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                                    A captivating version of Mark Twain's classic yarn about an orphan growing up on the Mississippi. The narrator's voice resembles Twain's; he uses Twain's language. The reader for Tom does an exceptional job. A few of the minor characters sound forced, but don't ruin the performance. For all ages.
Hearn, who edited The Wizard of Oz for Norton's Annotated series, has taken on that formative fiction of American culture, Huckleberry Finn a seemingly transparent work that, as presented in Hearn's exhaustive research, harbors linguistic complexities worthy of an Eliot or a Joyce. In his long introduction, Hearn chronicles Huck's publishing history, from its on-again, off-again composition, to Twain's stormy relationship with his publishers, to the book's embattled trip to the printer (trailing censorious editors in its wake) and its instant success on the market. Hearn offers a thorough cataloguing of the book's critical reception and many controversies, an ample pinch of biography, a lengthy analysis of dialect and a fairly sketchy historical background. The notes themselves (presented alongside the text) are eclectic, sometimes charmingly so: we learn what a huckleberry is, and a sugar-hogshead, and how corn pone is made. Huck's vast repertory of Southern superstitions is carefully glossed, and Hearn wisely includes quotes about the book from Twain (who could scarcely open his mouth without saying something funny) whenever possible. The notes go overboard in their extensive translation of the book's idiomatic speech (readers probably don't need "powwow" defined and can figure out for themselves that "hoss" means horse). On the whole, Hearn supplies interesting information with a light touch possibly too light in the last third of the book, which seems more thinly annotated than the beginning. Restored passages not seen in the original appear in the appendices. Though a stronger anchor in cultural history could have made this volume better, this liberally illustrated and beautifully designed book offers many pleasures for the general reader. (Oct.)Forecast: This is the perfect gift book for all of Huck's fans and should sell very well with the aid of a six-city author tour and national media appearances. Also, in January 2002, a Ken Burns series on Twain will air.                 
内容简介
   The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) is Mark Twain's most popular book, and its hero is a national icon, celebrated as a distinctively American figure both at home and abroad. Tom Sawyer's bold spirit, winsome smile, and inventive solutions to the problems of everyday life in fictional St Petersburg - whether getting his friends to whitewash a fence for him, or escaping the demands of his vigilant Aunt Polly - have won him the hearts of generations. 
The very success of Mark Twains's first novel has obscured its contradictions and the extent to which the author's response to contemporary cultural developments was a mixed one. Tom Sawyer is not only a deft comedy and a powerful celebration of childhood. It also reflects how Mark Twain was in the process of finding his distinctive voice, a voice with which he could express the conflicts he felt about coming of age in America.     
作者简介
   The Modern Library has played a significant role in American cultural life for the better part of a century. The series was founded in 1917 by the publishers Boni and Liveright and eight years later acquired by Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer. It provided the foundation for their next publishing venture, Random House. The Modern Library has been a staple of the American book trade, providing readers with affordable hardbound editions of important works of literature and thought. For the Modern Library's seventy-fifth anniversary, Random House redesigned the series, restoring as its emblem the running torch-bearer created by Lucian Bernhard in 1925 and refurbishing jackets, bindings, and type, as well as inaugurating a new program of selecting titles. The Modern Library continues to provide the world's best books, at the best prices.,,     
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          精彩书评
   Huckleberry Finn may be the greater book, but Tom Sawyer has always been more widely read. Moreover, it is a book that can be enjoyed equally by both children and adults. Twain, who called it a "hymn" to boyhood, would be thrilled that in narrator Patrick Fraley his hymn has found its most passionate voice. Many good unabridged readings of Tom Sawyer have already been recorded, but most are simply that: readings. Fraley's performance is something more; in attempting to bring each character to life, his enthusiasm for the material is so palpable that the mere sound of his voice commands attention. A can't-miss addition to all libraries, including those that have other Tom Sawyer programs.
——Kent Rasmussen, Thousand Oaks, CA
Grade 5 Up-British actor Mike McShane provides a superb portrayal of Mark Twain's classic characters, nailing the Mississippi drawl and cadence. For those who know and love the story or are following along with an unabridged edition, however, this production is marred somewhat by what the publisher has chosen to leave out. The more descriptive chapters are shortened or expurgated entirely, which is understandable in the interest of editing for time. Some of the more distasteful racial epithets are gone as well, although Injun Joe retains his moniker. Sid and Mary are also cut entirely, as well as references to smoking, slavery, most of Tom's ludicrously funny romantic notions about the violence inflicted by pirates and robbers, and even the naked figure in the schoolmaster's anatomy book. The result is a watered down Tom and, especially, Huck. The ending also lacks the satisfaction of the original version. The party scene where the fortune is revealed has been cut as has Twain's concluding paragraphs which "endeth this chronicle." It lacks even the closure of the customary, "You have been listening to-." The sturdy plastic case will survive many circulations. If your facility serves an elementary-age population for which the language of the original would not be appropriate, or there is a teacher looking for a sanitized version, McShane's excellent performance makes this edition worth recommending.
--Diana Dickerson, White Pigeon Community Schools, MI   
				
 
				
				
					暮光之下的歌谣:一个关于失落与发现的史诗  《暮光之下的歌谣》 带领读者步入一个被永恒的灰烬和微弱的光芒笼罩的世界。这是一个关于遗忘的国度,一个时间仿佛被凝固在某个失落的下午的维度。故事的主角,一个被称作“守灯人”的年轻女性,名叫伊莱莎。她生活在一座名为“寂静之塔”的巨型建筑群中,这座塔是文明残骸中最后的庇护所,耸立在无边无际的“沉寂之海”上方。  伊莱莎的职责是维护塔中那座巨大、由复杂机械和古老水晶构成的“记忆之光”。这束光芒是塔内所有居民希望和秩序的源泉,也是他们抵抗外部虚无的唯一屏障。然而,随着时间的推移,记忆之光开始衰弱,闪烁不定,仿佛随时都会熄灭。更糟的是,伊莱莎发现,随着光芒的减弱,人们的集体记忆也在逐渐消退,他们开始忘记他们的过去、他们的名字,甚至他们彼此间的联系。  故事伊始,伊莱莎的生活是严谨且单调的,充满了对机械的精准操作和对古老仪式的恪守。她唯一的伙伴是一只名叫“回声”的机械鸟,它能够捕捉到沉寂之海深处偶尔传来的、微弱的、如同耳语般的“旧日之声”。这些声音是过去世界残留下来的碎片——可能是音乐的片段、某人的笑声,或是关于“外面的世界”的模糊描述。  一天,在例行检查塔底部的能量核心时,伊莱莎无意中发现了一个被遗忘的密室。密室里没有闪耀的水晶,取而代之的是一堆腐朽的羊皮纸卷轴和一本封面残破的皮革日志。日志的主人似乎是建造寂静之塔的最初几代工程师之一,他的笔迹潦草而充满绝望。  日志中揭示了一个惊人的真相:记忆之光并非单纯的能源,它实际上是一个巨大的“封印”,用来压制某种被称为“虚空之噬”的存在。而支撑这个封印的关键能量,并非来自塔内收集的微弱光能,而是源自“真实的回忆”——那些被塔外世界所遗忘但却无比强大的情感和经历。  伊莱莎意识到,如果她不能找到重建真实回忆的方法,寂静之塔终将沉入虚无。她决定打破塔的最高戒律——永远不要尝试离开塔身,去探索沉寂之海。   穿越沉寂之海  在回声的引导下,伊莱莎使用了一艘简陋的、由废弃金属拼凑而成的滑翔艇,离开了寂静之塔的安全范围。沉寂之海并非真正意义上的海洋,而是一片由固态的、充满静电的灰雾构成的广阔平原。能见度极低,空气中弥漫着一种令人心悸的寂静。  在旅途中,伊莱莎遇到了第一个具有独立意识的“漂流者”——一个名叫卡西安的流浪者。卡西安似乎拥有比塔内居民更清晰的过去片段,但他对这些片段感到恐惧,并将其视为负担。他是一个“拾荒者”,专门在灰雾中搜寻那些被遗弃的、具有强烈情感共鸣的物品。  卡西安最初对伊莱莎的到来充满怀疑,他认为塔里的人是腐朽秩序的维护者。但当伊莱莎展示了日志中的线索,并向他展示了记忆之光衰弱带来的实际影响——塔内一位老者完全忘记了自己孩子的名字时,卡西安终于松动了。  他向伊莱莎透露了一个关键信息:在沉寂之海的更深处,存在着被称为“记忆之锚”的古老结构。这些锚点是过去文明在自我毁灭前,试图保留关键知识和情感的最后尝试。   记忆之锚与情感的代价  伊莱莎和卡西安组成了一个不稳定的同盟,他们的旅程充满了危险。他们不仅要躲避“噬影者”——那些被虚空之噬扭曲而成的、以吞噬记忆为生的生物——还要应对沉寂之海中变幻莫测的地形。  他们抵达的第一个记忆之锚位于一片被称为“破碎剧场”的遗址。这里的空气中弥漫着未完成的旋律和幽灵般的观众的低语。在这个锚点,伊莱莎接触到了“纯粹的悲伤”——那是关于一个伟大艺术家在创作巅峰时因无法承受自身情感而选择自我放逐的记忆。  当伊莱莎试图吸收这份记忆以充能记忆之光时,她体验到了前所未有的痛苦和狂喜的交织。卡西安警告她,过度吸收这些强烈的情感碎片,可能会让她自己的心智被淹没。  在接下来的旅程中,他们找到了第二个锚点,它代表着“无条件的爱与牺牲”,这个记忆来自于一位母亲为了保护孩子而献出生命的瞬间。每一次成功的“捕获”,记忆之光的光芒都会短暂地增强,但伊莱莎的内心也变得越来越难以捉摸,她开始用别人的情感色彩来观察世界。   虚空之噬的低语  随着他们接近核心区域,虚空之噬的力量变得越来越强大。它不再仅仅是一个抽象的威胁,它开始直接干预伊莱莎的思维。虚空之噬利用了伊莱莎内心深处对“遗忘”的恐惧,并向她展示了一个诱人的替代方案:放弃抵抗,让所有人都进入永恒的、平静的虚无中。  在最后的航行中,他们发现最后一个,也是最强大的记忆之锚,它被安置在沉寂之海的中央,一个看似稳定但却散发着致命吸引力的晶体结构中。这个锚点储存的,不是单一的情感,而是“希望”——是人类在面对绝境时,仍然选择相信未来的那份坚定不移的意志。  然而,这个希望之锚的守护者,正是那个写日志的工程师的残存意识。他早已被虚空的力量腐蚀,认为人类的“希望”是导致他们灭亡的根源,因为希望总是伴随着失望。他试图说服伊莱莎,彻底熄灭记忆之光,让一切回归初始的平静。   抉择与新生  高潮部分,伊莱莎必须在两个选择之间做出决定:  1. 吸收希望之锚: 彻底修复记忆之光,将塔内的居民从遗忘中拯救出来,但她自己可能会因为承受这份终极的希望和随之而来的巨大责任感而彻底迷失自我,成为光芒的永恒奴隶。 2. 遵从工程师的遗愿: 摧毁记忆之光,让寂静之塔和所有人都和平地消融在虚无中,从而终结所有痛苦与希望带来的挣扎。  在与工程师的对峙中,卡西安挺身而出。他没有试图用逻辑辩驳,而是将自己多年来拾取的、那些看似微不足道的“小确幸”碎片——一个孩子学会骑车的喜悦、黄昏时偶然看到的一朵未枯萎的花——释放出来。这些微小的、未被系统记录的真实情感,意外地冲击了虚空之噬的结构。  伊莱莎明白了。修复世界需要的不是巨大的、压倒性的“宏大记忆”,而是无数个微小、真实的瞬间。  她没有选择吸收希望之锚的全部能量,而是将它分解。她将这些能量与卡西安收集的碎片,以及自己对自由的渴望融合在一起,创造出一种新的、更具弹性的光芒。  当新的光芒照耀时,沉寂之海并没有消退,但灰雾开始出现裂缝,露出了下方曾经被遗忘的、充满色彩的土地。寂静之塔没有被拯救成一个完美的避难所,而是成为了一个“起点”。塔内的人们开始以更清晰的自我意识重新接触世界,他们的记忆不再是强加的教条,而是由他们自己重新构建的故事。  伊莱莎没有成为守灯人,她成为了“引路人”。她和卡西安,带着那艘破旧的滑翔艇,离开了寂静之塔,驶向初现曙光的远方。他们的旅程仍在继续,目标不再是维持一个摇摇欲坠的秩序,而是去发掘这个被遗忘的世界中,每一个值得被记住的真实瞬间。  《暮光之下的歌谣》是一部探讨记忆的本质、个人存在与集体遗忘之间张力的作品。它邀请读者思考:我们是谁,取决于我们记得什么,还是取决于我们选择如何去感受?