一個都不留

一個都不留


我可以肯定,我在許多年前,就已經看過這本書,那個時候,它的名字還叫做「童謠兇殺案」。不過因為我本身的記憶非常的差,事實上看過之後,我就已經完全不記得故事內容了,因此,重新閱讀這個新的版本,就像重新看一本新的小說一樣,帶來非常好的閱讀時光。


而克莉絲蒂不愧人稱謀殺女王,在這本書裡面,短短的篇幅之中,很流暢的就死了十個人,而且,為了加強戲劇氣氛,還讓每個人的死法,都符合童謠:


            十個小黑人童謠原文

  Ten Little Indians
  Septimus Winner/1868/from Mother Goose

  Ten little Indian boys went out to dine
  One choked his little self and then there were nine

  十個小黑人去吃晚餐,一個噎死了剩下九個

  Nine little Indian boys sat up very late
  One overslept himself and then there were eight

  九個小黑人熬夜很晚,一個睡過頭剩下八個

  Eight little Indian boys travelling in Devon
  One said he'd stay there and then there were seven

     八個小黑人到得文玩,一個留下來剩下七個

  Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks
  One chopped himself in halves and then there were six

  七個小黑人去砍木柴,一個劈兩半剩下六個

  Six little Indian boys playing with a hive
  A bumblebee stung one and then there were five

  六個小黑人在玩蜂窩,黃蜂叮一個剩下五個

  Five little Indian boys going in for law
  One got in Chancery and then there were four

  五個小黑人喜歡法學,一個上法院剩下四個

  Four little Indian boys going to sea
  A red herring swallowed one and then there were three

  四個小黑人跑到海邊,紅鯡魚吞了剩下三個
 
  Three little Indian boys walking in the zoo
  A big bear hugged one and then there were two

  三個小黑人逛動物園,大熊抱一個剩下兩個

  Two little Indian boys sitting in the sun
  One got frizzled up and then there was one

  兩個小黑人坐太陽下,一個曬焦了剩下一個

  One little Indian boys left all alone
  He went and hanged himself and then there were none

       一個小黑人覺得孤單,他上吊後一個都不留

 

 

 


古典推理小說中,拼的就是讀者先解開謎底還是讓作者解開謎底。我不知道其他讀者如何,至少,我是沒能在克莉絲蒂告訴我殺人兇手是誰之前,先推斷出兇手。


這本小說的元素很精彩,有荒島(等同於密室殺人),有童謠殺人(每個人的死法都符合童謠),而習慣從動機找尋兇手的讀者,很抱歉,島上的10個人並沒有共通點(不像金田一的漫畫,表面上沒有共通點,但總是好久以前曾經糾葛在一起的一群人)。


我曾經試著去找出誰是兇手,最後卻仍然墮入克莉絲蒂的陷阱中。(我非常確定,醫生是克莉絲蒂故意留下的陷阱,唉......)


最終,並沒有任何一個人解破這個死了十個人的兇殺案,甚至,警察還不能確定到底有沒有兇殺案發生,或是自殺,或是真的這麼巧合大家在同一個時間死亡。


克莉絲蒂透過兇手死後自白的方式,讓腦力不發達的我,知道兇手是誰?兇手為什麼這樣做?兇手如何這樣做?而克莉絲蒂只用了短短的篇幅,就毫無破綻的釐清了這些事,解的漂漂亮亮,不得不讓人肅然起敬,打從心裡同意她的的確確是「謀殺女王」。


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