Content-Type: message/rfc822 Date: Sun, 30 Jul 2006 19:13:46 -0400 From: "Rodney Welch" To: "Vladimir Nabokov Forum" Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] greatest novel of all is lost out there ... Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="=__PartE6C3623A.1__=" --=__PartE6C3623A.1__= Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline The New Straits review says that "According to legend, Nabokov was so=20 distraught after finishing Lolita, he almost burned it." Is this so? All I ever heard was that while writing "Lolita" he became=20 so discouraged with the outcome that he almost burned it, and that Vera=20 stopped him. That's a purely aesthetic matter, though, not one of=20 guilt; once he mastered the story, VN was quite pleased with his=20 creation. The poem cited was news to me, but it sounds very tongue-in-cheek. Is it possible the reviewer conflated Nabokov's story with that of=20 Gogol, who was indeed so distraught over the second half of "Dead=20 Souls" that he committed it to the flames? Rodney Welch Columbia, SC On Saturday, July 29, 2006, at 09:53 PM, Mary Krimmel wrote: > Time and again, we read that "'LOLITA, light of my life, fire of my=20 > loins,' is the famous first line of Vladimir Nabokov=EDs novel = Lolita".=20 > But it isn't! It is the first line of Humbert's confession. The first=20 > line of VN's novel is "'Lolita, or the Confession of a White Widowed=20 > Male,' such were the two titles..." > > Hard as it may be for some reviewers (here, Johan Jaaffar) and=20 > others to distinguish between the two artists, it is often, if not=20 > always, important, isn't it? > > Mary Krimmel > > > At 09:56 AM 7/29/06, Sandy Klein sent an interesting review of =20 > Stuart Kelly=EDs The Book of Lost Books: An Incomplete History of All=20 > Great Books You will Never Read, from New Straits Times > > > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.5/403 - Release Date: 7/28/06 > > Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html > Contact the Editors:=20 > mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu,chtodel@cox.net > 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,chtodel= @cox.net 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,chtodel@cox.net Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm --=__PartE6C3623A.1__= Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="=__PartE6C3623A.2__=" --=__PartE6C3623A.2__= Content-Type: text/plain; name="Part.001" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="Part.001" The New Straits review says that "According to legend, Nabokov was so distraught after finishing Lolita, he almost burned it." Is this so? All I ever heard was that while writing "Lolita" he became so discouraged with the outcome that he almost burned it, and that Vera stopped him. That's a purely aesthetic matter, though, not one of guilt; once he mastered the story, VN was quite pleased with his creation. The poem cited was news to me, but it sounds very tongue-in-cheek. Is it possible the reviewer conflated Nabokov's story with that of Gogol, who was indeed so distraught over the second half of "Dead Souls" that he committed it to the flames? Rodney Welch Columbia, SC =20 On Saturday, July 29, 2006, at 09:53 PM, Mary Krimmel wrote: Time and again, we read that "'LOLITA, light of my life, fire of my loins,' is the famous first line of Vladimir Nabokov=EDs novel Lolita". But it isn't! It is the first line of Humbert's confession. The first line of VN's novel is "'Lolita, or the Confession of a White Widowed Male,' such were the two titles..." =A0=A0=A0=A0 Hard as it may be for some reviewers (here, Johan Jaaffar) = and others to distinguish between the two artists, it is often, if not always, important, isn't it? Mary Krimmel At 09:56 AM 7/29/06,=A0 Sandy Klein sent an interesting review of=A0 Stuart Kelly=EDs The Book of Lost Books: An Incomplete History of All Great Books You will Never Read, from New Straits Times No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.5/403 - Release Date: 7/28/06 Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu,chtodel@cox.net 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,chtodel@cox.net Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm --=__PartE6C3623A.2__=-- --=__PartE6C3623A.1__= Content-Type: application/octet-stream; name="Header" Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="Header" UmV0dXJuLXBhdGg6IDw+DQpSZWNlaXZlZDogZnJvbSBpbWYyNGFlYy5tYWlsLmJlbGxzb3V0aC5u ZXQgKGltZjI0YWVjLm1haWwuYmVsbHNvdXRoLm5ldCBbMjA1LjE1Mi41OS43Ml0pDQoJYnkgdWNz YnV4YS51Y3NiLmVkdSAoOC4xMy42LzguMTMuNikgd2l0aCBFU01UUCBpZCBrNlVORGdTUzAxNDIx Nw0KCWZvciA8TkFCT0tWLUxATElTVFNFUlYuVUNTQi5FRFU+OyBTdW4sIDMwIEp1bCAyMDA2IDE2 OjEzOjQyIC0wNzAwIChQRFQpDQpSZWNlaXZlZDogZnJvbSBpYm03MGFlYy5iZWxsc291dGgubmV0 IChbNjUuMTMuOTAuNjhdKQ0KICAgICAgICAgIGJ5IGltZjI0YWVjLm1haWwuYmVsbHNvdXRoLm5l dCB3aXRoIEVTTVRQDQogICAgICAgICAgaWQgPDIwMDYwNzMwMjMxMzQxLk9QRVYxOTcwMC5pbWYy NGFlYy5tYWlsLmJlbGxzb3V0aC5uZXRAaWJtNzBhZWMuYmVsbHNvdXRoLm5ldD4NCiAgICAgICAg ICBmb3IgPE5BQk9LVi1MQExJU1RTRVJWLlVDU0IuRURVPjsgU3VuLCAzMCBKdWwgMjAwNiAxOTox Mzo0MSAtMDQwMA0KUmVjZWl2ZWQ6IGZyb20gYmVsbHNvdXRoLm5ldCAoWzY1LjEzLjkwLjY4XSkg YnkgaWJtNzBhZWMuYmVsbHNvdXRoLm5ldA0KICAgICAgICAgIHdpdGggRVNNVFANCiAgICAgICAg ICBpZCA8MjAwNjA3MzAyMzEzNDEuWklDVDI5ODkyLmlibTcwYWVjLmJlbGxzb3V0aC5uZXRAYmVs bHNvdXRoLm5ldD4NCiAgICAgICAgICBmb3IgPE5BQk9LVi1MQExJU1RTRVJWLlVDU0IuRURVPjsg U3VuLCAzMCBKdWwgMjAwNiAxOToxMzo0MSAtMDQwMA0KRGF0ZTogU3VuLCAzMCBKdWwgMjAwNiAx OToxMzo0NiAtMDQwMA0KU3ViamVjdDogUmU6IFtOQUJPS1YtTF0gZ3JlYXRlc3Qgbm92ZWwgb2Yg YWxsIGlzIGxvc3Qgb3V0IHRoZXJlIC4uLg0KQ29udGVudC1UeXBlOiBtdWx0aXBhcnQvYWx0ZXJu YXRpdmU7IGJvdW5kYXJ5PUFwcGxlLU1haWwtOC0tOTk2MzIyNDkNCk1pbWUtVmVyc2lvbjogMS4w IChBcHBsZSBNZXNzYWdlIGZyYW1ld29yayB2NTUzKQ0KRnJvbTogUm9kbmV5IFdlbGNoIDxyb2Ru ZXlwd2VsY2hAYmVsbHNvdXRoLm5ldD4NClRvOiBWbGFkaW1pciBOYWJva292IEZvcnVtIDxOQUJP S1YtTEBMSVNUU0VSVi5VQ1NCLkVEVT4NCkluLVJlcGx5LVRvOiA8Ni4yLjMuNC4wLjIwMDYwNzI5 MTgzMzQ0LjAzM2QyYmIwQHBvcG1haWwubHRzcC5jb20+DQpNZXNzYWdlLUlkOiA8MEQ2MTA4NzAt MjAyMS0xMURCLThFNUMtMDAwQTk1OTNBRUVBQGJlbGxzb3V0aC5uZXQ+DQpYLU1haWxlcjogQXBw bGUgTWFpbCAoMi41NTMpDQo= --=__PartE6C3623A.1__=--