*The Solitaire Mystery(纸牌的秘密),by Jostein Gaarder
(全新)
*漢斯.湯瑪斯和父親從挪威橫渡歐陸到希臘,找尋多年離家追尋自我的母親。途中,有個侏儒送男孩一面放大鏡,有個麵包師傅則給他一塊小麵包。此外,還有一本描述 1790 年間一名水手如何遭遇船難、受困於荒島的小書,和一副自有生命的紙牌以及一個把人生看得太透澈的丑角( Joker )。小書說的是一名水手流落奇異之島後一副紙牌化虛為美的故事。但這些故事如何串聯起來?沿途一再出現的詭異侏儒是何許人?為何湯瑪斯需解開1790年沉船之謎才能知道母親失蹤之迷?本書的結構有如一副紙牌,一章一張,全書虛實交錯,融童話與家族史於一爐,充滿對人生的質疑,和姊妹作《蘇菲的世界》頗有異曲同工之妙。
*From the acclaimed author of the international bestseller Sophie’s World comes a modern-day odyssey filled with magic and meaning, fantasy and truth. The Solitaire Mystery weaves an astonishingly original tapestry of tales, both real and imagined, from the viewpoint of a twelve-year-old boy named Hans Thomas. On a car trip through Europe with his father, Hans searches for the mother who left them years ago. At the same time, he immerses himself in a fantastic miniature book that only he can read: the strange, whimsical adventures of a sailor on an island where a deck of cards has come to life. A brilliant balancing act between rhyme and reason, reveries and reality, The Solitaire Mystery invites the reader into both worlds, each chapter represented by a different card from the deck. In the end, the journey of Hans Thomas becomes our own, a universal search for meaning and fulfillment that not only enchants, but enriches our hearts and souls.
*马币22