通俗小說的「文本公式」及其意涵：以Stephen King的恐怖小說The Dark Half為例

“Text Formula” of Popular Fiction and Its Connotations: Stephen King's Horror The Dark Half as an Example

本文應用Roland Barthes 的文本理論作為論述基礎，針對通俗小說提出文本公式的概念。不同於以往以情節或故事元素為主的公式研究，文本公式試圖在兩方面擴展公式的視野。第一，文本公式將文化工業的運作列入考量，申辯公式不能侷限在故事的研究。第二，文本公式強調象意系統的持續運作，因而發展出利於讀者／消費者的動力學。在文本公式的應用方面，本文將以Stephen King 的恐怖小說The Dark Half為例。最後希望藉由文本公式的提出可以重新探究讀者、小說和世界的三角關係。

This paper proposes the concept of 'text formula' for popular fiction. The proposed formula is theoretically grounded on how Roland Barthes distinguishes 'text' from 'work.' In so doing, it enables the study of formula to differ from traditional studies which focus on the contents of a story. Text formula pushes the envelope by taking into account things that surround the published story and seem to repeat themselves in popular fiction one after another. Thus, comments, reviews, pictures, and web sites all form part of the formula. Such an extra-texual coverage problematizes conventional conceptions of formula. Therefore, this paper argues that text formula reveals the manipulation of the culture industry on the one hand, while it also shows the complexity of popular mentality on the other hand. Stephen King's The Dark Half will be cited as an example to illustrate the applicability of text formula. Hopefully, text formula will be able to engender new views for approaching popular fiction.