2019-02-02 Flowers of Algernon

2019年2月2日，读完Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes, ISBN 9781407230030，难度840L，阅读量82,873词。本书作者1959年出版了同名的中篇，1960年获得雨果奖；后改编为长篇，并获得1966年星云奖。读这本书的感觉有点像是读郝景芳的《北京折叠》，两者都并非是绝对硬核的科幻，更多地反映了对人性、家庭和社会方面的问题的思考。我读的这个平装版本是Orion出版集团旗下的Gollancz出版社的SF Masterworks（科幻名著）系列之一，图书本身内容给5分，此书的封面装帧也给5分，不过印刷不敢恭维，好像是多年前某版本的重印本，有些地方不是特别清晰，给4分吧。

另外，关于本书书名中小白鼠的名字Algernon，解释如下：

Algernon as a boys' name is of Old French origin, and the meaning of Algernon is "wearing a mustache". The Normans were usually clean-shaven, and this was a nickname for William de Percy, a companion of William the Conqueror. It was revived in the 15th century for his descendant Henry Percy, and adopted into other families connected to them. Oscar Wilde used it for a brainless fop in "The Importance of Being Earnest".