📚心得【瘋狂亞當 #2：洪水之年】｜《Madd Addam #2: Year of the Flood》 by Margaret Atwood, 2009

#Dystopia #末日求生 #生化危機 #bio-punk #基因改良 #三部曲之二 #宗教要素

這是《瘋狂亞當三部曲》的第二集，雖然作為續集，故事的開頭卻在第一集之前、結束在第一集之後，而第一集的主角Jimmy則是以配角身分出現，兩者故事僅於尾端銜接，整體第二集給我的感覺像是一個大支線與第一集的主線接軌。

故事一樣發生在疾病橫行、汙染嚴重、貧富差距極大的dystopian未來，美國社會一樣分為圍牆內的公司體制派與圍牆外的平民與幫派，而「社會秩序」則由收錢辦事的CorpSeCorp公司安全衛隊維持。相對於第一集主角Jimmy於牆內出生、成長與工作，第二集的兩位主角Toby與Ren基本上都生活於牆外更為殘酷暴力的世界，兩者都因故加入了God's Gardeners上帝園丁會這個不如表面簡單、卻又極力維持向善宗旨的宗教組織。故事隨著事件發展，揭示了現代社會的潛在問題和危機，以友誼、生存為主題，展現出弱者於亂世中團結、合作的生存之道，雖無法避免各種迫害與災難降臨，教友間的信念仍令人感動。

整體讀來，宗教部分的引述對我而言毫無意義，畢竟神是人自己用想像力創造出來的，又或是人類間共通、刻在DNA內的正向情感；且翻譯如聖經般生硬，那些詩篇讀起來很痛苦，但後來發現其實那部分全部跳過也不影響劇情理解，不再嘗試理解其宗教意義後整體通順不少。與第一集相比，這次的人物刻劃深刻非常多，也許是主角們本身不像Jimmy那樣迷茫、混沌度日，而是為了自己與團體的生存而掙扎，其過程反而讓我覺得更具生存意義。

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IMO總分：68分，宗教部分讀起來有些冗餘，但整體而言超越第一部的優秀續集。

核心思想：★★★☆☆ 核心討論議題是否有趣*5

劇情細節：★★★★☆ 綜觀整體劇情的質與量*4

角色刻畫：★★★★☆ 角色群的必要性與深度*3

科學軟硬：★★★★☆ 是否符合現實物理現象*3

結局滿意：★★★☆☆ 結局滿意度與有無餘韻*3

易讀程度：★★☆☆☆ 閱讀時章節是否難消化*2

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#Dystopia #Post_Apocalypse_Survival #Bio_Crisis #Biopunk #Genetic_Modification #Religion

This is the second book of 《Madd Addam》 trilogy. Although as a sequel, its narrative begins before the first book and ends after it. The protagonist Jimmy from the first book appears here only as a secondary character, making this volume feel like a major subplot that eventually converges with the main storyline.

Once again, the story is set in a dystopian future where diseases run rampant, pollution is severe, and social inequality is extreme. American society is divided into two groups: those inside the walls living under corporate system control and those outside surviving amidst civilians and gangs. Social order is maintained by CorpSeCorp, a security force that operates for profit.

While Jimmy in the first book was born, raised, and worked within the wall, the two main characters of this volume — Toby and Ren — mostly live outside the walls in a world that's even more brutal and violent. Both eventually join the God's Gardeners, a religious organization that seems simple on the surface but is far more complex in its efforts to uphold its "do good" mission. As events unfold, the story reveals underlying issues and crises in modern society, focusing on themes of friendship and survival. It highlights how weaker groups in a chaotic world band together and cooperate for survival, despite inevitable persecution and disasters. The faith shared among believers is truly moving.

For me personally, the religious elements felt not as significant since I believe "God" is merely a figment of human imagination created by people or some kind of optimistic emotion carved into our common DNA. The stiff translations reminiscent of Bible passages were difficult to read, but I realized skipping those sections didn't hinder understanding the plot at all. Once I stopped trying to grasp their deeper religious significance, the narrative became much smoother.

Compared to the first book, this volume's character development is far more profound. Perhaps it's because the main characters aren't as aimless or chaotic as Jimmy was; instead, they struggle for survival both individually and as a group. This made their journey feel more purposeful in the context of survival.

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IMO Rating: 68. A superior sequel despite being excessive due to its religious content.

Core Theme: ★★★☆☆ (*5)

Plot Quality: ★★★★☆ (*4)

Character Development: ★★★★☆ (*3)

Science Validity: ★★★★☆ (*3)

Ending Satisfaction: ★★★☆☆ (*3)

Readability: ★★☆☆☆ (*2)