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----- Forwarded message from bunsan@direcway.com -----
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 12:15:37 -0500
From: Alexander Drescher <bunsan@direcway.com>
Don and List-
Another thought about Spring in Fialta; has it been commented on
previously?
the smoke of an indiscernible train undulated along its rounded base --
and suddenly disappeared; [p429 Vintage]
-- presumably into the tunnel at the base of Mount St. George depicted
by the ink-well souvenir. Reminded of the coital train tunnel at the
conclusion of Hitchcock's North by Northwest [1949]; and believing that
VN never created decorative details, I had found the passage puzzling.
However, if the allusion is correct, then the operative word is
SUDDENLY; the train disappears as unexpectedly as the violets appear in
Nina's hand. VN may be preparing the reader for Victor's moment when
he must resolve his situation - fish or cut bait as one might say
politely.
Not wishing the N x NW reference to be missed, VN has further prepared
the reader, on p248:
...Meanwhile the big Englishman suddenly made up his mind, got up on a
chair, stepped from there on to the window-sill, and stretched up till
he reached that coveted corner of the frame where rested a compact
furry moth, which he deftly slipped into a pill-box.
'...rather like Wouwerman's white horse,' said Ferdinand, in regard to
something he was discussing with Segur.
I have thought of the reference to Wouwerman's repetitive insertion of
white horses in his paintings as Ferdinand's comment on Victor's
repetitive but futile approaches to Nina. But additionally or
otherwise: The fat English lepidopterist is one of VN's alter egos that
he often inserts in his texts; as does fat, English Hitchcock appear in
his films; as does Wouwerman paints his signature white horses. [As
film productions take a year or two, the dates for the film's premier
and the first publication of Spring in Fialta suggest that VN and
Hitchcock spoke together about their work.]
-Sandy Drescher 1.24.05
----- End forwarded message -----
EDNOTE. Most intriguing.. The proposed VN-AH conversation probably didn't take
place, however. The two men did have a phone conversation in the 60s that
opened Hitchcock introducing himself.