至今都没想清,在心智尚幼的时候读了那么多简·奥斯丁,对我究竟是好是坏。第一本是《曼斯菲尔德庄园》,那年我初一。埃德蒙安慰想家哭泣的小范妮,帮她裁信纸削鹅毛笔、改正错别字,简直是温柔到让心融化的场景。接着读《傲慢与偏见》、《理智与情感》,当时肯定是被那些爱情故事抓牢的,可后来回想,记住的却是一个一个独立的人。而记住这些人的原因,或者是因为她们特别聪明总说着点评他人的妙语,或者是有那么些可笑被简及简笔下的人物用句句妙语点评过。简实在是聪明得可怕的女人。看多了她的书,会不由地产生出一种洞察力高人一等的感觉,嘲笑诺里斯姑妈口是心非的吝啬,嘲笑本奈特太太的脆弱神经,嘲笑贝丝小姐的唠叨……当然,对达希伍德太太如何一步步说服丈夫减少为他妹妹做的事情那段文字,简实在讽刺地太厉害以至于我们无法跟着嘲笑却只能击节赞赏了。可问题是,这样高人一等的洞察力并不是读者的,它是属于简的,由简一点点抖落指点给读者。学会了看透书里的人,产生了拥有敏锐判断力的错觉,这样的自以为聪明多可怕呢。好在还有《爱玛》,奈特立先生不仅给爱玛忠告,也提醒着书外爱玛一般的小脑瓜。我有些庆幸自己读奥斯丁还不算太早。如果再早些,小学时读,将心智完全交给简来开启,怕是能学到些许犀利眼光和轻巧讽刺的才能吧。可伶俐至此是好事么?太聪明了,是否会不够宽容是否会咄咄逼人是否会因为看得太清而认识不到蒙着一层纱的幸福呢?以前没有读过《劝导》,最近读了后在想,这样的聪明,或许得同时配上安妮温和隐忍的性格才好吧。偏偏安妮却说不上幸福,至少在漫长的八年里说不上;若非简总是给小说安排大完满的结局,最后的安妮是否幸福也未知。一直都不理解为什么简永远让故事的最后皆大欢喜,特别是《诺桑觉修道院》,尾巴实在突兀。去年风火的电影 Becoming Jane 让不管读不读她小说的人都开始八卦她的一生,我才了解到这喜剧背后原来有怎样的落寞。聪明如简、孤单如简,都愿意让爱情有简单美好的结局。这样的书,读读也好。
我热爱的两个英国女人:Agatha Christine & Jane Austen。无条件热爱关于她们的一切。
compared to emma,it seems a little bit immature, and too long. i dropped several times but finally finished out of the mere love and respect to the author. But the part describing edward’s affection towards that city girl and her character really has a value to have a deep look at. Since the nowaday value is obviously quite against the tradition in the authors time.
the old time shows more concern to the sensitive part of a person or society while the industrialized modern is rough and tough.
The book has an apparent opposition against the emerging of modern way at that period. But history seems ignores every effort against its natual sliding. Hope time will finally sets the balance, before that all the approval or disapproval are welcome, hehe