内容简介
DorisLessing'scontemporarygothichorrorstory—centeredonthebirthofababywhoseemslessthanhuman—probessociety'sunwillingnesstorecognizeitsownbrutality.HarrietandDavidLovatt,parentsoffourchildren,havecreatedanidyllofdomesticblissindefianceofthesocialtrendsoflate1960sEngland.Whilearoundthemcrimeandunrestsurge,theLovattsarecertainthattheirold-fashionedcontentmentcanprotectthemfromtheworldoutside—untilthebirthoftheirfifthbaby.Gruesomelygoblin-likeinappearance,insatiablyhungry,abnormallystrongandviolent,Benhasnothinginnocentorinfant-likeabouthim.Ashegrowsolderandmoreterrifying,Harrietfindsshecannotlovehim,Davidcannotbringhimselftotouchhim,andtheirfourolderchildrenareafraidofhim.Understandingthathewillneverbeacceptedanywhere,HarrietandDavidaretornbetweentheirinstinctsasparentsandtheirshockedreactiontothisfierceandunlovablechildwhoseexistenceshatterstheirbeliefinabenignworld.
作者简介
"DorisLessingisthekindofwriterwhohasfollowers,notjustreaders,"LesleyHazletononceobserved.ButtheNobelPrize-winningLessing,whoseclassicnovelTheGoldenNotebookwasembracedasafeministicon,hasseldomtoldherfollowersexactlywhattheywantedtohear.Formuchofhercareer,shehasfrustratedreaders'expectationsandthwartedwould-beexpertsonherwork,penningeverythingfromtraditionalnarrativestopostmodernnovelstomysticfables.LessingwasborninPersia(nowIran)andgrewupinSouthernRhodesia(nowZimbabwe),whereherfathermadeanunsuccessfulattempttofarmmaize.Thoughshelovedlivingonthefarm,herfamilylifewasoftentenseandunhappy.Lessingmarriedattheageof20,butthreeyearslater,feelingstifledbycoloniallifeandincreasinglydistressedbytheracismofhersociety,shejoinedtheCommunistParty,"becausetheyweretheonlypeopleIhadevermetwhofoughtthecolorbarintheirlives."Soonafterthat,sheleftherhusbandandfirsttwochildrentomarryfellowCommunistGottfriedLessing,withwhomshehadason.Theydivorced,andshetookhersonwithhertoEngland,whereshepublishedherfirstnovel,TheGrassIsSinging,tohighacclaim.Afterseveralmorenovels,includingthesemi-autobiographicalseriesChildrenofViolence,LessingwroteTheGoldenNotebook,apostmodern,fragmentarynarrativeaboutawriter'ssearchforidentity.TheGoldenNotebookgainedapassionatefollowinginthefeministmovementand"leftitsmarkupontheideasandfeelingsofawholegenerationofwomen,"asElizabethHardwickwrote.ToLessing'sdismay,shewasfrequentlycitedasa"feministwriter"afterthat.YetasDianeJohnsonpointedoutina1978reviewofStories,Lessing"alsounderstandsmen,politics,socialclass,striving,religion,lonelinessandlust."Johnsonadded:"Mrs.Lessingisthegreatrealistwriterofourtime,inthetraditionofthemajorContinentalnovelistsofthe19thcentury,particularlyStendhalandBalzac,butalsoTurgenevandChekhov--amasculinetraditionwithwhichsheshareslargemoralconcerns,anearnestandaffirmativeviewofhumannature,andadead-eyeforsocialtypes."
