内容简介
Inthisunforgettablememoirofboyhoodinthe1950s,wemeettheyoungTobyWolff,byturnstoughandvulnerable,craftyandbumbling,andultimatelywinning.Separatedbydivorcefromhisfatherandbrother,Tobyandhismotherareconstantlyonthemove.BetweenthemselvestheydevelopanalmosttelepathictrustthatseesthemthroughtheirwanderingsfromFloridatoasmalltowninWashingtonState.Fightingforidentityandself-respectagainsttheunrelentinghostilityofanewstepfather,Toby'sgrowingupisatoncepoignantandcomical.Hisvariousschemes—runningawaytoAlaska,forgingcheeks,andstealingcars—leadeventuallytoanactofoutrageousself-inventionthatreleaseshimintoanewworldofpossibility.
作者简介
TobiasWolffBestknownforhisshortstoriesandhisautobiographicalwriting,TobiasWolffrivetedreadersandheldthemfastwithThisBoy'sLife,agroundbreakingliterarymemoirthatredefinedthegenreforanentiregeneration.BiographyAlthoughTobiasWolffhasdescribedhisownyouthfulselfasaliarandanimposter,hehasachievedinhiswritingalevelofhonestysounflinchingitisalmostpainfultoread.Theauthoroftwogroundbreakingliterarymemoirsandseveralvolumesofautobiographicalfiction(shortandlong),Wolffisnotjustwillingtolaybarehispretensesandself-deceptions;hefeelsanobligationtodoso.LikeRumpelstilskin,hehasspunexperience,memory,andaremarkablegiftforstorytellingintoliterarygold.GrowingupinBirmingham,Alabama,Wolffbarelyknewhislargelyabsentfather,amanheandhisolderbrotherGeoffrey(alsoawriter)havedescribedasaconartistandacompulsiveliar.Whilehewasstillyoung,Wolff'sparentsofficiallysplitup.Geoffreywenttolivewithhisfather;Tobiasstayedwithhismother,whomovedaroundfromstatetostateinasteady,westerlyprogressionthatfinallylandedtheminWashington.Neveragoodjudgeofcharacterwheremenwereconcerned,hismothermarriedanabusivemartinetwhomadeherson'slifemiserable.Wolffrecountedhismisspent,miserableyouthinThisBoy'sLife,agroundbreaking1989memoirthatlaterbecameamoviestarringLeonardoDiCaprio,EllenBarkin,andRobertDeNiro.Wolfeescapedhistroubledhomeenvironmentbyfalsifyinganapplicationtoaprivateboys'schoolintheEastandfabricatingaresumésoremarkableitgothimin.Heflunkedoutbeforegraduating,enlistedinthemilitary,andwassenttoVietnam--anexperiencehechronicledinasecondmemoir,InPharaoh'sArmy:MemoriesoftheLostWar,publishedin1994.Whenhewasdischargedfromservice,hevisitedEngland,fellinlovewiththecountry,andstudied,withthehelpoftutors,togainentrancetoOxford.Hegraduatedwithhonorsin1972andreceivedascholarshiptoStanford,wherehereceivedhismaster'sdegree.Athree-timewinneroftheO.HenryAward,Wolffiswidelyrespectedforhisshortstories.Hisfirstcollection,IntheGardenoftheNorthAmericanMartyrs,waspublishedin1981andreceivedravereviewsfromsuchpastmastersofthegenreasAnnieDillardandJoyceCarolOates.Subsequentanthologieshaveonlyservedtosolidifyhisreputationasapreternaturallygiftedstoryteller.His1984novellaTheBarracksThiefwonthePEN/FaulknerAwardforFiction;andin2003,hepublishedhisfirstnovel,OldSchool,ashrewdlyobserved,heavilyautobiographicalcoming-of-agetalesetinaneliteboys'boardingschool.Nearlyasfamousforhisteachingasforhisbooks,WolffservedonthefacultyofSyracuseUniversityfor17yearsbeforeacceptingapositionatStanfordin1997asaprofessorofEnglishliteratureandcreativewriting.Heisalsoacrackerjackeditorandhasshepherdedseveralshortstoryanthologiesthroughtopublication.GoodToKnowLeonardoDiCapriobeatout400hopefulsfromLosAngeles,NewYork,Florida,andallplacesinbetweentostarasTobiasWolffinthefilmversionofThisBoy'sLife.Separatedatayoungagebytheirparent'sdivorce,TobiasandGeoffreyWolffbothgrewuptobecomesuccessfulwriters.Geoffrey's1979memoiroflifewithhiscon-artistfatheriscalledTheDukeofDeception.InaninterviewwithTheBostonBookReview,TobiasWolfediscussedthephenomenonofselectivememorythisway:"Memoryissomethingthatyoudo;itisnotsomethingthatyouhave.Youremember,andwhenyourememberyoubringinalltheresourcesofinvention,calculation,self-interestandself-protection.Imaginationispartofittoo."AlsoKnownAs:TobiasJonathanAnsellWolff(fullname)Hometown:NorthernCaliforniaDateofBirth:六月19,1945PlaceofBirth:Birmingham,AlabamaEducation:B.A.,OxfordUniversity,1972;M.A.,StanfordUniversity,1975
