阅读欧文·斯通 Irving Stone在百家争鸣的作品!!! | |||
他的写作生涯是从写剧本开始的，以后转向人物传记小说的创作。他一生写了二十五部传记小说，其中最有名的是《梵高传——对生活的渴求》（1934）。他还为杰克·伦敦、米开朗基罗、弗洛伊德、达尔文等历史文化名人写过传，在欧美各国很有影响，我国译过一些，也很受读者好评。
对于传记作家来说，始终面临一个历史的真实性与艺术虚构之间的关系问题。也就是说，在历史与文学之间如何把握，传记作家是各个不同的。
欧文·斯通是什么情况呢？他写的是“传记小说”。说他写的是小说，是因为他在史实的基础上虚构人物的对话，渲染人物的内心世界，还常有“尽管无据可查，然而我相信有可能发生的小插曲”。（《梵高传》附记）最说明问题的是每书开篇的写法。他喜欢选择传主青少年时代具有戏剧性的生活转折点下笔。这种戏剧性的情节类似法国著名传记作家莫洛亚的“小说情趣”。
不论是史实传记还是传记小说，一个中心问题是怎么样写好传主，怎么样把主人公的思想、感情、品格、气质、成就传达出来。为了再现传主的精神面貌，斯通在史料上所下的功夫不亚于史传作者，取得了大量第一手材料。
传记作家都有自己的爱好，使斯通醉心的是历史文化名人。他笔下的传主是这样一些精英：在某个文化领域历尽艰辛、坚毅不拔，最后取得不朽成就的人；不顾统治者逼迫利诱，敢于犯上，为大众寻找解放之路的人；在没有人走过的荒野里披荆斩棘，开出一条艺术道路的人；在漆黑的隧道中寻找尽头，发现微弱光线的人；不怕权威，不顾众人讪笑，勇往直前探索科学真理的人。
独木不成林。写一个艺术家或者政治家，不能孤立地写他一个人，而是要写出以传主为中心的世界。斯通阅读传主的书面材料之后，一定要采访在传主一生中起过作用的人，走遍传主到过的地方，对周围的环境进行考察等等。这就是以感性知识去构建和充实一个完整的艺术世界，从中心人物的人际关系中，从他如何对待各种各样事件的态度中，表现传主的精神气质和性格特征。在主人公活动的背景描写中，我们还可以看到斯通现实主义小说逼真的细节描写。
北京十月文艺出版社这次推出的《欧文·斯通文集》包括十一部重要的传记小说。因为这些传记的内容涉及政治、法律、历史、科学、医学、文学艺术等多方面内容，编辑部力求在各方面专家或内行人中组织译稿。他们对译文的要求不只是准确，还要求通畅、生动，所以这是一套高质量的传记丛书，能够满足不同读者的需要。我相信中国读者读了这些历史名人的传记，不仅可以得到艺术的享受，还可能在思想境界上取得一点升华。只有站在这些文化名人的高度，才能对比、看清我们今天的现实，从而奋起直追，去攀登科学、文化的高峰。
这套文集的出版对我国创作界也不无镜鉴作用。中国是文明古国，历史名人无计其数，尤其是近代以降史料增多，为作家们发挥想像铺下了坚实的地基。那些在政治、科技、教育、文学、艺术等方面做出卓越贡献的历史文化名人，期待着作家们再现他们当年的辉煌。
《梵高传——对生活的渴求》等
Biography
In 1923, Stone received his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley. In the 1960s, Stone received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Southern California, where he had previously earned a Masters Degree from the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences.
When at home, Stone relied upon the research facilities and expertise made available to him by Esther Euler, head research librarian of the University of California at Los Angeles, to whom he dedicated and thanked, in addition to many others, in several of his works.
Stone enjoyed a long marriage to his wife and editor on many of his works, Jean Stone. The Stones lived primarily in Los Angeles, California. During their lifetime, Stone and his wife funded a foundation to support charitable causes they believed in.
Stone's main source for Lust for Life, as noted in the afterword, were Van Gogh's letters to his brother Theo. Stone additionally did much of his research "in the field". For example, he spent many years living in Italy while working on The Agony and the Ecstasy. The Italian government lauded Stone with several honorary awards during this period for his cultural achievements highlighting Italian history.
Stone wrote at length about the life and work of Charles Darwin in his bookThe Origin, after doing meticulous research. How Darwin's accidental five year voyage on The Beagle led to his extensive observations and writings. Eventually leading to his theory of evolution, which shook the contemporary conservative British society to its core.
Stone wrote in great detail about Sigmund Freud's life and his contributions to the field of psychoanalysis in his book The Passions of the Mind. His background as a medical researcher in Vienna, his study in Paris with Dr. Charcot and translation of his works into German, how his thinking leads him to the concept of unconscious. These coupled with his ideas of the linkage between sex and unconscious, creates ripples in the conservative Vinnese psychiatry circles. Slowly a band of followers emerge, notable ones being Carl Jung, Karl Abraham etc. Some of them defect later to come up with some dissenting views. On the personal side, Sigmund's happy married life with his lady love Martha Bernays. Against the brewing anti-semitic atmosphere in Vienna just prior to beginning of world war 2, Sigmund moves to London for the final years of his life.
Film adaptation
In 1953, a popular film version was made of The President's Lady based on his 1950 novel of the same name, starring Charlton Heston as Andrew Jackson and Susan Hayward as Rachel Donelson Jackson. In 1956, a film version was made of Lust for Life, based on his 1934 novel, starring Kirk Douglas as Van Gogh. In 1965, a film was made of The Agony and the Ecstasy, starring Heston as Michelangelo and Rex Harrison as Pope Julius II.
Selected literary output
Some of Stone's important historical biographical works include:
Lust for Life (1934) - based on the life of Vincent van Gogh
Sailor on Horseback (1938) - based on the life of Jack London.
Clarence Darrow For the Defense (1941) - biography of Clarence Darrow
They Also Ran (1944, updated 1966) - based on candidates who were defeated for U.S. President
Immortal Wife (1944) - based on the life of Jessie Benton Frémont
Adversary in the House (1947) - based on the life of Eugene V. Debs and his wife Kate, who opposed socialism
Earl Warren (1948) - biography of Earl Warren
The Passionate Journey (1949) - based on the life of American artist John Noble
Love is Eternal (1954) - based on the marriage of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd
Men to Match My Mountains (1956) - based on the opening of the Far West, 1840–1900
The Agony and the Ecstasy - (1961) - based on the life of Michelangelo
Those Who Love (1965) - based on the life of John Adams and Abigail Adam
The Passions of the Mind (1971) - based on the life of Sigmund Freud
The Greek Treasure (1975) - based on the discovery of Troy by Heinrich Schliemann
The Origin (1980) - based on the life of Charles Darwin
Depths of Glory (1985) - based on the life of Camille Pissarro