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Re: THOUGHTS
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Jason Williams asks: "What do you all think? Am I alone in suspecting that Nabokov was telling us of the influence that von Lichberg's Lolita had on him?"
My personal opinion is based more on intuition than in analytical reasoning. I understand VN might only have paid heed to von Lichberg's "bad-looking" book because he was already interested in the theme that is common to both.
I don't think v.L's book would have influenced VN to the point of deserving hints or hidden references ( would VN expect his readers to be familiar with von L's "Lolita"?). I think that VN would probably have explicitly mentioned von L's book and voiced his strong opinions about it!
As we all know the theme about incestuous relations with mother and stepdaughter appeared in "The Enchanter" and even earilier in "The Gift" ( Zina's story). The lost young love might also be related to VN's observation that he'd have liked to be present at Poe's weddingand to the presence of Poe and Annabel Lee in "Lolita".
I don't see why it is important to bring up "cryptomnesia" ( giving more importance to von L's book that it deserves) or VN's "rewriting" it...
Jansy Mello
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My personal opinion is based more on intuition than in analytical reasoning. I understand VN might only have paid heed to von Lichberg's "bad-looking" book because he was already interested in the theme that is common to both.
I don't think v.L's book would have influenced VN to the point of deserving hints or hidden references ( would VN expect his readers to be familiar with von L's "Lolita"?). I think that VN would probably have explicitly mentioned von L's book and voiced his strong opinions about it!
As we all know the theme about incestuous relations with mother and stepdaughter appeared in "The Enchanter" and even earilier in "The Gift" ( Zina's story). The lost young love might also be related to VN's observation that he'd have liked to be present at Poe's weddingand to the presence of Poe and Annabel Lee in "Lolita".
I don't see why it is important to bring up "cryptomnesia" ( giving more importance to von L's book that it deserves) or VN's "rewriting" it...
Jansy Mello
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm