Hello, Alexey

I quite agree with you, but what would be the purpose of selecting "Joan" at that point? It must open another thread that takes somewhere else, without excluding the Ivan the Terrible, Tsar reference. Something like linking French Kings, revolutions, tiranny in general. The question remains, though: why Joan of Ark?

----- Original Message -----

From: Alexey Sklyarenko

To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU

Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 8:11 AM

Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] J. Mello re: bloody

Jansy, you wrote:

it seems that VN was fascinated by the French Catholic martyr, Saint Joan.
> He wrote, somewhere, that one of the first names for "Lolita" was to have
> been "Juanita" ( a "Juanita Dark": Jeanne D' Arc). We alo know that Lolita
> shares with Lucette a redish "Boticcellian" hair color. Why do you think
> the "terrible" points to "Ivan", not to something about St.Joan?

Because St. Joan wasn't so terrible - was she? - that she could to be paired with "Dr. Sig Heiler" (i. e. Adolf Hitler), while the tsar Ivan (whom Stalin regarded as his "teacher") is a good company for him. As to "Juanita" as an ur-Lolita, Van was also "Juan" at first (see Strong Opinions, p. 310). But Lolita and Van Veen have nothing in common (except, perhaps, their birthday).

Alexey

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