Content-Type: message/rfc822 Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2006 09:23:13 -0400 From: "Dmitri Nabokov" To: "'Vladimir Nabokov Forum'" Subject: RE: [NABOKV-L] The most transgressive book ever published ("souffler" in Lolita and beyond) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="=__PartDFFA04D1.1__=" --=__PartDFFA04D1.1__= Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="=__PartDFFA04D1.2__=" --=__PartDFFA04D1.2__= Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -----Original Message----- From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU] On Behalf Of NABOKV-L Sent: mardi, 13. juin 2006 18:28 To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU Subject: [NABOKV-L] The most transgressive book ever published ("souffler" in Lolita and beyond) [EDNOTE. James Twiggs sends a link to "As American as Apple Pie," an essay by Christopher Hitchens in Vanity Fair, which traces the cultural history and increased acceptability of fellatio. The opening focuses on Lolita, in particular. -- SES] [. . .] Vladimir Nabokov spoke perfect Russian and French before he became the unrivaled master of English prose, and his 1955 masterpiece, Lolita, was considered the most transgressive book ever published. (It may still be.) Why, then, could he not bring himself to write the words "blow" or "blowjob"? [. . .] "Bring himself," indeed! It wasn't part of his upbringing, or of his style. Are these locutions prerequisite for admission to the literary Pantheon? This entire discussion seems to be going on in some adolescent orgasmic haze . -- DN Here's a link to the rest of Hitchen's provocative essay : http://www.vanityfair.com/features/general/articles/060607fege05 Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm --=__PartDFFA04D1.2__= Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Description: HTML Message
 
-----Original Message-----
From: = Vladimir Nabokov=20 Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU] On Behalf Of=20 NABOKV-L
Sent: mardi, 13. juin 2006 18:28
To:=20 NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Subject: [NABOKV-L] The most=20 transgressive book ever published ("souffler" in Lolita and=20 beyond)

[EDNOTE.  James Twiggs sends a link to "As = American as=20 Apple Pie," an essay by Christopher Hitchens in Vanity Fair, which = traces the=20 cultural history and increased acceptability of fellatio.  The = opening=20 focuses on Lolita, in particular.  -- SES]

[. . .] = Vladimir=20 Nabokov spoke perfect Russian and French before he became the unrivaled = master=20 of English prose, and his 1955 masterpiece, Lolita, was considered the = most=20 transgressive book ever published. (It may still be.) Why, then, could = he not=20 bring himself to write the words "blow" or "blowjob"? [. .=20 .]

"Bring himself," indeed! It=20 wasn't part of his upbringing, or of his=20 style. Are these locutions  prerequisite for admission = to the=20 literary Pantheon? This entire discussion seems to be going on in = some=20 adolescent orgasmic  haze . -- DN

Here's = a link=20 to the rest of Hitchen's provocative essay : http://www.vanityfair.com/features/general/articles/060607fege05=

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