The Essex Serpent (TV Tie-in Ed.) | 誠品線上

迷蛇記

內容簡介

內容簡介 Apple TV+《艾塞克斯之蛇》影集原著小說Apple TV+改編影集《艾塞克斯之蛇》2022年5月上線克萊兒・丹妮絲（《反恐危機》）＋湯姆・希德斯頓（《洛基》）主演愛情vs.友誼、科學vs.傳說、信仰vs.理性一個擺脫性別桎梏、熱愛博物學的獨立女性一位才智過人、虔誠但拒絕迷信的進步派牧師聯手揭開英格蘭19世紀末神祕的羊眼海蛇傳說之謎◆英國暢銷 500,000冊，授權全球25國一部化日常為新奇、彷彿會自體發光的新維多利亞時代小說令英國最大連鎖書店「水石」為之瘋狂◆ 2017年「英國圖書獎」最佳年度書籍、最佳年度小說◆ 2016年水石書店年度好書、《衛報》讀者年度選書◆2016年英國「酒吧地毯獎」（最適合在酒吧裡閱讀的小說）◆ 入圍英國柯斯達小說獎、狄倫・湯瑪斯獎、貝禮詩女性小說獎‧‧‧羊眼鳥喙、長著一對飛翼，「艾塞克斯之蛇」再度現蹤，是惡兆還是天啟……十九世紀末，一個迷信與科學交織的年代，經濟和工業的發達拉大了貧富差距，達爾文的學說引發了信仰危機，外科醫學手術剛有創新革命，階級隔閡仍持續加深。年輕寡婦珂拉擺脫了不幸的家暴婚姻，帶著保姆和兒子搬離倫敦，來到風光明媚的艾塞克斯郡附近村落。她得以脫掉緊身束衣，追求自己的人生，循著偶像古生物學家瑪麗‧安寧的腳步，一頭栽進熱愛的生物學和考古學之中。當地盛傳有古老怪物「艾塞克斯之蛇」出沒，相傳這隻怪物1669年當時曾經肆虐黑水河畔，而後突然消失，如今因為一場八年前的地震，彷彿從水底被釋放。關於「牠」的種種傳聞不亞於尼斯湖水怪。珂拉堅信「艾塞克斯之蛇」是某種尚未被發現的古生物，執意解開這個傳說之謎，然而當地的教區牧師威廉則認為這只是老百姓的迷信作祟。欲望與信念在沼澤裡交融，但真正的奇蹟是友情威廉才智過人、聰明幽默，卻選擇到鄉下當牧師。高大結實且男孩子氣的珂拉，和牧師嬌小美麗的妻子史黛拉一見如故，也迅速和威廉發展出友誼。他們不認同彼此所熟悉的一切，卻能互相理解，兩個聰明而自由的靈魂在此交會，展開智性的較量與辯論，碰撞出無數靈性的火花：威廉：「我不接受我的信仰是迷信的信仰……我們的上帝是理性和秩序之神，不是在夜裡降災的神！如果理性的造物主把星辰放在它們的位置上，那麼我們勢必也是理性和秩序的生物！」珂拉：「背過身不去看所有嶄新奇妙的東西，不去正視顯微鏡底下那些不亞於福音書的奇蹟，是一種盲目，或是選擇性瘋狂！你的信仰不也滿是奇異和神祕，滿是鮮血和地獄裡的硫磺，滿是在黑暗中盲目的跌跌撞撞，滿是只能用手摸索的模糊形狀？ 」他們透過書信分享生活與思想，以墨水和紙張構成安全的領域，然而隨著一次次見面，唇槍舌劍產生的吸引力，讓這份友誼開始面臨道德的考驗……陸與海、舊與新、生與死之間，恐懼的形狀和重量觸手可及與此同時，新年當天被被沖上岸的斷首男子、活活嚇死的山羊、失蹤的女孩，還有漁夫發誓看到了黑水河的怪獸，有個孩子差點溺斃，田裡的大麥看起來不太妙，母雞不下蛋，牛奶容易發酸……不安的耳語在這座村莊裡無止盡蔓延。這隻據說眼睛有如羊眼的蛇怪，為何在沉寂幾個世紀後再度從艾塞克斯的河裡上岸？真正的怪物究竟是河裡那隻未知的生物，還是人心製造的無形產物——恐懼？寫出維多利亞小說新高度，掀起「現象級」閱讀風潮作者莎拉・派瑞只出版了兩本小說，便已獲公認為當今英國文壇首屈一指的小說家。她優美的人性書寫，充滿關於人類行為和動機的智慧，也讓人心不禁想更溫柔地對待彼此。她風格獨具的文風，化日常為新奇又充滿感染力，創造出一種最清新、鮮明生動的維多利亞時代氛圍，但她想傳達的訊息永不過時：若我們不能偶爾將心比心，世界將是一個更貧瘠的地方。這是一位看透人生的小說家，一個含金量高、自體發光的迷人故事，道盡人生的微妙運作，拋出愛與信念、科學與信仰、祕密與謎題的牽扯，以及人類心靈複雜又難以預期的變化，讓讀者的心隱隱跟著悸動、慢慢發酵。書評家和讀者齊聲高度讚譽，一位不遜於《塊肉餘生記》狄更斯、《德古拉》史托克、《黑暗之心》康拉德與《使女的故事》愛特伍、絕不可錯過的新小說家！本中文書介出自《迷蛇記》漫遊者文化事業股份有限公司出版NOW AN APPLE TV+ SERIESA Washington Post Notable Work of Fiction * Winner of the British Book Awards Fiction Book of the Year and overall Book of the Year *A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of The Year * Waterstones Book of the Year * Costa Book Award Finalist“A novel of almost insolent ambition—lush and fantastical, a wild Eden behind a garden gate...it’s part ghost story and part natural history lesson, part romance and part feminist parable. I found it so transporting that 48 hours after completing it, I was still resentful to be back home.” —New York TimesLondon, 1893. When Cora Seaborne’s brilliant, domineering husband dies, she steps into her new life as a widow with as much relief as sadness: her marriage was an unhappy one, and she never suited the role of society wife. Seeking refuge in fresh air and open space, she leaves the metropolis for coastal Essex, accompanied by her inquisitive and obsessive eleven-year-old son, Francis, and the boy’s nanny, Martha, her fiercely protective friend. Once there, they hear rumors that after nearly three hundred years, the mythical Essex Serpent, a fearsome creature that once roamed the marshes, has returned. When a young man is mysteriously killed on New Year’s Eve, the community’s dread transforms to terror. Cora, a keen amateur naturalist with no patience for religion or superstition, is immediately enthralled, certain that what locals think is a magical sea beast may be a previously undiscovered species. Eager to investigate, she is introduced to parish vicar William Ransome, who is equally suspicious of the rumors but for different reasons: a man of faith, he is convinced the alarming reports are caused by moral panic, a flight from the correct and righteous path. As Cora and William attempt to discover the truth about the Essex Serpent’s existence, these seeming opposites find themselves inexorably drawn together in an intense relationship that will change both of them in ways entirely unexpected. And as they search for answers, Cora’s London past follows her to the coast, with striking consequences. Told with exquisite grace and intelligence, The Essex Serpent masterfully explores questions of science and religion, skepticism and faith, but it is most of all a celebration of love, and the many different—and surprising—guises it can take."

作者介紹

作者介紹 Sarah Perry Sarah Perry is the internationally bestselling author of The Essex Serpent and After Me Comes the Flood. She lives in England.

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