Content-Type: message/rfc822; name="Re_ Fwd_ Re_ Nabokovian blunders.eml" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="Re_ Fwd_ Re_ Nabokovian blunders.eml" X-Account-Key: account3 Return-Path: Received: from mx19.bluewin.ch (195.186.18.36) by mssbzhb-int.msg.bluewin.ch (Bluewin 7.0.045) id 4314D6CD0115773D for cangrande@bluewin.ch; Tue, 20 Sep 2005 03:18:41 +0000 Received: from exchsrv02.starcapital.net (65.211.23.242) by mx19.bluewin.ch (Bluewin 7.2.063) id 42EA38D80281AA9C for cangrande@bluewin.ch; Tue, 20 Sep 2005 03:18:41 +0000 content-class: urn:content-classes:message Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: Nabokovian blunders MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----_=_NextPart_001_01C5BD92.77C45D81" Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2005 23:22:02 -0400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft Exchange V6.0.6603.0 Message-ID: <7C47B2717D28F64FAA0B94B7B6508E946314E2@exchsrv02.starcapital.net> X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: Thread-Topic: Re: Fwd: Re: Nabokovian blunders Thread-Index: AcW9bPZo1nGnH2cbRQaC5rxlTU34gwAJIGFw X-Priority: 1 Priority: Urgent Importance: high From: "Sandy Klein" To: This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C5BD92.77C45D81 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable -----Original Message----- From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU] On Behalf Of Donald B. Johnson Sent: Monday, September 19, 2005 6:49 PM To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: Nabokovian blunders Dear Andrew I greatly appreciate much of Nabokov's humour, including his apeing take- off of Poe's short story The Murders in the Rue Morgue. But I don't think there is anything funny hiding behind Nabokov's gender-bending game. I believe Nabokov was involved in a covert attempt to overturn Freud's myth of the Oedipus complex (i.e. incest is a brutal reality for children, not a fantasy.) He also intended Lolita, I believe, to spark widespread reform of the criminal law statutes. All too often 1950s the criminal law failed to recognise that boys too could be victims of child sexual assault. I discuss this failure in SNLR. My opinions are entirely consistent with what Stacy Schiff had to say was on Nabokov's mind when he was actually writing Lolita. She observed: "Nabokov had indeed researched "Lolita," but not the way most people thought. He had studied the law regarding orphans, consulted tables on sexual maturation, read "The Subnormal Adolescent Girl," taken notes on acne and Tampax, borrowed faithfully from the tabloids. He acknowledged that Lewis Carroll had long been on his mind." While we're on the topic of Lewis Carroll... why have VN's literary scholars been so loath to address Nabokov's very serious interest in this most influential of British writers? This ostrich-like behaviour is not only embarrassing, it does Nabokov absolutely no favours at all. Jo Morgan Sydney ----- End forwarded message ----- EDNOTE. I seriously doubt whether VN had interest in or expectation of changing laws. Also, there is quite a bit of literature on VN and Lewis Carroll. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C5BD92.77C45D81 Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message

-----Original Message-----
From: Vladimir Nabokov = Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.= EDU]=20 On Behalf Of Donald B. Johnson
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2005 6:49=20 PM
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: Nabokovian blunders


Dear Andrew

I greatly = appreciate=20 much of Nabokov's humour, including his apeing take- off of Poe's short = story=20 The Murders in the Rue Morgue. But I don't think there is anything funny = hiding=20 behind Nabokov's gender-bending game. I believe Nabokov was involved in = a covert=20 attempt to overturn Freud's myth of the Oedipus complex (i.e. incest is = a brutal=20 reality for children, not a fantasy.) He also intended Lolita, I = believe, to=20 spark widespread reform of the criminal law statutes. All too often = 1950s the=20 criminal law failed to recognise that boys too could be victims of child = sexual=20 assault. I discuss this failure in SNLR.

My opinions are entirely = consistent with what Stacy Schiff had to say was on Nabokov's mind when = he was=20 actually writing Lolita. She observed:

"Nabokov had indeed = researched=20 "Lolita," but not the way most people thought. He had studied the law = regarding=20 orphans, consulted tables on sexual maturation, read "The Subnormal = Adolescent=20 Girl," taken notes on acne and Tampax, borrowed faithfully from the = tabloids. He=20 acknowledged that Lewis Carroll had long been on his mind."

While = we're=20 on the topic of Lewis Carroll... why have VN's literary scholars been so = loath=20 to address Nabokov's very serious interest in this most influential of = British=20 writers? This ostrich-like behaviour is not only embarrassing, it does = Nabokov=20 absolutely no favours at all.

Jo = Morgan
Sydney

----- End=20 forwarded message -----
EDNOTE. I = seriously doubt=20 whether VN had interest in or expectation of changing laws. Also, there = is quite=20 a bit of literature on VN and Lewis = Carroll.

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