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1、THEDEATHOFGRASSByJOHNCHRISTOPHERFirstpublishedbyMichaelJoseph1956PublishedinPenguinBooks1958Reprinted1963,1970ISBN:0-1400-1300-8PRODROMESometimeshappens,deathhealedafamilybreach.WhenHildaCustancewaswidowedintheearlysummerof1933,shewrote,forthefirsttimesincehermarriagethirteenyearsbefore,toherfath
2、er.Theirmoodstouched—hersoflongingforthehillsofWestmorlandafterthegrimseasonsofLondon,andhisoflonelinessandthedesiretoseehisonlydaughteragain,andhisunknowngrandsons,beforehedied.Theboys,whowereawayatschool,hadnotbeenbroughtbackforthefuneral,andattheendofthesummertermtheyreturnedtothesmallhouseatR
3、ichmondonlyforanight,before,withtheirmother,theytravellednorth.Inthetrain,John,theyoungerboy,said:'ButwhydidweneverhaveanythingtodowithGrandfatherBeverley?'HismotherlookedoutofthewindowatthetarnishedgrimyenvironsofLondon,wavering,asthoughwithfatigue,intheheatoftheday.Shesaidvaguely:'It'shardtokno
4、whowthesethingshappen.Quarrelsbegin,andneitherpersonstopsthem,andtheybecomesilences,andnobodybreaksthem.'Shethoughtcalmlyofthestormofemotionsintowhichshehadplunged,outoftheuntroubledquietlifeofhergirlhoodinthevalley.Shehadbeensurethat,whateverunhappinesscameafter,shewouldneverregretthepassionitse
5、lf.Timehadprovedherdoublywrong;firstinthecontentmentofhermarriedlifeandherchildren,andlaterintheamazementthatsuchcontentmentcouldhavecomeoutofwhatshesaw,inretrospect,assqualidandill-directed.Shehadnotseenthesqualidnessofitthen,butherfathercouldhardlyfailtobeawareofit,andhadnotbeenabletoconcealhis
6、awareness.Thathadbeenthekey:hisdisgustandherresentment.Johnaskedher:'Butwhostartedthequarrel?'Shewasonlysorrythatithadmeantthatthetwomenneverkneweachother.Theywerenotunlikeinmanyways,andshethoughttheywouldhavelikedeachotherifherpridehadnotpreventedit.'Itdoesn'tmatter,'shesaid,'now.'Davidputdownhi
7、scopyoftheBoy'sOwnPaper.Althoughayearolderthanhisbrother,hewasonlyfractionallytaller;theyhadastrongphysicalresemblanceandwereoftentakenfortwins.ButDavidwasslowermovingandslowerinthoughtthanJohn,andfonderofthingsthanofi
