“Skeleton Key (novel)”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

Skeleton Key is the third book in the Alex Rider series written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The book was released in the United Kingdom on July 8, 2002, and in the United States on April 28, 2003.

Summary

The book opens with three men meeting with General Alexei Sarov on the fictional island of Skeleton Key, Cuba and attempt to blackmail him into giving them $1 million more or they will go to the American authorities, following a deal to supply General Sarov with uranium. Taking this as a threat, General Sarov kills them by tricking the plane, causing it to fall into a crocodile-infested body of water.

Meanwhile, after the events of Point Blanc, Alex Rider is visited by John Crawley at school, who offers him tickets to Wimbledon where he goes undercover as a ball boy to investigate a break-in. Alex manages to foil the Chinese Triad gang Big Circle's attempt for match-fixing, but is targeted by the triad gang, as another, the higher-ranking member makes a second attempt on his life while surfing on vacation with Sabina, whom he befriended at Wimbledon. Sabina manages to rescue him. For his sake, both MI6 and the CIA arrange to send him with CIA agents Tom Turner (renamed "Glen Carver" in the US version of Skeleton Key) and Belinda Troy to Skeleton Key to investigate General Sarov, who will pass off as his parents. The CIA is concerned about the actions of Sarov since he intends to meet the Russian president, Boris Kiriyenko.

En route to Skeleton Key, the 'family' of Alex, Turner, and Troy stop in Miami. The two CIA agents are openly unhappy about bringing Alex and they attempt to keep as much information from Alex as possible, clearly discrediting him, much to Alex's frustration. Turner meets a criminal known as 'the Salesman' on a boat 'Mayfair Lady', suspecting that the Salesman was involved in a deal with Sarov. The Salesman, however, is aware of Turner's true identity and plans to kill him and dumped in the sea. Alex sneaks aboard the boat and sets fire to it, causing a distraction. A firefight ensues while Alex escapes with Turner. However, when the captain attempts to run them over, the boat suddenly explodes, killing everyone on board. Although he was saved, Turner blames Alex for causing the explosion, who insists he wasn't responsible.

Arriving in Skeleton Key, Alex notices a Geiger counter in a Game Boy Advance console he was given by the 'parents' that is designed to pick up nuclear radiation, deducing that Turner and Troy were, in fact, sent to the island to search for a nuclear bomb. The two CIA agents then reluctantly revealed that they suspect Sarov of constructing a nuclear bomb using the uranium bought from the Salesman and tell their plan to infiltrate the residence of Sarov – the Casa de Oro, by scuba diving into a cave underneath the house. Alex goes with them but stays on the boat while Turner and Troy go underwater. When they do not return after a while, Alex dives in and, after a close encounter with a shark, discovers a mechanical spear trap that impaled Turner and Troy, which kills the shark as well. When he resurfaces, Garcia, the boat driver, has been killed and Alex is captured by Conrad, who drugs him unconscious. Alex finds himself in a sugar factory lying down on the conveyor belt where Conrad interrogates him. Although Alex unwillingly telling the truth, Conrad decides to kill him anyway, but General Sarov stops him at the last second. Alex overwhelmed that he was inches near death, passes out.

Alex wakes up in the Casa de Oro and meets with Sarov, who says he had known all about the cave, and he promises to tell Alex what he plans to do with him. He also revealed that Conrad planted an explosive on the Salesman's boat, worried that he will carry out his threat after not receiving any further payment and the death of the three couriers. The next day, Sarov tells Alex about his son Vladamir who was killed in the war in Afghanistan by an enemy sniper. The General tells Alex how he wishes to adopt him as he shares many traits with Vladamir, due to their similar physical appearance and common traits, such as patriotism. He then has Alex moved to the slave house when President Kiriyenko arrives. Alex attempts to escape the mansion by hiding in the trunk of a limousine following a lunch meeting between Sarov and Kiriyenko but was caught by Sarov due to a heartbeat detector. The general spares Alex's life yet again but punishes him through psychological torture. At dinner later that evening, Sarov drugs Kiriyenko and his guests, making them all lose consciousness, and they are then moved to the slave house. WIth the finished nuclear bomb loaded onto Kiriyenko's private Presidential jet, whose pilots serve Sarov, Sarov, Alex, Conrad and a small security team takes off from the island, heading to Murmansk which Sarov says contains a shipyard of nuclear submarines.

During the flight, Sarov revealed that he plans to detonate the bomb there which will cause a massive explosion and a nuclear fallout. Russia will be blamed and they will turn to their President. Sarov will then release edited footage from an interview which will disgrace him, ousting him from power while reverting Russia back to communism under Sarov, while others in northern Europe dies from the nuclear fallout. Sarov will then instigate wars all over the planet until the entire world is united under a Communist government, and also plans for Alex to take over Sarov in the future. When the plane makes a fuel stop in Edinburgh, Alex uses a disguised stun grenade to escape from the plane, incapacitating Sarov and Conrad temporarily. Alex then attempts to call the police but is stopped by a security guard John Prescott. Despite Alex's efforts to convince Prescott of the situation, Sarov recaptures Alex and Prescott is killed by Conrad. They continue their flight to Murmansk.

At Murmansk, Conrad plants the bomb on a submarine, while one of Sarov's men restraints Alex, with handcuffs, to a handrail close to the submarines, Sarov approaches him and felt apologetic for wanting to kill him, before leaving for Moscow by himself. Alex sets himself free and fights with Conrad, while the Russian army and navy arrive and initiate a firefight against Sarov's men. Conrad outmatches Alex and comes dangerously close to killing him. However, Conrad (who has numerous pieces of metal inside his body following an incident) is caught by the crane's electromagnet passing overhead, lifting him into the air. Alex takes control of the crane, dropping Conrad's body into the sea and removing the nuclear bomb from the submarine. He then removes the detonation card, only to be told to put it back by a reappearing, injured Sarov; Alex instead throws the card into the ocean, when Alex rejects becoming Sarov's son. Sarov commits suicide in front of him.

In the final chapter of the novel, it is revealed that when Alex explained his predicament to Prescott, his office heard their conversation through Prescott's radio, which was still turned on. When they discovered Prescott's death, they immediately notified MI6, who in turn warned the Russians. Alex is depressed after everything he has been through, but Sabina approaches him and invites him on holiday with her family in France for a couple of weeks, which cheers Alex up.^[1]

Graphic novel

In 2009 a graphic novel adaptation of Skeleton Key was released through Walker Books. This version altered some elements from the original novel, such as eliminating the attack on Alex while he was surfing in Cornwall, as well as having Sabina, already friends with Alex, attending Wimbledon as a spectator.

Reception

Critical reception for both versions of Skeleton Key was mostly positive, with Booklist giving the novel version a positive review.^[2] The print version of Skeleton Key was named as one of ALA's Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers for 2004.^[3] The School Library Journal has given praise for both editions of the story, calling the print version "rip-roaring" while recommending the graphic novel as a pick for "reluctant readers".^[4]^[5]

References

1. ^{{cite book|last=Horowitz|first=Anthony|authorlink=Anthony Horowitz|year=2002|page=288|title=Skeleton Key}}
2. ^{{cite web|title=Review: Skeleton Key|url=http://www.booklistonline.com/Skeleton-Key-Anthony-Horowitz/pid=3871121|publisher=Booklist|accessdate=4 January 2018}}
3. ^{{cite web|title=ALA Book Picks 2004 (Young Adult)|url=http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/printissuecurrentissue/870589-427/ala_book_picks_2004_young.html.csp|publisher=ALA|accessdate=10 January 2013}}
4. ^{{cite web|title=Review: Skeleton Key|url=http://bookverdict.com/details.xqy?uri=Product-3559261.xml|publisher=BookVerdict (SLJ)|accessdate=4 January 2018}}
5. ^{{cite web|title=Graphic Novels for Reluctant Readers: 33 Titles|url=http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6722094.html|publisher=Library Journal|accessdate=10 January 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130101155618/http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6722094.html|archivedate=1 January 2013}}

Summary

Graphic novel

Reception

References

External links