Subject
Query and nabokov-evreinoff relationship
From
Date
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EDITOR's NOTE. I suspect but am far from sure that the EVREINOV-VN
kinship was mentioned in "Nabokovskii sbornik", perhaps issue 2which was
devoted to VN-genealogy. V. P. Stark, its editor is the leading
authority on VN's geneaology matters. Several scholars have mentioned
VN-Evreinov literary connections. Can someone supply some references?
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From: Alexei Medvedev <alexmedved@yahoo.com>
Dear list,
sorry for bothering you with my trifle request and for my
inattentiveness. Quite recently I saw a message on
a list, which mentioned the possibility of Nabokov and Evreinoff
families being related to each other. But I
forget to save it, and now I am in a desperate need for reference. Would
smb help me? Sorry again.
Let me also say a few words on the problem of influences, discussed on
the list.
In my opinion we
should be extremely careful, while saying that somebody was influenced
by Shakespeare, Pushkin,
Proust... To be influenced by a genius is as natural for a writer, as to
be influenced by life, by his
(her) surroundings and experiences. This influence is usually so
overwhelming, that you can produce numerous proofs without actually
proving anything. The source of a specific passage in Nabokov's ouevre
might not be a specific passage by Proust, but Zeitgeist itself, which
transfers ideas and stylistic patterns without using quotation marks.
On the other hand, what always intrigues me is the influence, produced
on great authors by some obscure and less known and talented figures,
who for some mysterious personal reasons turned out to be the source of
inspiration for their greater colleagues. By the way, in case of the
Nabokov such figure is undoubtedly Russian playwright Nikolai
Evreinoff.
Any other suggestions?
Alexei Medvedev, Moscow
kinship was mentioned in "Nabokovskii sbornik", perhaps issue 2which was
devoted to VN-genealogy. V. P. Stark, its editor is the leading
authority on VN's geneaology matters. Several scholars have mentioned
VN-Evreinov literary connections. Can someone supply some references?
---------------------------
----------
From: Alexei Medvedev <alexmedved@yahoo.com>
Dear list,
sorry for bothering you with my trifle request and for my
inattentiveness. Quite recently I saw a message on
a list, which mentioned the possibility of Nabokov and Evreinoff
families being related to each other. But I
forget to save it, and now I am in a desperate need for reference. Would
smb help me? Sorry again.
Let me also say a few words on the problem of influences, discussed on
the list.
In my opinion we
should be extremely careful, while saying that somebody was influenced
by Shakespeare, Pushkin,
Proust... To be influenced by a genius is as natural for a writer, as to
be influenced by life, by his
(her) surroundings and experiences. This influence is usually so
overwhelming, that you can produce numerous proofs without actually
proving anything. The source of a specific passage in Nabokov's ouevre
might not be a specific passage by Proust, but Zeitgeist itself, which
transfers ideas and stylistic patterns without using quotation marks.
On the other hand, what always intrigues me is the influence, produced
on great authors by some obscure and less known and talented figures,
who for some mysterious personal reasons turned out to be the source of
inspiration for their greater colleagues. By the way, in case of the
Nabokov such figure is undoubtedly Russian playwright Nikolai
Evreinoff.
Any other suggestions?
Alexei Medvedev, Moscow