THE JELLYFISH PROBLEM: A Novel
水母的習題
內容介紹
獲選《亞馬遜》6月份最佳圖書(Amazon Best Book of the Month)
「流暢地將詳盡的海洋科學與魔幻寫實融合在一起——更帶著恰到好處的幽默感……小說的核心閃耀著對尋找社群與歸屬感的普世渴望。」──Shelf Awareness
一隻出現在緬因州小島上的巨大發光水母，讓一位離群索居的海底生物學家，展開了一場關於救贖、傷痛與人際連結的意外旅程。這是一部想像力豐富、極具原創性的亮眼處女作。
海洋生物學家喬．內斯博士(Dr. Jo Ness)對水母的喜愛遠勝過人類。她唯一的例外是摯友阿爾多(Aldo)，但他已在七個月前過世。從那之後，喬便躲在一間資金短缺的水族館裡，整天與標本為伍，獨自編寫著她與阿爾多生前未能完成的水母指南。對她而言，阿爾多留在原稿邊緣的手寫筆記彷彿還帶著他的溫度，這樣就夠了——至少，她試圖這樣說服自己。
直到有一天，她接到了娜迪亞(Nadia)的電話。娜迪亞是喬生命中少數喜愛卻已多年不曾聯絡的人，她尋求喬的幫助。電話中，娜迪亞描繪了一個離奇的故事：一隻巨大的水母正在她所居住的緬因州小島附近作祟，並附上了一段模糊的影片。老實說，那個影片看起來假到不行，但為了能再次見到娜迪亞，也為了親眼見識這隻傳說中的海中巨獸，喬毅然決然拋下一切，飛越半個國家。她沒能救回阿爾多，但或許，這一次她能幫上娜迪亞。
然而，當喬抵達「碎點島」(Shattering Point)時，娜迪亞卻不見蹤影。島上的居民們對這隻被稱為「克萊門汀」(Clementine)的生物各執一詞……而這隻神奇的水母，似乎擁有改變所有目擊者心靈的魔力。
《水母的習題》既是對經典海洋怪物故事的致敬，也是一首關於人類情感連結的動人讚歌。這隻名叫「克萊門汀」的水母雖然龐大且神祕，但牠在故事中更像是一面鏡子，反射出島民與主角內心的失落。這是一部包裹著科幻外衣，實則探討『內心如何走出傷痛』的溫柔作品。另外，作者在書中關於水族館運作、水母生理構造(如發光機制、觸手結構)的描寫非常寫實且專業，但當這隻巨大水母與小島的神祕氛圍結合時，又完美過渡到了魔幻寫實的領域。讀者形容這本書的文字「既有理工人的嚴謹，又有詩人的浪漫」。
如果你喜歡像《明亮燦爛的你》(Remarkably Bright Creatures)那樣結合海洋生物與療癒情感的故事，或是喜歡帶有一點神祕、魔幻色彩的當代文學，《水母的習題》將是今年讀者不可錯過的亮眼新書。
相關影片
作者介紹
曾出版短篇小說集《The Runaway Restaurant》，她的作品曾刊登於《奇幻與科幻雜誌》(The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction)、《辛辛那提評論》(The Cincinnati Review)、《歡樂園》(Joyland)、《霧升者》(Foglifter)等刊物。她擁有印第安納大學藝術碩士學位，同時也是一名狂熱的鯊魚愛好者。目前居住在紐約州北部。這是她的第一本長篇小說。
書評
“Tessa Yang’s The Jellyfish Problem is an utterly original debut. It's a gripping sea monster mystery, yet beneath the surface lies not only a terrifying jellyfish but a meditation on grief, community, and friendship.”—Carley Fortune, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Golden Summer
"I thoroughly enjoyed this inventive tale, with an intriguing mystery swimming just below the surface and a cast of quirky, relatable characters forced to confront the unknown."—Nikki Erlick, New York Times bestselling author of The Measure and The Poppy Fields
“A uniquely quirky, fascinating, and heart-warming ode to sea monsters, science, and the frontiers that are still beyond our understanding. This book is marvelous!”—Eve J. Chung, USA Today bestselling author of Daughters of Shandong
“Tessa Yang’s prose is like a friend in your ear: laugh out loud funny one minute and deeply vulnerable the next. Her debut novel, The Jellyfish Problem, deftly combines elements of sea creature horror, romance, and island mystery into a moving story about lost friendship and a love of the ocean. You will drink this right down and want another.”—Yume Kitasei, author of Saltcrop
“Uniquely enchanting.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Tessa Yang blends science, mystery and emotional healing in an imaginative debut . . . This novel should appeal to readers who enjoy atmospheric stories where personal connections and the unknown intertwine.”—Rome-News Tribune
“The Jellyfish Problem is a fresh, imaginative take on the sea-monster story that balances wonder, mystery, and emotional depth beautifully. What surprised me most was how moving the story became by the end. The blend of humor, melancholy, wonder and suspense kept me fully invested from start to finish. It’s rare to find a novel that feels this original while still being so emotionally accessible."—Woman's World
“Yang's crystalline prose captures the characters’ fear and yearning. It’s a well-crafted literary monster tale.”—Publishers Weekly
"Using sharp prose and beautifully developed characters, Yang gives readers a novel about new discoveries, love, and loss, with a little bit of mystery mixed in."—Booklist
“With a varied cast of characters, the novel captivates from start to finish and provides a sense of solace as the events unfold. The finale is perfection, sure to leave readers feeling satiated and impassioned, with sticking power that lasts long after the book's close."—Library Journal (starred review)
“[Yang] seamlessly blends detailed marine science and magical realism—all with welcome doses of well-timed humor—interweaving relationship drama, love (and hate) story, mother/daughter confrontations, corporate labyrinths, and a few pokes at the publishing industry. Glowing at the novel's core is the universal need for finding community.”—Shelf Awareness