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美国版《甄嬛传》你要不要

【她推荐的书都很难看】文/漪微


The Selection

by Kiera Cass


我国的甄嬛黑们对《甄嬛传》的意见基本可以总结为“书中女性为了争夺权威男性的宠爱不择手段,歌颂了女人的奴性”。


你可别逗了。


事实是,《甄嬛传》跟争夺男性的宠爱半毛钱关系没有。


那本书的主旨在于——从前,一个最漂亮最聪明的女人把一群又漂亮又聪明的女人都玩死了。


民主自由男女平等的美帝也有这样的小说。阅读群是年轻女性,故事轻松好读;剧情上天入地,能满足平凡生活中的英雄幻想。

最有名的大概是《饥饿游戏》(The Hunger Games),。


由《饥饿游戏》所带动的类型文学被称作乌托邦/反乌托邦小说(Utopian/dystopian Fiction),共同点是虚构一个不存在的世界;区别在于,前者是虚构一个完美幸福的世界,后者是虚构一个颠倒失衡的世界。


这类故事一般不发生在我们所熟知的现实生活中,但也不是《星球大战》式的天马行空——在乌托邦小说中,作者所设定和架构的世界观基本是以某一时期的现实社会为原型,然后再稍(xia)加(bian)修(luan)改(zao),结果就是给读者一种熟悉与陌生交织的惊喜感。


听着耳熟是吧?我国言情小说界早就有这种垃圾,划掉,写法的存在了。

——架空小说。


《甄嬛传》原著的故事背景并非清朝,而是虚构的大周朝,但从这个“大周朝”的制度习俗来看,不难发现作者取材了真实的朝代并加以杂糅。

而我们今天要吐槽的这本小说,就是如假包换的架空小说。

更确切的说,是“反乌托邦小说”。作者说它发生在300年后的未来。

--- The Selection ---


好吧。书是这么被简介的:


For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.


But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.


Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself — and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.


于是,很久很久以后,在一个遥远的国度,有一个英俊的王子,他要选王妃。


我必须首先强调本书第一个丧失的背景设定:300年后,美国被中国占领了。没错,就是America被China,占领了。因为美国欠中国太多钱,还不起,中国一怒之下就把丫给灭了。真真是作者这么写的,这我编都编不出来。


而且还改名成了American state of China。


AMERICAN STATE OF CHINA!!!!!!!


堂堂美帝被我国占领了连个自治特区也混不上哦!!!!

(请铭记作者Kiera Cass的名字,她空有一颗火热的中国心却生在敌营,痛不欲生。)


被占领后若干年,美国出现了一个民族英雄,反抗外来统治者夺回了国家。而这位英雄在复国之后并没有恢复国家原来的名字,而是将国名改成了他自个儿的名字——Illéa。不要问我为什么由中国荼毒过的美国民族英雄会有一个带法语字母的名字。


被改名后,美国倒退进入了封建主义,有了国王王后和王子。。


为了铭记丧国之耻,女主角的父母为她取名郭靖,不对,为她取名America。


总之这个新的国家,王子选老婆的方式与他们宗主国古代皇帝如出一辙——选秀。


然后呢,我就必须强调本书第二个丧失的背景设定:所有人都是分等级的。没错,all men are NOT created equal。这个等级呢,是根据职业来分的:有一些比较好理解,比如大学教授是三等人,歌手是五等人,搬砖的是六等人;有一些真心的搞不懂,比如时装模特就是二等人,都是艺人也不知道作者跟歌手有什么仇。


但不管怎么说,女主就是唱歌的。她全名是America Singer。她一家都是唱歌的。

--- The Elite ---


第二本是这么出场的:


The Selection gets fierce as rivals stake their claim on the prince.

Six girls, one life-changing prize…

America Singer will leave her pre-destined life for a world of glamour and luxury, if she wins…

But surviving The Selection is tough. Rivals are battling to become Prince Maxon’s bride as the threat of rebel violence just beyond the palace walls escalates into war.

Only six girls are left and sworn friendships are tested to breaking point. America’s feelings for Maxon grow stronger, but she suspects darker mysteries in his royal past. With ex-lover Aspen waiting for her in the shadows, where do her loyalties truly lie?


女主在参加选秀之前有一个初恋男友叫Aspen,特别帅,可惜是个搬砖的,等级比她低。


出了点鸡毛蒜皮的小误会,她深信男友出轨了。


然后“迫于”母亲攀龙附凤的淫威,她“不得不”进宫去,跟另外34个秀女一起争夺王妃的宝座。


当然,在主角光环的照耀下,并不出众的女主因为“居然敢骂我好特别啊萌萌哒”而被男主王子Maxon看上了,并深深的爱上了。


本来女主都要“伤心欲绝”,决定彻底忘记搬砖初恋投入王子的怀抱了!搬砖初恋居然阴魂不散回来了。


丫进宫当了大内侍卫。表明了忠心。不会放弃啦默默守护啦韩剧暖男那一套美国男人用起来也是妥妥的。


于是可怜的白莲花America又开始在两个男人之间纠结了。

从第二册下半部开始,这书就成了女主祥林嫂般绵绵不绝的碎碎念。


"My maids prepped me for bed, and I went through it in a daze. It used to feel like the Selection was one choice: Maxon or Aspen. And as if that was some decision my heart could make simply, it grew into so many more things. Was I a Five or a Three? When this was over, would I be a Two or a One? Would I live out my days as an officer's wife or a king's? Would I slide quietly into the background in which I'd always feared? Could I happily do either? Could I not hate whoever Maxon ended up with if I chose Aspen? Could I not hate whoever Aspen chose if I stayed with Maxon?"


诸如此类又臭又长的心理描写几乎充斥了全书,让人很想把她揪出来掐死。

--- The One ---


第三本是这样:


The highly anticipated third book in Kiera Cass's #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series, The One will captivate readers who love dystopian YA fiction and fairy tales. The One is perfect for the fans who have followed America's whirlwind romance since it began—and a swoon-worthy read for teens who have devoured Veronica Roth's Divergent, Ally Condie's Matched, or Lauren Oliver's Delirium.


The Selection changed America Singer's life in ways she never could have imagined. Since she entered the competition to become the next princess of Illéa, America has struggled with her feelings for her first love, Aspen—and her growing attraction to Prince Maxon. Now she's made her choice . . . and she's prepared to fight for the future she wants.


Find out who America will choose in The One, the enchanting, beautifully romantic third book in the Selection series!


快说,有没有瞬间被打了一地的莫名其妙的鸡毛的感觉?!


后宫争宠的戏码偶尔有一些,但基本都是小打小闹,跟甄嬛根本不是一个段位的,要是扔到甄嬛里分分钟被KO的货。说到这个,其实倒可以发现美国的青少年轻读物尺度是很低的。不是说血腥色情少(不过确实少,想看多的请出门左转去岛国),而是人人都很善良,四肢都不发达,头脑都很简单。都会被圣母般的女主感化,最后改邪归正,哭着承认错误。


如下是大反派、堂堂二等超模对女主五等灰姑娘的忏悔。


"I've done so many things, America. Horrible, shameful things. Part of it was not reacting well to the stress of this, but mostly it was because I was ready to do anything to get that crown, to get to Maxon."


在狗血三角恋之外,本书其实也是有恢弘悱恻的大国斗争的。可惜作者功力不够,写的七零八落、东倒西歪。


总结一下,就是天空一道金光闪过,玛丽苏女主拯救了后宫拯救了国家,最后跟王子永远幸福的生活下去了。


"He holds my hands as if they're the only things pinning him to the earth, and I focus on that as I prepare myself for the words coming, the promises I'll never break. It's magical, really, the power this day has.

But even now I know this isn't a fairy tale. I know that we'll have hard times, confusing times. I know that things won't always happen the way we want them to and that we'll have to work to remember that we chose this. It won't be perfect, not all the time.

This isn't happily ever after.

It's so much more than that."


最后,说正经的:这书,不管剧情多奇葩主角多欠扁,其实很适合当搞笑读物来读,简直停不下来。


1)词汇简单:从上面的摘抄来看,基本没有高二学生不认识的词吧?

2)用法日常:因为不是真正意义上的文学作品,反而更适合想加强日常使用的学习者。所有句子你都读得懂。要读不懂也别找我,你那智商基本也就告别自行车了。

3)剧情有劲:说出这句话几乎是羞耻play……但的确,《饥饿游戏》和《甄嬛传》结合的书,这辈子你能看见几本?


--- 红爷说 ---


关于作者:主业是宅,副业是写写小说、搞搞翻译。

她放肆大叫“基本没有高二学生不认识的词吧”,以及别拿着"告别自行车的智商"去找她的毒舌,红爷就不说什么了。毕竟爷有那么多高二的学生。她推荐的书基本都很难看,大家可以看一看。


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