclibrariesandschoolsinthe1990s.)Reviewers,however,praisedhiswriting.Ajournalistformuchofhislife,Cormierbalancedhischaractersgrimsituationswithadeft,vivid,lyricalstyle.ReviewingTheChocolateWar,acriticforTheNewYorkTimesBookReviewdescribeditasmasterfullystructuredandrichintheme;theactioniswellcrafted,welltimed,suspenseful;complexideasdevelopandunfoldwithclarity.Whenitcametothemes,Cormierwasunromanticandunflinching.InIAmtheCheese,Cormierevokedtheuneasyandelusiveworldofaboywhosefatherhastestifiedagainstorganizedcriminals;inTheBumblebeeFliesAnyway,thestorypivotsaroundterminallyillteenagers;inTendernessCormierintroducedaserialkillerandasexuallymanipulativeteenagegirl.Everytopicisopen,howevershocking,hetoldareporterforTheGuardianinNovemberof2000,inwhatwouldbeoneofhislastinterviews.Itsthewaythetopicsarehandledthatsimportant.InCormiersworldtherearenoeasyanswersandfewhappyendings,butthereisextraordinaryinsightintotheworldofadolescence:thecruelties,theisolation,andtheoften-bruisingsearchforidentity.Despitehisreputationasadisturberoftheliterarypeace,Cormierwasasmall-townwriter,whospentnearlyhisentirelifeworkingasajournalistfortheFitchburgSentinelinMassachusetts;hepublishedamemoirofhiscareerin1991titledIHaveWordstoSpend:ReflectionsofaSmall-TownEditor.Inadditiontofournovelsforadults,Cormierwroteonelastnovelforyoungadults,FrenchtownSummer,thestoryofayoungteenagersarrivalinanewtowntoldentirelyintheboyspoetry.HediedonNovember2,2000.
