Subject
Fw: well, well, Wells & the Villa Armina?
From
Date
Body
Re: well, well, Wells & the Villa Armina?
----- Original Message -----
From: Carolyn Kunin
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2004 3:15 PM
Subject: Re: well, well, Wells & the Villa Armina?
Dear Brian Boyd and the List,
H G Wells wrote a novel called "All Aboard for Ararat," about a modern day Mr. Noah (I fell asleep over it last night so haven't gotten very far), which may (or may not) have something to do with Ada.
Although, as with most of Ada, I haven't the faintest idea of what to do with it, I have spotted a whole complex of references to Armenia in the novel. On the most basic level, Van's name refers to the city and lake of that name where there was an ancient "Kingdom of Van." Marina's villa Armina isn't an anagram of Marina's name or the sea, but an old name for Armenia. When Van dreams of his "ancient kingdom of arrowroot" he (or VN) is making reference to Ararat, the mountain near Van where the ark is believed to have come to rest after the flood. There are other references.
There may be a geographic link to the Paradise theme (or an old Armenian saying: "Van in this world, Paradise in the next") . Or there may be a link with some of the references to the Caucasus (Tolstoy, Lermontov, Pushkin and Griboyedov all had links to this part of the old Russian empire).
But just what it all adds up to -- I haven't the faintest idea.
Carolyn
p.s. I'm not sure if I spotted it in Gardener's AU or more likely in another of his books, but the Baganaudier Bower (or however it spells itself) is a reference to a mathematical (or topographical) puzzle.
----- Original Message -----
From: Carolyn Kunin
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2004 3:15 PM
Subject: Re: well, well, Wells & the Villa Armina?
Dear Brian Boyd and the List,
H G Wells wrote a novel called "All Aboard for Ararat," about a modern day Mr. Noah (I fell asleep over it last night so haven't gotten very far), which may (or may not) have something to do with Ada.
Although, as with most of Ada, I haven't the faintest idea of what to do with it, I have spotted a whole complex of references to Armenia in the novel. On the most basic level, Van's name refers to the city and lake of that name where there was an ancient "Kingdom of Van." Marina's villa Armina isn't an anagram of Marina's name or the sea, but an old name for Armenia. When Van dreams of his "ancient kingdom of arrowroot" he (or VN) is making reference to Ararat, the mountain near Van where the ark is believed to have come to rest after the flood. There are other references.
There may be a geographic link to the Paradise theme (or an old Armenian saying: "Van in this world, Paradise in the next") . Or there may be a link with some of the references to the Caucasus (Tolstoy, Lermontov, Pushkin and Griboyedov all had links to this part of the old Russian empire).
But just what it all adds up to -- I haven't the faintest idea.
Carolyn
p.s. I'm not sure if I spotted it in Gardener's AU or more likely in another of his books, but the Baganaudier Bower (or however it spells itself) is a reference to a mathematical (or topographical) puzzle.