自1950年“血腥聖誕節”結下梁子,Bud White和Ed Exley用了七年時間明爭暗鬥百般算計試圖扳倒對方,卻在經歷末尾一個來月后變成了“你是我的救贖”,這是第三本中最了不起的轉折。小説中這兩人真他媽火花四射,“光光說出那個人的名字就能讓他渾身一陣陣發冷”,尤其是Exley對那個人的所思所感,通篇隱藏着dominance & submission式的情欲色調,並且我認爲這是作者有意為之而非腐女妄想。譬如經典的審問三個黑人那場,待Exley那些高超的心理遊戲玩完后,Bud闖入室内一把將手槍塞入疑犯口中用俄羅斯輪盤賭搞定了最後関卡后飛奔出門,看得Exley呆在當場,“想站起來,腿卻怎麽也不聼使喚”——Exley聰明絕頂手段毒辣,但他的絕對正義是抽象的,開始的他不恨罪犯,而Bud針對一個個人的憤怒和仇恨卻是真真切切的,他對他的吸引力正在于此。而Bud,用他的女人Lynn的話來説,“他恨你超過愛我或者愛任何一個人”。仇恨與恐懼將這兩個人牢牢牽連在一起。恐懼交織着震顫,我以爲其中性刺激的隱喻很明顯了。最讓我擊節大吼WTF的一段描寫是三人正式攤牌聯手那裏:Bud,(衣冠不整、情緒激動的),將Ed推入房内——有力,但不太粗暴(firm, not too tough);Ed聞到了他的汗味、他的呼吸……就不提禁閉室、手銬、拳頭這類東西是怎麽個在這兩人之間發揮作用的了。小説高潮戰役中,Exley拔走了Bud的第二把配槍作爲自己的武器。幹,以後還讓我怎麽用純潔的眼光重溫電影啊?!
三個男主從威逼利誘開始的合作最終變成對每一個人的救贖,儘管他們爲此付出慘重代價,但這本由此成爲四部曲中最酣暢最血性的。它的卷首題詞是:A glory that costs everything and means nothing. 末了,Exley爲了兩個夥伴而懷揣的仇恨,讓他的檢察官朋友說:你説話一天比一天更像Bud了。難怪有讀者評論這本書是以Exley為主人公的成長教養小説。
在小説裏,Ed說“是你拯救了我”並非指電影最終motel槍戰,那場槍戰其實是借用了另外一個角色的情節。小説裏的Ed爲還Bud一個公道也爲重拾“絕對公正”的理想,親手毀掉了家庭生活的一切。正因做到這一步,他才能說出這句話。如果說洛杉磯四部曲第二本The Big Nowhere(無處藏身)雖寫的是男同性戀犯罪題材感情色調卻是絕望内傷到一個不行,那這第三本裏頭Ellroy文風更見華麗鋪陳,在前三本中最感酣暢淋漓,Exley的心理活動尤富想象空間,是好CP啊。我佩服作者能把那麽一大堆獵奇的東西寫得毫不聳動,也沒有一些冷硬派太“裝”的味道。重要的是,我非常能同他的那些主角產生共鳴。要小心,讀這人的小説,情感投入代價很大的,你恐怕會無法漠然見着這些角色置身于一個辣手的虛無主義者創造的世界。
-------原文如下。漏句可不好啊,群衆!-----
Ed walked over. Lynn said, "I can't believe it. I'm giving up a hotshot with seventeen million dollars for a cripple with a pension. Arizona, love. The air's good for pensioners and I know where everything is."
She'd aged the past month--beautiful to handsome. "When?"
"Right now, before I back down."
"Open your purse."
"What?"
"Just do it."
Lynn opened her purse--Ed dropped in a plastic bundle. "Spend it fast, it's bad money."
"How much?"
"Enough to buy Arizona. Where's White?"
"At the car."
"I'll walk you."
They skirted the party, took side stairs down. Lynn's Packard in the watch commander's space, a summons stuck to the windshield. Ed tore it up, checked the back seat.
Bud White. Braces on his legs, his head shaved and sutured. No splints on his hands--they looked strong. A wired-up mouth that made him look goofy.
Lynn stood a few feet away. White tried to smile, grimaced. Ed said, "I swear to you I'll get Dudley. I swear to you I'll do it."
White grabbed his hands, squeezed until they both winced. Ed said, "Thanks for the push."
A smile, a laugh--Bud forced them through wires. Ed touched his face. "You were my redemption."
Party noise upstairs--Dudley Smith laughing. Lynn said, "We should go now."
"Was I ever in the running?"
"Some men get the world, some men get ex-hookers and a trip to Arizona. You're in with the former, but my God I don't envy you the blood on your conscience."
Ed kissed her cheek. Lynn got in the car, rolled up the windows. Bud pressed his hands to the glass.
Ed touched his side, palms half the man's size. The car moved--Ed ran with it, hands against hands. A turn into traffic, a goodbye toot on the horn.
Gold stars. Alone with his dead.
完全同意,可惜国内没有好版本,改天收套台版的看看
台版4本里面绝版了两本......
老夫手快一步,全部已入啊,哈哈
群众的翻译果然不靠谱, "Was I ever in the running?" 应该不是那个意思。。。