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Fw: Fw: Advice on reading Pale Fire
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Discobolus" <tom@discobolus.co.za>
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (25
lines) ------------------
>
> Dear List,
>
> With regard to tackling "Pale Fire" for the first time, my own experience
was delightful. Perched on the edge of the bed at
> 10 pm one night, I was rocking a fretful baby in a wicker cradle. I picked
up the book and was entranced. Next thing I
> knew, the baby was fast asleep, I was rocking him intermittently and
absent-mindedly, the sun was coming up and the
> novel had been wolfed in a single sitting. Of course, I missed a lot;
reading Brian Boyd 23 years later sent me back for
> several further readings. But nothing matches that first magic impression
of the labyrinth that VN had created for me. It
> made me forever impervious to anything his detractors may say.
>
> Just a thought: has anyone ever done a study comparing the prose styles of
Van Veen, Humbert and Kinbote with that
> of VN himself in "Speak Memory" ? My impression is that he used a very
loose rein in creating the characters, but was
> much less flamboyant when writing as himself.
>
> Regards
> Tom Rymour
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
From: "Discobolus" <tom@discobolus.co.za>
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (25
lines) ------------------
>
> Dear List,
>
> With regard to tackling "Pale Fire" for the first time, my own experience
was delightful. Perched on the edge of the bed at
> 10 pm one night, I was rocking a fretful baby in a wicker cradle. I picked
up the book and was entranced. Next thing I
> knew, the baby was fast asleep, I was rocking him intermittently and
absent-mindedly, the sun was coming up and the
> novel had been wolfed in a single sitting. Of course, I missed a lot;
reading Brian Boyd 23 years later sent me back for
> several further readings. But nothing matches that first magic impression
of the labyrinth that VN had created for me. It
> made me forever impervious to anything his detractors may say.
>
> Just a thought: has anyone ever done a study comparing the prose styles of
Van Veen, Humbert and Kinbote with that
> of VN himself in "Speak Memory" ? My impression is that he used a very
loose rein in creating the characters, but was
> much less flamboyant when writing as himself.
>
> Regards
> Tom Rymour
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>