Subject
Re: Amis. Nabokov, Bellow
From
Date
Body
------------------
Bellow, to give him some voice in this discussion, disliked Nabokov's
work
because, he told me, "Nabokov makes a religion out of art." When I
objected that this was simply a definition of romanticism, of which he
himself was a practioner, Bellow replied with a twinkle, "Yes, but I am
more democratic."
Priscilla
>-------- Original Message --------
>Subject: RE: [Fwd: RE: Amis. Nabokov, Bellow]
>Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2002 18:00:47 -0600
>From: "Fuller, Freda" <freda.fuller@mwsu.edu>
>
>Alphonse Vinh said:
>
>"...a great writer and stylist like William Faulkner, whom I revere,
>Nabokov had no use for."
>
>This would be because Faulkner has a serious axe to grind in his
>writing: he wants to control what the reader thinks. Nabokov writes
>mostly for his own amazement.
>
>Freda Fuller-Coursey
>Midwestern State University
>Wichita Falls TX
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: D. Barton Johnson
>To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
>Sent: 2/9/02 12:29 PM
>Subject: [Fwd: RE: Amis. Nabokov, Bellow]
>
>
>
>-------- Original Message --------
>Subject: RE: Amis. Nabokov, Bellow
>Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 17:36:57 -0500
>From: Alphonse Vinh <mailto:AVinh@npr.org> <AVinh@npr.org>
>To: "'Vladimir Nabokov Forum'" <mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
><NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
>
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (34 lines)
>------------------
>
>I wonder if one of Nabokov's objections to Bellow besides differing
>
>stylistic temperaments would not also include Bellow's penchant for the
>
>"philosophical" novel. Given Nabokov's distaste for other practitioners
>of
>
>the "philosophical" novel such as Camus, Sartre and Dostoevskii. In his
>
>STRONG OPINIONS, Nabokov was asked directly by an interviewer for his
>
>opinion of Saul Bellow's art, and the Maestro replied, "A puff of
>smoke."
>
>
>
>It's not that ideas don't matter to Nabokov. For instance, he greatly
>
>admired Bely's PETERSBURG which shows the influence of Bely's interest
>in
>
>theosophical and occult matters. However, Nabokov always asserted his
>
>preference for the supremacy of the author's style over any predeliction
>for
>
>moralising, pontificating or philosophying.
>
>
>
>Sometimes, it's simply a matter of taste. Note Nabokov's love of H.G.
>Wells'
>
>fantastic tales like THE TIME MACHINE (which he shared wi
>
>th another
>
>polymath, Jorge Luis Borges). On the other hand, a great writer and
>stylist
>
>like William Faulkner, whom I revere, Nabokov had no use for.
>
>
>
>Alphonse Vinh
>
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>
>From: D. Barton Johnson [ mailto:chtodel@gte.net
><mailto:chtodel@gte.net> ]
>
>Sent: Friday, February 08, 2002 12:43 PM
>
>To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU <mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
>
>Subject: Amis. Nabokov, Bellow
>
>
>
>
>
>-------------------
>
>Amis's other fave rave is Saul Bellow, but MA notes that VN did not care
>
>much for SB. Can anyone here provide more details? Just what were VN's
>
>criticisms of Bellow, and did he refer to any specific novels?
>
>
>
>Jay Livingston
Priscilla Meyer
Russian Department
212 Fisk Hall
Wesleyan University
Middletown CT 06459
(860) 685-3127 (work)
(860) 347-0059 (home)
http://www.wesleyan.edu/~pmeyer/
Bellow, to give him some voice in this discussion, disliked Nabokov's
work
because, he told me, "Nabokov makes a religion out of art." When I
objected that this was simply a definition of romanticism, of which he
himself was a practioner, Bellow replied with a twinkle, "Yes, but I am
more democratic."
Priscilla
>-------- Original Message --------
>Subject: RE: [Fwd: RE: Amis. Nabokov, Bellow]
>Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2002 18:00:47 -0600
>From: "Fuller, Freda" <freda.fuller@mwsu.edu>
>
>Alphonse Vinh said:
>
>"...a great writer and stylist like William Faulkner, whom I revere,
>Nabokov had no use for."
>
>This would be because Faulkner has a serious axe to grind in his
>writing: he wants to control what the reader thinks. Nabokov writes
>mostly for his own amazement.
>
>Freda Fuller-Coursey
>Midwestern State University
>Wichita Falls TX
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: D. Barton Johnson
>To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
>Sent: 2/9/02 12:29 PM
>Subject: [Fwd: RE: Amis. Nabokov, Bellow]
>
>
>
>-------- Original Message --------
>Subject: RE: Amis. Nabokov, Bellow
>Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 17:36:57 -0500
>From: Alphonse Vinh <mailto:AVinh@npr.org> <AVinh@npr.org>
>To: "'Vladimir Nabokov Forum'" <mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
><NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
>
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (34 lines)
>------------------
>
>I wonder if one of Nabokov's objections to Bellow besides differing
>
>stylistic temperaments would not also include Bellow's penchant for the
>
>"philosophical" novel. Given Nabokov's distaste for other practitioners
>of
>
>the "philosophical" novel such as Camus, Sartre and Dostoevskii. In his
>
>STRONG OPINIONS, Nabokov was asked directly by an interviewer for his
>
>opinion of Saul Bellow's art, and the Maestro replied, "A puff of
>smoke."
>
>
>
>It's not that ideas don't matter to Nabokov. For instance, he greatly
>
>admired Bely's PETERSBURG which shows the influence of Bely's interest
>in
>
>theosophical and occult matters. However, Nabokov always asserted his
>
>preference for the supremacy of the author's style over any predeliction
>for
>
>moralising, pontificating or philosophying.
>
>
>
>Sometimes, it's simply a matter of taste. Note Nabokov's love of H.G.
>Wells'
>
>fantastic tales like THE TIME MACHINE (which he shared wi
>
>th another
>
>polymath, Jorge Luis Borges). On the other hand, a great writer and
>stylist
>
>like William Faulkner, whom I revere, Nabokov had no use for.
>
>
>
>Alphonse Vinh
>
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>
>From: D. Barton Johnson [ mailto:chtodel@gte.net
><mailto:chtodel@gte.net> ]
>
>Sent: Friday, February 08, 2002 12:43 PM
>
>To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU <mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
>
>Subject: Amis. Nabokov, Bellow
>
>
>
>
>
>-------------------
>
>Amis's other fave rave is Saul Bellow, but MA notes that VN did not care
>
>much for SB. Can anyone here provide more details? Just what were VN's
>
>criticisms of Bellow, and did he refer to any specific novels?
>
>
>
>Jay Livingston
Priscilla Meyer
Russian Department
212 Fisk Hall
Wesleyan University
Middletown CT 06459
(860) 685-3127 (work)
(860) 347-0059 (home)
http://www.wesleyan.edu/~pmeyer/