2. Ann Patchett, Commonwealth

　　安·帕奇特《联结》

　　In her brilliant new novel, Patchett, winner of the 2001 Orange Prize for Bel Canto, traces the consequences of one impulsive act on an American family over 50 years. She begins with a christening party for Fix and Beverly Keating's second daughter, Franny. Bert Cousins, a Los Angeles deputy district attorney, shows up uninvited with a bottle of gin. By the end of the party, he has kissed Beverly. Patchett creates memorable, complex characters in this exploration of the reverberations of betrayal.

　　在这本绝妙的新小说中，因《美声唱法》获得2001年柑橘文学奖的作者帕奇特追溯了一个美国家庭长达50年的历史变迁，而这一切仅仅源于一次冲动行为。故事开头是费克斯和贝弗利·基廷的二女儿弗兰妮的受礼仪式，一位洛杉矶小律师伯特·考辛斯带着一瓶杜松子酒不请自来。宴会结束时，他已经亲吻了女主人贝弗利。帕奇特探究了背叛带来的巨大影响，并在其中塑造了让人印象深刻的复杂人物。