書(shū)中說(shuō)：“Power of Art features eight of these moments of self-dramatization, when the artist, under extreme pressure, undertakes a work of supremely ambitious scope in which his own most essential beliefs are embodied. All of them are directly presonal testimonies; all of them make claims for art that go well beyond the pleasure principle. They are works that seek to change the world."

他說(shuō)：“Van Gogh, the manically enraptured painter of burgeoning nature throttled by his own creations"

他說(shuō)：“Turner,the meditative poet of the comings and goings of life"

他說(shuō)：“Caravaggio, the devout Christian and criminal, who understands the redemption of blood because he has direct experience of spilling it."

對(duì)照著藝術(shù)家的畫作和SIMON精辟的文字，這本書(shū)就如同Bolt of Illumination。我一面如同攻讀GRE閱讀一般啃食著大片大片陌生的詞匯，一面打著擺子似的驚駭于一個(gè)又一個(gè)藝術(shù)家不為人知的故事，從此我心中所謂的藝術(shù)的世界發(fā)生了顛覆，不再僅僅是美麗和祥和，不再僅僅是高雅和寬恕，而是交織著不安和搖擺，交織著暴力和扭曲，交織著血腥和仇恨，交織著狂妄和邪惡。

就如同Bernini在St Peter大教堂建造的金色祭壇，一邊是他奉教皇之命奉獻(xiàn)給圣徒的偉大作品，一邊卻是他母親的抱怨：“He thinks he’s Lord of the World"。
(Golden Altar by Bernini in St Peter’s)

就如同德國(guó)有史以來(lái)最暢銷的 Patrick Süskind 的小說(shuō)香水，主人公殺死了一個(gè)又一個(gè)美麗的少女，從而釀制成了舉世無(wú)雙的香水，讓世人神魂顛倒，象拜倒在上帝腳下一樣拜倒在他的面前。邪惡泥淖中生長(zhǎng)的惡之花，因?yàn)檫@一種真實(shí)迫切的欲望，而顯示出非凡的誘魅。

我不知道這種認(rèn)知對(duì)于普羅大眾的我來(lái)說(shuō)是否幸或不幸。又何必去想這許多？只要繼續(xù)神魂顛倒地去讀這本書(shū)，即使是生活就此多了幾分妖艷的魅惑。