刻劃出真實，才能刻劃出書的靈魂

現在不論是真實紀錄還是虛構小說，除了華麗的詞彙，更講求臨場感的營造，一筆一畫刻出寫實又細膩的細節，讓讀者恍若身歷其境，最後再用意想不到的結局在眾人的腦海烙下最深刻的一幕，才能博得讀者的青睞與掌聲。

幾可亂真的傳奇樂團 -- Daisy Jones & The Six

There is something intoxicating about Daisy Jones and the Six. This is the story about the whirlwind rise of an iconic 1970s rock band, The Six, and their captivating lead singer, Daisy Jones. Back in 1970s, Daisy Jones & The Six were everywhere. Their albums were sold out from coast to coast; their sound defined an era. And then, on 12 July 1979, they split, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity … until now.

《Daisy Jones & the Six》這本書有著獨特的魅力，整個劇情圍繞在70年代傳奇搖滾樂團The Six和他們的主唱Daisy Jones。回顧1970年代，Daisy Jones & the Six的音樂無所不在，每個角落都能看見他們的專輯，而他們的聲音定義了整個時代。然而，在1979年7月12日那天，Daisy Jones & the Six解散了，沒有任何人知道是什麼原因促使他們在紅極一時的頂點就地解散，直到今天這個謎團才將要揭露…

The fictional book is set up like an oral history compiled from the conversations and transcribed interviews from the band members and also from those who tagged along during the band’s run. Not only does the author invent a band but also the story behind it, with a surprise at the end to unspool the mystery for you.

儘管這個故事寫得非常逼真，但Daisy Jones & The Six卻是虛構出來的樂團，小說用一種娓娓道來口吻來回顧過往，並彙整了對話與話題追蹤者的對話和訪談紀錄。作者不僅捏造了一個樂團甚至是樂團背後的故事，然後用一個意想不到的結局來為讀者解開這個謎團。

芝加哥社區暴力的真實紀錄 -- An American Summer

In An American Summer, Kotlowitz draws us into the lives of people living and working in some of Chicago's most abandoned neighborhoods. In order to understand the level of urban violence that still plagues the Windy City, Kotlowitz set out to chronicle one summer in the city, writing about individuals who have emerged from the violence and whose stories capture the capacity of the human heart and soul. As Kotlowitz did in his bestseller There Are No Children Here, he gives readers an opportunity to see for themselves the lives and substance of the people behind the statistics. These are people who, without his book, may very easily stay hidden from view.

在《An American Summer》書中，Kotlowitz帶領我們進入芝加哥最黑暗的社區，實際看看那些真實人們的生活與工作。為了深入了解暴力如何滲透這座城市，Kotlowitz花了一整個夏天的時間，紀錄那些遭到暴力殘害的人們與他們背後扣人心弦的故事。本書就像Kotlowitz的另一本暢銷書《There are no children here》，Kotlowitz為讀者帶來重新審視人生的機會，揭露隱藏在統計數據之下的真實人生。倘若沒有這本書，許多底層人們的血淚將永不見天日，埋沒在滾滾紅塵中。

徒手攀上千米巨岩的世界傳奇 -- The Impossible Climb

On June 3. 2017, adventure journalist and professional climber Mark Synnott was in Yosemite to witness something that only a handful of people knew was about to occur: Alex Honnold, the most famous big-wall climber in the world, spent fewer than four hours summitting one of the world's most challenging ascents. A route called Freerider, on the notorious El Capitan, is 3,000 feet of vertical granite. It's a climb that is extraordinarily dangerous and difficult even for the equipped climber, and yet Honnold was going to do it "free solo", meaning no equipment, no climbing partner, and no rope. Where a single small mistake would cause certain death.

2017年6月3日探險作家及專業攀岩好手Mark Synnott在美國優勝美地親眼目睹這個鮮為人知的神話：世界知名的大岩壁攀岩家Alex Honnold花了近4小時攻克全球最難的攀岩路線，這條高度近915公尺的路線名為Freerider，位於惡名昭彰的酋長岩上，是即便裝備齊全的攀岩者也不敢輕易挑戰的攀爬路線，但Honnold竟打算要嘗試「自由攀岩」，意味著他要在沒有攀岩裝備、攀岩搭檔和繩索的狀況下爬上巨岩，只要一個失足便可能遺恨千年。

The Impossible Climb is an emotional drama driven by people exploring the limits of human potential and seeking a choreographed dance with nature. But this story of sublime heights is really about all of us. Who doesn't need to face fear down fear and make the most of the time we have? 

本書充滿著戲劇性的轉折，探索人類潛能的極限，並呈現出經縝密計算後才能與自然共享的舞蹈，但這個描述高度之美的故事其實在向所有人傳遞一個訊息 -- 人生漫漫，誰不需要面對自己的恐懼，好好珍惜擁有的時間呢？

Best Quotes of the books

"Men often think they deserve a sticker for treating women like people." -- Daisy Jones & The Six
男人常會認為禮遇女性是件值得點讚的行為。

"Karma is a motherfucker." -- An American Summer
業報他媽的就是個混帳。

"One slip, one false move, one missed toehold, and you're dead." -- The Impossible Climb
任何一個腳滑、一個錯誤的動作、一個失足，你就完了。

參考資料：Amazon、Penguin Books、Goodreads

本文收錄於英語島English Island 2019年4月號
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