出了毛病 (1974)

出了毛病是美国著名作家约瑟夫·海勒的第二部长篇小说。写于1974年。小说写一个公司职员的精神苦闷。反映了美国中产阶级的心理状态，作者意在反《第22条军规》之道而行之，后者写外部势力对人的压迫和腐蚀，前者则注重写人物的内心精神生活。小说主人公生活虽然富裕，却得不到精神愉快，到处充满着精神危机。小说只是主人公“我”的自述。这个姓斯洛克姆的中年犹太人罗嗦的讲自己的生活、身边人的生活，生活中的一切琐事谈到了，社会生活，政治文化这样的国家大事也谈到了。虽然他生活富裕，是大公司中的中上层，但斯洛克姆不可遏制地害怕和绝望，一切事情都让他深深地沮丧、疲惫、恐惧、绝望。他整日忧心忡忡，惶惶不可终日，总担心要“出了毛病”，直到自己的惟一的希望和寄托——9岁的幼子——在车祸中受伤，然后又在自己担心过度而用力过大的搂抱中窒息而亡。小说以苦恼的笑料来表现真正出了毛病的是这个社会，通过荒诞，畸形的描写来达到讽刺现实，映射政治的目的。

Something Happened is Joseph Heller's second novel (published in 1974, thirteen years after Catch-22). Its main character and narrator is Bob Slocum, a businessman who engages in a stream of consciousness narrative about his job, his family, his childhood, his sexual escapades, and his own psyche. Although Something Happened failed to achieve the level of renown that Catch-22 did, it has since developed a cult following, with some considering it one of Heller's finest works.

Plot

Something Happened is narrated by Bob Slocum, a mid-level corporate executive working in a large American company unnamed in the book but later revealed in a 1974 Kurt Vonnegut book review to be known simply as "Time, Incorporated". The novel is structured as an extended, first-person interior monologue, and not very traditional in form. While there is a throughline concerning Slocum’s anticipation of a potential promotion, the bulk of the narrative is composed of disjointed reflections on various aspects of his life, ranging from early childhood memories to observations about his workplace, family, and psychological state.

The narrative unfolds in a non-linear fashion, with Slocum recounting anecdotes and impressions from different periods of his life without a consistent chronology or clear connection between them. Much of the text consists of his internal commentary on the banality and to a lesser extent cruelty of corporate life, which he portrays as emotionally barren and politically treacherous. He reflects obsessively on his colleagues and superiors, often with suspicion, resentment, or fear, and exhibits a constant low-grade anxiety about his professional standing. Although pretty successful, he remains deeply insecure, uncertain of how he is perceived, and distrustful of nearly everyone around him. He repeats through the novel his fear of asphyxiation.

Personally, Slocum is emotionally disconnected from his wife and has a doting, but ambiguous relationship with his three children. He describes his wife as still quite attractive, but a regular drinker. His daughter and he bicker often, and he doesn't believe his wife when she tells him that she wants to talk to him. He identifies closely with his fearful middle son, and hates his youngest son, who has an intellectual disability. He uses prostitutes often. He revisits episodes from his childhood and adolescence, portraying a strained relationship with his family.

As the narrative advances, Slocum’s grasp on reality begins to deteriorate. He increasingly questions the accuracy of his own memories and perceptions, sometimes recalling events incorrectly or realizing that he may have imagined them entirely. He experiences hallucinations and episodes of disorientation, leading him to worry about the state of his mental health. These elements introduce the possibility that some or all of the events recounted in the novel may be unreliable, positioning Slocum as a deeply untrustworthy narrator.

The novel concludes with his son being hit by a car and Bob Slocum, in panic, hugging him to his death. Later, it is revealed that the son only had minor, unimportant wounds, and Slocum squeezing the boy so tightly caused him to die of asphyxiation. This is the Something that happened.

On the last few pages, Slocum is described as a decisive and commanding executive at his new job, while all self-reflection disappears entirely.