同名電影由《舞動人生》(Billy Elliot)、《時時刻刻》(The Hours)、《為愛朗讀》(The Reader)奧斯卡金獎導演史蒂芬.戴爾卓(Stephen Daldry)執導,金獎影帝湯姆.漢克斯(Tom Hanks)與金獎影后珊卓.布拉克(Sandra Bullock)聯袂演出。
奧斯卡.史埃爾是個年僅九歲的早熟男孩,他喜歡用爺爺留下的相機隨手拍照,也喜歡寫信給崇拜的科學家與作家,更喜歡針對所有新奇的事物發問,父親是他最信賴的智慧導師,他們擁有最甜蜜的時光與最真摯的情誼。
但是就在911恐怖攻擊事件中,他的父親意外過世,他與母親的感情變得疏離,對奶奶的關愛也不懂珍惜,他成了沮喪又飽受創傷的孩子,寡言沈默的他在父親的遺物中發現了一個寫著「布萊克」的信封,裡面放著一把神秘的鑰匙,但是這把鑰匙無法開啟公寓裡任何一把鎖。奧斯卡認為這一定是父親生前留給他的尋寶遊戲,只要能找到能開啟這把鑰匙的鎖,所有的疑惑必定能解開,於是他決定帶著父親傳承的冒險精神,出發前往紐約市五大區,尋找兩百多位姓「布萊克」的人,因為鑰匙的秘密必定與他們其中一人有關……
當奧斯卡在紐約市區探險時,作者也透過歷史把故事延伸到其他震撼人心的恐怖攻擊事件中,包括了奧斯卡那對心理受創的爺爺奶奶,並用書信對話的方式雙線並進,讓二次大戰德勒斯登轟炸事件中的經歷成為本書的支線故事,爺爺與奶奶刻骨銘心卻又若即若離的愛情故事與奧斯卡的尋寶故事緊密結合。這兩個故事最後終於以強有力的結束交會在一起,蹦發出令人傷感而又記憶深刻的三代情感回憶……
Jonathan Safran Foer emerged as one of the most original writers of his generation with his best-selling debut novel, Everything Is Illuminated. Now, with humor, tenderness, and awe, he confronts the traumas of our recent history.
Nine-year-old Oskar Schell has embarked on an urgent, secret mission that will take him through the five boroughs of New York. His goal is to find the lock that matches a mysterious key that belonged to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11. This seemingly impossible task will bring Oskar into contact with survivors of all sorts on an exhilarating, affecting, often hilarious, and ultimately healing journey.
★本書中譯版《心靈鑰匙》由凱特文化出版。
作者簡介
強納森.薩弗蘭.佛爾Jonathan Safran Foer
強納森.薩弗蘭.佛爾曾任《鳥集文選》(A convergence of Birds)編輯,著有《真相大白》(Everything Is Illuminated)、《心靈鑰匙》(Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close),並與杉本博司(Hiroshi Sugimoto)、理查.塞拉(Richard Serra)合著《喬》(Joe)。
他的首本著作《真相大白》被評為最佳暢銷懸疑小說,成為當代最具原創性的作家之一,並榮獲多項獎項,包括美國國家猶太人書籍獎及紐約公共圖書館幼獅獎。
《心靈鑰匙》透過幽默、溫柔及令人敬畏的筆觸,勇敢地率領讀者迎向近年來最慘痛的歷史傷痕,《書籤雜誌》(Bookmarks Magazine)讚譽「這個年輕作家的確是個偉大且有才華的青年才俊」;《出版人週刊》(Publishers Weekly)也說:「佛爾在對探求純淨情感的堅持中,仍無畏於展現創傷性的文字,這再度展現了他是少數願意冒著感情用事的風險,而仍堅持在故事中強調關於真理、愛和美這些重要問題的當代作家」。
強納森.薩弗蘭.佛爾曾經獲得美國廣場戲院頒發的「熱愛生命文學獎」。著作被翻譯成三十種語言,現居住於紐約市布魯克林區。
JONATHAN SAFRAN FOER is the author of the novels Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and a work of nonfiction, Eating Animals. His books have won numerous awards and have been translated into 36 languages. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.