3.5/ mark了想看很多年,但緣份在月初於蘇州誠品重遇時才開花結果。開端真可稱龍頭,非常生猛活潑好看,如此熨帖自然的廣東話入文,兼故事有奇情有歷史感,what more can I ask for? 可惜的是書買到手後,越往後看便越顯失望,可能是這起頭太漂亮,令其後的敘述(包括陸南才的發跡史)顯得過於平淡和重複。馬家輝放進的太多歷史背景敘述有點白開水,沖淡了開頭那熱烈的傳奇味道,而主角的情感直似耽美同人,甚至我能說很多耽美同人寫情不會被比下去。但是依然是有趣的,有趣在作為一個廣東人看到熟悉的粵語白話混雜在書面語裡的跳脫和興奮,有趣在香港那漂泊不定的間離感和迭代感,有趣在所謂香港人的“是鳩但啦”精神:能愛下去活下去就什麼都能接受的機變抑或是麻木?陸南才只是不願再被拋棄——但世事豈能盡如人意,陰差陽錯間的情或色或家國大事,最終便這樣了。儘管寫得不算很好但值得一讀。
1. The mix of formal written Chinese and Cantonese slang. I appreciate the author's treatment, quoting Cantonese slangs and in some cases putting a remark in the end of the chapter explaining the slang in written Chinese. 2. Origin stories of certain phrases and parts of Hong Kong. Enjoyed these little snippets very much. 3. The characters, though, are fantastic. Especially the minor characters such as the gay prostitute. 4. Anyone can relate to the frustration of not being able to freely express an important part of yourself. 5. Survival. The book touched upon the Japanese occupation and how triads worked with the Japs, and earlier the Brits, to survive. A kind of loyalty to oneself?