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在一連串戰爭爆發後,人們逃離被蹂躪、汙染的環境,建立了「CIEL」,一個漂浮在空中的生存空間。\
這個變動劇烈的世界,已經顛覆了演化的進程。由於缺乏資源,居住在CIEL中的人們皆無法生育,提到任何和性或性別相關的事都是違法的,並且,所有的人都不被允許活過50歲。人類成為一群蒼白的生物,孤獨地遊蕩,在皮膚上留下故事──在那裡,最主要的藝術形式是以皮膚為畫布,用燒燙或其他方式改變人的肌膚。
藝術家Christine在接近她50歲、也是最後一個生日時,將Joan的故事紋上自己的身體。Joan如同聖女貞德,是一名年幼的戰士,擁有一股在她體內與她共存、能與地球溝通的神秘力量,卻被CIEL的統治者,充滿領袖魅力、嗜血的宗教領袖的Jean de Men公開處決。
受到Joan的事蹟激勵,Christine和她的朋友Trinculo籌畫了反抗行動,一群反叛者聚集起來,試圖推翻Jean de Men。然而,沒有任何人──無論是反叛者、Jean de Men甚至是Joan自己──料想到她的故事和特殊的天賦將改寫整個世界的命運。
Lidia Yuknavitch寫下了一個精彩、令人深深著迷的故事,訴說了在最嚴峻之處的毀滅與愛,深切探問了生而為人的意義為何。(文/博客來編譯)
New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice
25 Most Anticipated Books by Women for 2017, Elle Magazine
32 Most Exciting Books Coming Out in 2017, BuzzFeed
15 Best Books of 2017, Esquire
33 New Books to Read in 2017, Huffington Post
In the near future, world wars have transformed the earth into a battleground. Fleeing the unending violence and the planet's now-radioactive surface, humans have regrouped to a mysterious platform known as CIEL, hovering over their erstwhile home. The changed world has turned evolution on its head: the surviving humans have become sexless, hairless, pale-white creatures floating in isolation, inscribing stories upon their skin.
Out of the ranks of the endless wars rises Jean de Men, a charismatic and bloodthirsty cult leader who turns CIEL into a quasi-corporate police state. A group of rebels unite to dismantle his iron rule - galvanised by the heroic song of Joan, a child-warrior who possesses a mysterious force that lives within her.
A riveting tale of destruction and love found in the direst of places, Lidia Yuknavitch's The Book of Joan raises questions about what it means to be human, the fluidity of sex and gender, and the role of art as a means for survival. It's a genre-defying masterpiece that may very well rewire your brain.