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出版社:WORDSWORTH
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ISBN:1853261882
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作者:James Hogg著
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頁數:175
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出版日期:1997-01-01
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印刷日期:1997-01-01
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包裝:平裝
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版次:1
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印次:1
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In the late 17th century, Scotland is torn by religious and political strife. Hogg's sinner, justified by his Calvinist conviction that his own salvation is pre-ordained, is suspected of involvement in a series of bizarre and hideous crimes. A century later his memoirs reveal the extraordinary, macabre truth. The tale is chilling for its astute psychological accuracy as it illustrates, with power and economy, the dire effect of self-righteous bigotry on a fanatical character.
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THE POETIC TALENT ofJames Hogg was first recognised by Sir
Walter Scott and admiring contemporaries came to refer to him as
"The Ettrick Shepherd" for his occupation in the forest of that
name on the Scottish Borders. Hogg had virtually no formal
education and his work reflects oral traditions, both his verse
and prose consisting of stories based on adapted ballads, legends
and folklore. His most ambitious prose work,The Private Memoirs
and Confessions of a Fustified Sinner was published in 1824, and
is now widely acclaimed as his masterpiece.
The celebrated French author, Andre Gide, was lent a copy of
the book in 1924 and was stunned by it. He wrote an enthusiastic
introduction to The Cresset Library edition of the work that same
year,extolling its psychological accuracy likening it in this
respect to Henry James" The Turn of the Screw, in its subject
matter to Browning"s poem,Fobannes Agricola in Meditation, and in
aspects of its form to Browning"s The Ring and The Book. Gide
quotes his own transhtor, Dorothy Bussy, who stressed the
essentially Scottish nature of the book and of the fanatical
Puritanism depicted. The novel shares the atmosphere and curious
horror of Bums" Holy Willie"s Prayer, and looks forward to
Stevenson"sDr Jekyll and Mr Hyde which seems to have been
influenced by it.
Many have noted that Hogg, in the treatment of his material,
was well in advance of his time. His story concerns a young man,
Robert Wringhim, son of a strife-torn marriage, brought up in
extreme Calvinist bigotry. He is instilled with the fatal belief
that he is one of"the community of the just upon earth", who
cannot sin, his salvation being pre-ordained. Robert"s every
natural inclination is thus sanctified and encouraged. This
doctrine apparendy derives from the controversial teachings of
Johannes Agricola who founded a sect in the sixteenth century,
called the "Antinomians".
The novel is constructed of two parts with the first section
couched as an editor"s objective narrative. Here a finely wrought
atmosphere of mystery and suspense creates mounting tension as
unsolved crimes are described and suspicions aroused. The second
part of the book which purports to be W~inghim"s own memoir, found
in his grave some hundred years after his death, shows his very
gradual movement from the self-righteous conviction that all he
does is God"s work to the belief that he is under the influence of
a malign stranger whom he ultimately recognises as the devil.
Supernatural force is one explanation, but though Hogg"s dramatic
ending may pander to the Gothic tastes of his time, the essence of
his story is also plausible on another level. Hogg"s presentation
of the evil spirit that possesses his hero is subtle and open to
many interpretations. It is easy to perceive this devil as an
alter-ego,playing only on the sinner"s own darkest unconscious
desires, and the instability of his character. The carefully laid
background to this carries conviction with psychological realism
that is worthy of any twentiethcentury novel of the genre.
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Fustified Sinner is
written with power, economy and a grim humour that makes
compelling reading.As Gide claims, the book is "an extraordinary
achievement". It is both significant and impressive as a precursor
of the psychological thriller which reflects the author"s profound
understanding of the nature of fanaticism and the limidess extent
of human perversity.
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