Chenneville: A Novel of Murder, Loss, and Vengeance
謝納維爾：謀殺、失去與復仇
內容介紹
- 由悲痛引燃，以復仇驅動，一名男性為了救贖，踏上堅毅不屈的驚險旅途，橫跨南北戰爭後無法無天的邊境。
- 獲獎無數、《紐約時報》（New York Times）暢銷小說《讀報人》（News of the World）作者，寫下這部無所畏懼的小說。
聯邦軍人約翰．謝納維爾（John Chenneville）在戰爭中因頭部受傷而留下創傷。他花費將近一年的時間復原，努力恢復感官知覺和行動能力。當他回家時，南北戰爭已經結束，然而悲劇正等待他。約翰摯愛的姐姐和家人遭慘忍殺害。
殺手擁有許多名稱，他在那場沉重的戰爭為北方而戰，身戴名為法律的徽章。然而，對約翰來說，這位叫A. J.杜爾德（A. J. Dodd）的男人，只不過是一隻瘋狗，毫無理由地殺戮，沒有一絲愧疚，必須受到制裁。
約翰踏上旅途，跨過正處重建、破碎的國家，看見各種無可饒恕的景象。面對寒冬風暴，他無所畏懼。追尋獵物時，他也正視那些急需幫助的人們。他沒有束縛，專心一志於目標，任何事物都無法停下他的腳步。美國法警（the U.S. Marshal）曾警告約翰，即使他成功復仇，警察也將以謀殺罪逮捕他；於這條佈滿死亡危機的路途上提供幫助的電報員維多利亞．雷維斯（Victoria Reavis），則希望約翰能擁抱她的生活方式。
當約翰追隨杜爾德深入德州時，他突然發覺，這條旅途的最終代價，遠遠超出他當初失去的一切……
作者介紹
波雷特．賈爾斯（Paulette Jiles）為小說家、詩人和傳記作家。她著有回憶錄《表哥》（Cousins，暫譯）、《敵人女性》（Enemy Women，暫譯）、《風暴日》（Stormy Weather，暫譯）、《閃電的顏色》（The Color of Lightning，暫譯）、以及榮獲2016年美國國家圖書獎（National Book Award）的《燈塔島》（Lighthouse Island，暫譯）。她居住於鄰近德州聖安東尼的牧場。
書評
"A beautifully written novel illuminating society across a wide swath of the lower United States. . . . The writing is poetic and descriptive, leavened with a hint of romance." -- Library Journal (starred review)
"In her richly lyrical prose, acclaimed author Jiles (Simon the Fiddler, 2020) turns to the waning weeks and months of the Civil War, a period when the scales of justice felt heavily tipped toward the war's administrators and beneficiaries. Jiles uses John's lawless quest to interrogate the inequalities in the justice system--inequalities that still echo loudly today." -- Booklist (starred review)
"Jiles captivates with another reliably rugged western odyssey. . . This tale has true grit."-- Publishers Weekly
"News of the World is . . . [an] exquisite book about the joys of freedom; the discovery of unexpected, proprietary love between two people who have never experienced anything like it; pure adventure in the wilds of an untamed Texas; and the reconciling of vastly different cultures. . . . That's a lot to pack into a short, vigorous volume, but Ms. Jiles is capable of saying a lot in few words." -- New York Times
"Paulette Jiles' spare Western packs a powerful punch. And, boy, can Jiles write. . . News of the World is surprisingly tender, but never soft. It's lovely." -- USA Today (4 out of 4 stars)
"[A] sleek and entertaining novel . . . [W]hat stands out amid the gun smoke and the period detail is the moving friendship between a girl with no place to fit in and an old man who has outlived his usefulness. Add them to the list of the Wild West's great odd couples." -- Wall Street Journal on News of the World
"The reader is treated to a kind of alchemy on the page when character, setting and song converge at all the right notes, generating an authentic humanity that is worth remembering and celebrating." -- New York Times on Simon the Fiddler
"Jiles' sparse but lyrical writing is a joy to read. . . . A beautifully written book and a worthy follow-up to News of the World." -- Associated Press on Simon the Fiddler
"Imbued with the dust, grit, and grime of Galveston at the close of the Civil War, Simon the Fiddler immerses readers in the challenges of Reconstruction. Jiles brings her singular voice to the young couple's travails, her written word as lyrical and musical as Simon's bow raking over his strings. Loyal Jiles readers and fans of Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See and Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge will adore the author's latest masterpiece." -- Booklist (starred review) on Simon the Fiddler