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Fw: Discussion topic For NABOKV-L
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Brown" <as-brown@comcast.net>
> ---------------- Message requiring your approval (128
lines) ------------------
> Andrew, I think the first thing you ought to do is relax.
>
> There is no truly great art in the world, in any medium, that is
immediately
> absorbed and understood by those who appreciate it. No, not even if you
read
> it four times. Or forty.
>
> I've been reading and rereading Nabokov for almost 20 years and always
> discover things that eluded me in previous readings. And find, also, that
I
> was mistaken about conclusions I had reached before.
>
> You sound like a very intelligent person, and you write well. You have to
> understand that what you may not grasp right now will come within your
grasp
> after you've gone off and read other things for a while and -- most
> importantly -- have gone out and done some living and thinking and
traveling
> and playing.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "D. Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net>
> To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2003 2:49 PM
> Subject: Discussion topic For NABOKV-L
>
>
> > EDNOTE. Perhaps some of you out there might have some thoughts about the
> > issues raised by Mr. Fippinger here.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> >
> > FROM: <afippinger@wesleyan.edu>
> > > > This is an email for the Nabokov-L listserv. You will chose,
of
> > course,
> > >> whether or not to post it, but at the very least, I hope that you can
> > advise
> > > > me. I know that this sounds like a cosmic crisis of sorts, but it
has
> > > > managed to blow way out of proportion in my life, and I need
response.
> > I
> > > > am a senior undergraduate at Wesleyan University, a Russian major,
and
> > > > an avid Nabokov reader and student. I have always loved reading
> > > > Nabokov and after eight years, I finally took a course on "Nabokov
and
> > > > Cultural Synthesis" this past semester with Priscilla Meyer, whose
> work
> > > > on Pale Fire was ground breaking (and I say that having read hers
and
> > > > Boyd's books along with several articles, not simply because she was
> my
> > > > professor). I found that I was very, very confused with Nabokov's
> > novels.
> > > > Lolita, which I have now read four times, in particular I found
> > extremely
> > > > difficult to understand. I don't know whether Nabokov has asked me
to
> > > > read too much into his books, and therefore I assume that most of
his
> > > > writing is over my head, or whether it really is all over my head.
> The
> > level
> > > > at which VN requires his readers to read makes me feel as though I
am
> > > > at best an attentive reader, but nothing more. I question whether I
> > have
> > > > any future whatsoever in scholarly literary studies when books such
as
> > > > Despair (which I have also read four times) or Sebastian Knight
(three
> > > > times) continuously throw me for a loop and leave me feeling as
though
> I
> > > > understand the novel worse than after I had read the backcover for
the
> > first
> > > > time. I love Nabokov, I love his style, his mastery of the language
> > > > (English, of course, and I have also read Otchayanie in Russian),
and
> > his
> > > > deep grasp of subtextual complications and motif placement, but I
> still
> > > > feel without reward or at least without comprhension having read and
> > > > "reread," as he would require, most of his books. I have performed
> > > > personal studies of word and theme motifs, I have read scholarly
> > > > literature, I have even tried parodying him myself in order to gain
> some
> > > > low level mastery of his work. And yet, I feel as though I haven't
> > gotten
> > > > much further than that low level mastery; I understand his themes
and
> > his
> > > > general biography, of course, but do I really understand his novels
on
> > half
> > > > the level that he would expect? I didn't even receive a great grade
> in
> > the
> > > > course after spending hours and hours of time each week reading and
> > > > taking notes. I think I got too bogged down in the reading process
to
> > even
> > > > write halfway decent papers. All I'm asking is: are these common
> > > > symptoms of the young Nabokov reader, is Nabokov possibly just way
> > > > beyond me, have I simplified literature too much to even understand
it
> > > > deeper than the surface level? Is it worth continuing my dream of
> going
> > to
> > > > graduate school to study Nabokov and Russian or Comparative
literature
> > > > further, or should I stop here. Of course, you don't know me
> personally
> > > > and thus cannot respond to me in particular, but I would like to
know
> if
> > > > these are common feelings of the young Nabokov scholar, or if I'm
just
> > > > out of my league, which I can appreciate if it is true. I would
also
> > add as a
> > > > side note, that I am a future novelist and my struggles to keep
> > Nabokov's
> > > > influential style out of my work has allowed me to understand his
> > > > influence on me much better. Nevertheless, I don't think that I can
> > read
> > > > Nabokov very well. I only request that you post this message,
because
> I
> > > > am looking for others who might have felt the same on the way up and
> > > > can offer me some advice. I intend to keep reading Nabokov for the
> rest
> > > > of my life, and hopefully I will persevere over these problems. I
am
> > more
> > > > than willing to devote my future academic life to studying Nabokov,
if
> I
> > can.
> > > > It's just that sometimes I get worried that I'm just not smart
enough.
> > > > There are avid readers, and I am one, but then there are scholars,
and
> I
> > > > don't know if I ever will be. Please advise.
> > > >
> > > > All the best,
> > > > Andrew L. Fippinger, Wesleyan '03
> > > > (a subscriber, of course, to NABOKV-L)
> > >
>
>
From: "Andrew Brown" <as-brown@comcast.net>
> ---------------- Message requiring your approval (128
lines) ------------------
> Andrew, I think the first thing you ought to do is relax.
>
> There is no truly great art in the world, in any medium, that is
immediately
> absorbed and understood by those who appreciate it. No, not even if you
read
> it four times. Or forty.
>
> I've been reading and rereading Nabokov for almost 20 years and always
> discover things that eluded me in previous readings. And find, also, that
I
> was mistaken about conclusions I had reached before.
>
> You sound like a very intelligent person, and you write well. You have to
> understand that what you may not grasp right now will come within your
grasp
> after you've gone off and read other things for a while and -- most
> importantly -- have gone out and done some living and thinking and
traveling
> and playing.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "D. Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net>
> To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2003 2:49 PM
> Subject: Discussion topic For NABOKV-L
>
>
> > EDNOTE. Perhaps some of you out there might have some thoughts about the
> > issues raised by Mr. Fippinger here.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> >
> > FROM: <afippinger@wesleyan.edu>
> > > > This is an email for the Nabokov-L listserv. You will chose,
of
> > course,
> > >> whether or not to post it, but at the very least, I hope that you can
> > advise
> > > > me. I know that this sounds like a cosmic crisis of sorts, but it
has
> > > > managed to blow way out of proportion in my life, and I need
response.
> > I
> > > > am a senior undergraduate at Wesleyan University, a Russian major,
and
> > > > an avid Nabokov reader and student. I have always loved reading
> > > > Nabokov and after eight years, I finally took a course on "Nabokov
and
> > > > Cultural Synthesis" this past semester with Priscilla Meyer, whose
> work
> > > > on Pale Fire was ground breaking (and I say that having read hers
and
> > > > Boyd's books along with several articles, not simply because she was
> my
> > > > professor). I found that I was very, very confused with Nabokov's
> > novels.
> > > > Lolita, which I have now read four times, in particular I found
> > extremely
> > > > difficult to understand. I don't know whether Nabokov has asked me
to
> > > > read too much into his books, and therefore I assume that most of
his
> > > > writing is over my head, or whether it really is all over my head.
> The
> > level
> > > > at which VN requires his readers to read makes me feel as though I
am
> > > > at best an attentive reader, but nothing more. I question whether I
> > have
> > > > any future whatsoever in scholarly literary studies when books such
as
> > > > Despair (which I have also read four times) or Sebastian Knight
(three
> > > > times) continuously throw me for a loop and leave me feeling as
though
> I
> > > > understand the novel worse than after I had read the backcover for
the
> > first
> > > > time. I love Nabokov, I love his style, his mastery of the language
> > > > (English, of course, and I have also read Otchayanie in Russian),
and
> > his
> > > > deep grasp of subtextual complications and motif placement, but I
> still
> > > > feel without reward or at least without comprhension having read and
> > > > "reread," as he would require, most of his books. I have performed
> > > > personal studies of word and theme motifs, I have read scholarly
> > > > literature, I have even tried parodying him myself in order to gain
> some
> > > > low level mastery of his work. And yet, I feel as though I haven't
> > gotten
> > > > much further than that low level mastery; I understand his themes
and
> > his
> > > > general biography, of course, but do I really understand his novels
on
> > half
> > > > the level that he would expect? I didn't even receive a great grade
> in
> > the
> > > > course after spending hours and hours of time each week reading and
> > > > taking notes. I think I got too bogged down in the reading process
to
> > even
> > > > write halfway decent papers. All I'm asking is: are these common
> > > > symptoms of the young Nabokov reader, is Nabokov possibly just way
> > > > beyond me, have I simplified literature too much to even understand
it
> > > > deeper than the surface level? Is it worth continuing my dream of
> going
> > to
> > > > graduate school to study Nabokov and Russian or Comparative
literature
> > > > further, or should I stop here. Of course, you don't know me
> personally
> > > > and thus cannot respond to me in particular, but I would like to
know
> if
> > > > these are common feelings of the young Nabokov scholar, or if I'm
just
> > > > out of my league, which I can appreciate if it is true. I would
also
> > add as a
> > > > side note, that I am a future novelist and my struggles to keep
> > Nabokov's
> > > > influential style out of my work has allowed me to understand his
> > > > influence on me much better. Nevertheless, I don't think that I can
> > read
> > > > Nabokov very well. I only request that you post this message,
because
> I
> > > > am looking for others who might have felt the same on the way up and
> > > > can offer me some advice. I intend to keep reading Nabokov for the
> rest
> > > > of my life, and hopefully I will persevere over these problems. I
am
> > more
> > > > than willing to devote my future academic life to studying Nabokov,
if
> I
> > can.
> > > > It's just that sometimes I get worried that I'm just not smart
enough.
> > > > There are avid readers, and I am one, but then there are scholars,
and
> I
> > > > don't know if I ever will be. Please advise.
> > > >
> > > > All the best,
> > > > Andrew L. Fippinger, Wesleyan '03
> > > > (a subscriber, of course, to NABOKV-L)
> > >
>
>