［读书报告］扶桑

Jun · Post by **Jun** » 2007-01-25 15:55

曾经有一段时间，我会时不时地重复做一个恶梦。在梦里我一个人坐在黑屋子里看电视，正遇到放映一部恐怖片，非常可怕。我很想跑掉或者至少换个台，但是浑身都好象僵住了一样，动弹不得，只能睁着眼看着屏幕，连头都挪不开。

昨晚在本地图书馆胡乱借了本严歌苓的小说看，结果感受类似这个恶梦。一边看一边感觉到自己难以忍受的讨厌，但是象得了强迫症一样哗哗地快速翻完了，却不能半路扔掉。这本小说实在是我记忆中最难看最恶心最烂的书－－从小到大，我看过的书估计也有上千本了吧？或许几千本也说不定，这本书留下的印象真是。。。空前（但愿）绝后。

虽然恶人谷不是国内网站，大概也还是有人看，我不太好意思在这里说措辞太强烈的话批判这本小说，万一被作者的书迷或者律师找麻烦我也惹不起。就此声明我在这里说的话都是个人意见，对书不对人，也不是要鼓励别人抵制严歌苓小说。

小说的情节是拿Gabriel Garcia Marquez写的Erendira的故事安植到十九世纪中叶美国西部淘金热时的一个中国妓女身上的产品。这个叫扶桑的中国妓女被蹂躏被争夺的过程和，套句俗的，沧桑身世。其间她有两个疯狂爱她的男人：中国人里的黑帮老大大勇和一个白人男孩克里斯。最让我反感的是什么呢？首先是对现实的真实的人性和心理完全不感兴趣，每一个人物都限于一个符号，作者心目中既定的一个概念。里面的人物没有一个象真人，连一丝人气都没有，能感受到作者在拼命挤出自己的感情，但在我这个读者身上毫无作用－－不对，有作用，本应同情的喜爱的或者是佩服的感情（按作者的意图），但我感到的只是难以置信：搞什么？这也叫人来的？扶桑从头到尾都好象没有感情和思想，除了被硬派在身上的＂母性＂的抽象光辉和对白人男孩的模糊零碎的毫无理由的爱慕。两个男人也是抽象的概念：大勇是寄托了反抗种族歧视和压迫替中国劳工出气的的白日梦大佬，克里斯是拜倒在中国女人小脚下的白人男，意乱情迷的拯救者。

第二件让我呕吐的成份是通篇强烈的种族主义信仰系统，歧视中国人，崇拜白人。对中国人的歧视是体现在self-loathing上面，用漂亮的颂歌赞美中国妓女最纯粹的母性，表现在半痴呆的妓女扶桑靠磕瓜子抛媚眼和三寸金莲乐呵呵地spread her legs for money 和对白人男孩的长情。恐怖的是扶桑对自己的奴隶生活完全没有意见，一点小小的挣扎和能动性都没有，然后这种特性被作者拿来呕歌一番。作者审视古人的眼光跟外国过客看中国农民的眼光没有两样，她不把他们当人看，不承认他们象自己一样有喜怒哀乐，爱恨情仇，对现状的不满和对未来的希望，等等。同时，作者极度崇拜一切代表强权和地位的象征。白人男孩子除了长得＂清秀＂和家世清白以外，没有任何定义，对扶桑的痴情也是被作者强戴上的帽子，不需要解释，不需要说明，就被她的小脚和肉体给迷上了。从头到尾都是写他如何时不时地出现在扶桑眼前，半心半意地把自己幻想成搭救她的骑士却从来也没做点什么，只除了一次，还是拉了洋尼姑做靠山来行动的。其实你把传统的戏文里的张生李生什么的拿来，减去他们的中国背景和做诗文的小聪明（还剩什么？），把脸刷白，就跟克里斯没有区别。一个干瘪的标签上面写着：多情种子。没有人气。

过去我只看过她的一个现代短篇，关于同性恋找中国女人养孩子什么的，也有空洞的感觉。我很不明白，严歌苓不是号称嫁给美国外交官跻身上流社会啥啥的，在美国生活这么多年，为什么她笔下的洋人象是硬纸板剪下来的空壳子？不仅没有个性，连笼统的stereotypical 的国民性也没有，就是一个从没见过美国月亮的人也编得出来。真是奇怪死了。

最后，让我恶心难受的地方，就是作者的misogynistic态度。如果是个男人，或者尤其是洋人男写出这样的故事，肯定被人扁死，敲钉转脚地证实白人对中国妇女的邪恶偏见和fetish。那倒算了，过去听说了有这种人的传闻也不奇怪，奇的是中国女作家自己喜滋滋地披挂上压迫者为性奴隶定造的变态枷锁，还得意洋洋地炫耀传统美德和母性光辉！看作者羡慕地描写三寸金莲对＂清秀＂的痴情的白人男孩子不可抗拒的魅力，如果是个萎琐的变态的白人老头写得倒还说得过去，可是一个现代的中国人，还是个受过教育的女人！我。。。又要说了，教育有个P用，教育治不了心甘情愿的奴性和愚昧。

我到底是有深藏不露masochistic倾向呢？还是根本被震撼得木掉了？象是面对一盘蚂蚁上树，一尝之下发现是用苍蝇做的菜，却停不住手，竟然把整个一盘苍蝇都吃下去了。没办法，只好拿到公众场合再吐出来。我再也不敢碰大作家严歌苓的小说了。

Knowing · Post by **Knowing** » 2007-01-25 16:17

Are you just saying to piss everyone off again? Because you know how I love a saga of opium, binded feet, chinese whore, white saviour and their passionate love!

Jun · Post by **Jun** » 2007-01-25 16:19

Oh man this game of crying wolf is not funny any more.

All right, I confess. This time I am totally and 100% serious. I really need to get this green puss off my chest. I have never hated a book so passionately. :BloodyK:

汝南 · Post by 汝南 » 2007-01-26 3:03

扶桑还被翻成英文了，叫Daughter of Happiness，好像和虹影的饥饿的女儿是同个译者。搞不懂为啥叫扶桑？

我看了后也是同样感觉，尤其是和白人小孩那一套。据说，帮派为了一个妓女打架，有史实。

看过几篇早期中国妓女在美国的文章。最有意思的是，那些Christian好姐妹们要把她们从水深火热的生活中解救出去，教她们信仰上帝学习文化，结果好几个受不了，逃回妓院了。

花差花差小将军 · Post by **花差花差小将军** » 2007-01-26 9:12

Now I remember .... years ago I read this novel partially but never managed to finish it .... because I was very appalled

Didn't Chen Chong direct and shoot a movie in Tibet or Mongolia based on Yan's novel? About a young city girl being sent to remote place to be reeducated and she traded herself desperately for any faint hope/illusion that those men in power would help her get back to the city? I forget the name though

森林的火焰 · Post by **森林的火焰** » 2007-01-26 9:21

陈冲的那个电影叫天浴。
不过我不知道作者是谁。

花差花差小将军 · Post by **花差花差小将军** » 2007-01-26 9:31

Yes, that's the name. And I verified on amazon that its author is indeed Yan

Jun · Post by **Jun** » 2007-01-26 9:58

Really? Hmm. That explains a lot!

Knowing · Post by **Knowing** » 2007-01-26 10:05

OMG I remember that movie, it was totally pathetic! I can bash it for hours but I have neither the time nor the energy....

花差花差小将军 · Post by **花差花差小将军** » 2007-01-26 10:07

Kind of with elements of sickness and porn, but not yet that pronounced at the novel Jun described above.

Jun · Post by **Jun** » 2007-01-26 10:34

At the end of this novel, the narrator's voice who presents Fu Sang's story throughout the book -- obviously the author herself since she makes no attempt to present the narrator as a fictional character and the narrator tells the reader she is a Chinese expat living in US in the present time with a white husband -- closes the story with something like this:

I looked up from piles of research material (historical records) and said to my white husband: "I'm writing your story."

He smiled, "Good. Then that's something we share."

Man, this line is so chilling that I almost dropped the book. If I needed any confirmation that the author whole-heartedly identifies with the "heroine," I need to look no further.

I have to put in a disclaimer that my violent and visceral reaction to this book may be an entirely personal and individual thing. I have my own prejudices and preferences. For some reason it evokes something of a nightmare in me.

I'm sure there are plenty of readers who do not find it even slightly offensive. After all, this novel won the award of a Taiwan literary contest (by a famous newspaper publisher or something). The problem could be me.

花差花差小将军 · Post by **花差花差小将军** » 2007-01-26 10:50

Jun wrote:I looked up from piles of research material (historical records) and said to my white husband: "I'm writing your story."

Her white husband didn't reply, "and your feet"?

Knowing · Post by **Knowing** » 2007-01-26 10:58

我推荐你读卫慧的＜我的禅＞。。。。

花差花差小将军 · Post by **花差花差小将军** » 2007-01-26 11:04

If I did I would never trust your judgement again my dear

Knowing · Post by **Knowing** » 2007-01-26 11:08

我的禅 won't give you nightmares. It is more like a joke, kind of entertaining.

花差花差小将军 · Post by **花差花差小将军** » 2007-01-26 11:47

I doubt that my local library would have it (of course if it does I would stop my donation in protest) and I refuse to pay for it -- I am already paying hefty monthly satellite dish bills to keep myself entertained

神仙 · Post by 神仙 » 2007-02-08 0:23

嘿嘿，说到我兜儿里了
《扶桑》是我非常喜欢的一本书，写得不够流畅干净，但是故事非常打动我。
它描摹出东方文化里那种弱的力量，隐忍、承受、苦中寻乐。
主人公扶桑最后没有和克里斯去西部而是抱着夫婿骨灰还乡也很合我的心意，这个的原因比较复杂，我自己也没有想得很清楚。
主人公叫扶桑，女的。