茶馆

by 老舍

《茶馆》结构上分三幕，以老北京一家叫裕泰的大茶馆的兴衰变迁为背景，展示了从清末到北洋军阀时期再到抗战胜利以后的近50年间，北京的社会风貌和各阶层的不同人物的生活变迁。每一幕写一个时代，北京各阶层的三教九流人物，出人于这家大茶馆，全剧展示出来的是一幅幅气势庞大的历史画卷，形象地说明了旧中国的必然灭亡和新中国诞生的必然性。 剧本中出场的人物近50人，除茶馆老板之外，有吃皇粮的旗人、办实业的资本家、清官里的太监、信奉洋教的教士、穷困潦倒的农民，以及特务、打手、警察、流氓、相士等，人物众多但性格鲜明，能够“闻其声知其人”，“三言两语就勾出一个人物形象的轮廓来”。作品通过茶馆老板王利发对祖传“裕泰茶馆”的惨淡经营，描写他虽然精明圆滑、呕心沥血，但终于挡不住衰败的结局，从侧面反映了中国社会的走向。

Paperback

Published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Jolie Lau]

Many of the complex character dynamics and cultural nuances went over my head. My insistence on reading this in Chinese didn’t help where I kept encountering words I understood only vaguely. I should reread this in English.

The book is really somber, capturing the teahouse’s life across three pivotal periods in China before the Communist victory. What struck me most was how characters in each era believed systemic change will bring salvation but in the next act we see them completely exhausted because fundamental problems persisted despite the changing political packaging.

There is a haunting parallel between the tea house owner’s suicide and the author’s. Both failing to survive the ever changing forces they spent their lives accommodating? (Or is his death a conspiracy??)

Not giving this book a rating yet as I need a reread.