梦里客身——评张爱玲的《小团圆》

Sojourner in Dreams: On Eileen Chang’s Little Reunion

张爱玲是一个被过分关注的名字,《小团圆》的出现,再次引起文坛轰动,赏赞喝骂,人言各异。对于一个文学创作奇女子而言,什么样的创作会让她自己如此"低估轻看"?果真是艺术价值有限,抑或涉及其他更复杂的原因?这不仅是好奇的疑问,更应该成为解读《小团圆》的关键。其实,《小团圆》只是一个残缺的梦,未能为张爱玲的传奇划下完满的句点,因此,任何埋怨责备都是多余,也许遗憾才是真正的美。

The publication of Eileen Chang’s Little Reunion has once again created a stir in the world of literature wherein views upon this novel diverge greatly. What on earth made her, a talented female writer, despise her own writing? Was it her prediction of its limited artistic value, or were there any other reasons? Rather than out of curiosity, my question is based on my belief that it should be the crux for interpreting the novel. Conveying the message of an unfulfilled dream, the novel cannot make for a suitably grandiose ending to Chang’s mysterious life. Needless of any criticism, this imperfectness is just where the artistic value and beauty of the novel lie.