Subject:

Re: [NABOKV-L] THOUGHTS: on "Original of Laura"'s fate

From:

Date:

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 17:07:00 EST

To:

NABOKV-L@listserv.ucsb.edu

In a message dated 20/01/2008 21:57:13 GMT Standard Time, nabokv-l@UTK.EDU writes:

We, casually, think of someone who has died as being in a certain state of being, a state we call death; but I would maintain he is in no state at all.

But VN, if his wife is to be believed, as she surely is, and indeed if his writings make any sense, which they surely do, was far from this kind of dogmatism, and regarded the question that arises when such dogmatism is dropped as the most important of all.

Anthony Stadlen

Here's a member's opinion, for what it's worth:
If TOOL is not up to VN's standards, and therefore destined for the fire, presumably that's because it's an unfinished draft. But I'm guessing that any given portion of its prose is marvelous. So perhaps Dmitri would consider making public a few particularly splendid passages, just to give us a final treat from the Master. This would seem to respect VN's wishes -- no second-rate productions, please -- while allowing us to enjoy some first-rate writing.

Best,
J. Morris

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