Subject
Fw: Jeremy Irons' reading of Lolita
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Bennett" <mab@straussandasher.com>
To: "'Vladimir Nabokov Forum'" <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2004 8:49 AM
Subject: RE: Jeremy Irons' reading of Lolita
> This message was originally submitted by mab@STRAUSSANDASHER.COM to
the
> NABOKV-L list at LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU. If you simply forward it back to the
list,
> using a mail command that generates "Resent-" fields (ask your local
user
> support or consult the documentation of your mail program if in doubt), it
will
> be distributed and the explanations you are now reading will be
removed
> automatically. If on the other hand you edit the contributions you receive
into
> a digest, you will have to remove this paragraph manually. Finally, you
should
> be able to contact the author of this message by using the normal
"reply"
> function of your mail program.
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (62
lines) ------------------
> I have always been a great admirer of Irons' reading. Obviously, Humbert
> would not have spoken with Irons' accent, but once that item of disbelief
is
> suspended, the remainder of the performance is near-perfect. There are
many
> highlights, but the whole "Enchanted Hunters" scene is especially superb.
> Irons captures the poetry of VN's prose, without preciousness, and his
> choices of mood and intonation are hard to fault. The excellence of
Irons'
> reading can quickly be appreciated by comparing it with another reading of
> "Lolita" that is available from one of the recorded book services, I
cannot
> remember which. That recording is by an American with an atrocious, flat
> voice, and his treatment of the famous opening paragraphs of the novel are
> enough to make one cry or vomit, depending upon one's mood. I've so
enjoyed
> Irons' reading of "Lolita" that I've pined for recordings of the remainder
> of VN's novels - at least those that are amenable to such treatment: "Pale
> Fire" and "Ada" might have to be excluded. Practically all the novels and
> stories could fit on a single CD - certainly on a DVD - and might be sold
> for a handsome price to VN fanatics worldwide. I know I'd buy several
> copies for travel, auto, etc. Can such a thing be done? Or would the
> production cost and copyright issues be prohibitive?
>
> Dominique Swain appeared "obviously too young" in Lyne's film? I must
have
> missed something. She seemed far too old to me.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: D. Barton Johnson [mailto:chtodel@cox.net]
> Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2004 7:01 PM
> To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> Subject: Fw: Jeremy Irons' reading of Lolita
>
>
> EDNOTE. This is a good topic for those who have heard Irons' recording
(not
> to be confused with his screen performance) in _Lolita_.. Any performance
> of a novel or play is ipso facto and interpretation and Irons has thought
a
> lot about Humbert. Cuts of Irons' reading are avilable on the web.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Brian Howell" <pakmshlter@yahoo.com>
> To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> >
> > ----------------- Message requiring your approval (24
> lines) ------------------
> > Any opinions out there about Irons' reading of Lolita
> > (which is on tape as an audiobook)? I must say that I
> > was absolutely delighted, by his unfaultering
> > pronunciation and most especially his intonation. It
> > brought more sides to the reading of Lolita than I had imagined. The
> > only problem now is that I find it hard to read Lolita without hearing
> > Irons' voice. There is also a German audio CD that I am tempted to get
> > as I am simply curious about the German translation.
> >
> > I also enjoyed Lyne's film, almost as much as
> > Kubrick's, though I think Swain obviously looks too
> > young, though I suppose that is inevitable.
> >
> > Brian
> >
> > =====
> > http://www.elasticpress.com/sound_of_white_ants.htm
> > http://www.tobypress.com/books/dance_geometry.htm
> >
> > __________________________________
> > Do you Yahoo!?
> > New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing.
> > http://photos.yahoo.com/
>
From: "Mark Bennett" <mab@straussandasher.com>
To: "'Vladimir Nabokov Forum'" <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2004 8:49 AM
Subject: RE: Jeremy Irons' reading of Lolita
> This message was originally submitted by mab@STRAUSSANDASHER.COM to
the
> NABOKV-L list at LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU. If you simply forward it back to the
list,
> using a mail command that generates "Resent-" fields (ask your local
user
> support or consult the documentation of your mail program if in doubt), it
will
> be distributed and the explanations you are now reading will be
removed
> automatically. If on the other hand you edit the contributions you receive
into
> a digest, you will have to remove this paragraph manually. Finally, you
should
> be able to contact the author of this message by using the normal
"reply"
> function of your mail program.
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (62
lines) ------------------
> I have always been a great admirer of Irons' reading. Obviously, Humbert
> would not have spoken with Irons' accent, but once that item of disbelief
is
> suspended, the remainder of the performance is near-perfect. There are
many
> highlights, but the whole "Enchanted Hunters" scene is especially superb.
> Irons captures the poetry of VN's prose, without preciousness, and his
> choices of mood and intonation are hard to fault. The excellence of
Irons'
> reading can quickly be appreciated by comparing it with another reading of
> "Lolita" that is available from one of the recorded book services, I
cannot
> remember which. That recording is by an American with an atrocious, flat
> voice, and his treatment of the famous opening paragraphs of the novel are
> enough to make one cry or vomit, depending upon one's mood. I've so
enjoyed
> Irons' reading of "Lolita" that I've pined for recordings of the remainder
> of VN's novels - at least those that are amenable to such treatment: "Pale
> Fire" and "Ada" might have to be excluded. Practically all the novels and
> stories could fit on a single CD - certainly on a DVD - and might be sold
> for a handsome price to VN fanatics worldwide. I know I'd buy several
> copies for travel, auto, etc. Can such a thing be done? Or would the
> production cost and copyright issues be prohibitive?
>
> Dominique Swain appeared "obviously too young" in Lyne's film? I must
have
> missed something. She seemed far too old to me.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: D. Barton Johnson [mailto:chtodel@cox.net]
> Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2004 7:01 PM
> To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> Subject: Fw: Jeremy Irons' reading of Lolita
>
>
> EDNOTE. This is a good topic for those who have heard Irons' recording
(not
> to be confused with his screen performance) in _Lolita_.. Any performance
> of a novel or play is ipso facto and interpretation and Irons has thought
a
> lot about Humbert. Cuts of Irons' reading are avilable on the web.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Brian Howell" <pakmshlter@yahoo.com>
> To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> >
> > ----------------- Message requiring your approval (24
> lines) ------------------
> > Any opinions out there about Irons' reading of Lolita
> > (which is on tape as an audiobook)? I must say that I
> > was absolutely delighted, by his unfaultering
> > pronunciation and most especially his intonation. It
> > brought more sides to the reading of Lolita than I had imagined. The
> > only problem now is that I find it hard to read Lolita without hearing
> > Irons' voice. There is also a German audio CD that I am tempted to get
> > as I am simply curious about the German translation.
> >
> > I also enjoyed Lyne's film, almost as much as
> > Kubrick's, though I think Swain obviously looks too
> > young, though I suppose that is inevitable.
> >
> > Brian
> >
> > =====
> > http://www.elasticpress.com/sound_of_white_ants.htm
> > http://www.tobypress.com/books/dance_geometry.htm
> >
> > __________________________________
> > Do you Yahoo!?
> > New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing.
> > http://photos.yahoo.com/
>