Content-Type: message/rfc822 Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:49:02 -0400 From: "Matthew Roth" To: "Vladimir Nabokov Forum" Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] VN and Houssaye's Lolita Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="=__Part89A0D40E.1__=" --=__Part89A0D40E.1__= Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="=__Part89A0D40E.2__=" --=__Part89A0D40E.2__= Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Does it not seem likely that someone who had read both Lolitas told VN = about Houssaye's novel? If so, that person may even have provided VN with = a detailed synopsis. I am reminded of a comment made by one of my = colleagues regarding Shakespeare's surprising breadth of knowledge. He = said that while we can to some degree reconstruct what books Shakespeare = might have been able to read, we can't account for late night conversations= in the tavern with his friends, and all of the other unpublished ways = that knowledge is transmitted. =20 Matt Roth >>> On 4/30/2008 at 12:50 PM, in message <48186B2902000012002E315D@dudley.h= olycross.edu>, NABOKV-L wrote: Thanks for the key passage, Maurice. I didn't confirm that VN read Houssaye, only that he knew of the novel's existence and wanted to check it in the NYPL. But two of those diary entries were for 1970 and 1971, suggesting he still needed the remind himself to look up the novel, yet he had started writing TTs in 1969, and finished in 1971.=20 The strangling of Armande was surely too central to the novel to have been a late addition. And the scene below is both similar and different--but the name would seem to be a clincher. All very puzzling. Brian Boyd -----Original Message----- From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU] On Behalf Of NABOKV-L Sent: Wednesday, 30 April 2008 1:08 a.m. To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU=20 Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] VN and Houssaye's Lolita [EDNOTE. It occurs to me that the confluence--perhaps the mot juste?--of VN's Lolita and Houssaye's Lolita, as puzzled out by Maurice, Brian, and Stephen, should perhaps be clarified for posterity in a note in The Nabokovian or elsewhere. -- SES] Maurice Couturier writes: Thank you Brian for your confirmation that Nabokov had read this little novel, but apparently after publishing "Lolita". And Stephen didn't use the word "similar", sorry; I did, though, as you point out, it is not totally the case, but close enough.=20 Here is the passage in the novel: "Je me ruai, j'enla=E7ai le corps nu avec une force formidable, jamais mes bras n'avaient eu cette vigueur, je les sentais invincibles. Mais Lolita se d=E9battait, bondissait, mena=E7ait de glisser et de m'=E9chapper. Et = ses flancs secouaient les miens, et les volumes accomplis de son corps passaient devant mes yeux affol=E9s... Au fond de moi-m=EAme, palpitait l'obscure pens=E9e que la fleur n'=E9tait pas toute tomb=E9e, que la = virginit=E9 s'effeuillait un peu =E0 chaque =E9treinte, que j'arriverais assez t=F4t = pour cueillir un dernier p=E9tale oubli=E9. A mesure qu'elle r=E9sistait, =E9trangement incoercible, dominait ma rage de la possession, je voulais Lolita =E0 tout prix, s=E9ance tenante, parce que je comprenais = que je ne l'aurais jamais plus ensuite, qu'elle me ha=EFssait, et je ne pouvais pas ne pas l'avoir eue. Pour l'emp=EAcher de remuer, l'endormir une demi-seconde, et parce qu'elle allait appeler, pour cela seulement, je plantai la lame en disant: 'Je vais la retirer.' Des bulles de sang s'=E9chapp=E8rent d! es narines, une mousse brune comme du chocolat. 'C'est un r=EAve', pensai-je. L'oc=E9an parut se soulever hors de la baie tel une trombe, et m'emporter, misure! =E0 l'odeur mille fois maudite!" (pp. 216-7)=20 Maurice Couturier Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html=20 Search archive with Google: http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=3Dsite:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=3Den=20= Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu=20 Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm=20 View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html Search archive with Google: http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=3Dsite:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=3Den 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 Search archive with Google: http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=3Dsite:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=3Den 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 --=__Part89A0D40E.2__= Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Description: HTML
Does it not seem likely that someone who had read both Lolitas told = VN about Houssaye's novel? If so, that person may even have provided VN = with a detailed synopsis.  I am reminded of a comment made by one of = my colleagues regarding Shakespeare's surprising breadth of knowledge. He = said that while we can to some degree reconstruct what books Shakespeare = might have been able to read, we can't account for late night conversations= in the tavern with his friends, and all of the other unpublished ways = that knowledge is transmitted.
 
Matt Roth

>>> On 4/30/2008 at 12:50 PM, in message = <48186B2902000012002E315D@dudley.holycross.edu>, NABOKV-L <NABOKV-= L@HOLYCROSS.EDU> wrote:
Thanks for the key passage, = Maurice. I didn't confirm that VN read
Houssaye, only that he knew of = the novel's existence and wanted to check
it in the NYPL. But two of = those diary entries were for 1970 and 1971,
suggesting he still needed = the remind himself to look up the novel, yet
he had started writing TTs = in 1969, and finished in 1971.

The strangling of Armande was = surely too central to the novel to have
been a late addition. And the = scene below is both similar and
different--but the name would seem to = be a clincher. All very puzzling.

Brian Boyd

-----Original = Message-----
From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB= .EDU] On
Behalf Of NABOKV-L
Sent: Wednesday, 30 April 2008 1:08 = a.m.
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] VN and = Houssaye's Lolita

[EDNOTE.  It occurs to me that the confluence= --perhaps the mot
juste?--of VN's Lolita and Houssaye's Lolita, as = puzzled out by Maurice,
Brian, and Stephen, should perhaps be clarified = for posterity in a note
in The Nabokovian or elsewhere.  -- = SES]

Maurice Couturier writes:

Thank you Brian for your = confirmation that Nabokov had read this little
novel, but apparently = after publishing "Lolita". And Stephen didn't use
the word "similar", = sorry; I did, though, as you point out, it is not
totally the case, but = close enough.

Here is the passage in the novel:
"Je me ruai, = j'enla=E7ai le corps nu avec une force formidable, jamais mes
bras = n'avaient eu cette vigueur, je les sentais invincibles. Mais Lolita
se = d=E9battait, bondissait, mena=E7ait de glisser et de m'=E9chapper. Et = ses
flancs secouaient les miens, et les volumes accomplis de son = corps
passaient devant mes yeux affol=E9s... Au fond de moi-m=EAme, = palpitait
l'obscure pens=E9e que la fleur n'=E9tait pas toute tomb=E9e, = que la virginit=E9
s'effeuillait un peu =E0 chaque =E9treinte, que = j'arriverais assez t=F4t pour
cueillir un dernier p=E9tale oubli=E9. A = mesure qu'elle r=E9sistait,
=E9trangement incoercible, dominait ma rage = de la possession, je
voulais Lolita =E0 tout prix, s=E9ance tenante, = parce que je comprenais que
je ne l'aurais jamais plus ensuite, qu'elle = me ha=EFssait, et je ne
pouvais pas ne pas l'avoir eue. Pour l'emp=EAche= r de remuer, l'endormir
une demi-seconde, et parce qu'elle allait = appeler, pour cela seulement,
je plantai la lame en disant: 'Je vais la = retirer.' Des bulles de sang
s'=E9chapp=E8rent d!
es narines, une = mousse brune comme du chocolat. 'C'est un r=EAve',
pensai-je.

L'o= c=E9an parut se soulever hors de la baie tel une trombe, et m'emporter,
=
misure! =E0 l'odeur mille fois maudite!" (pp. 216-7)

Maurice = Couturier

Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.htmlSearch archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanc= ed_search?q=3Dsite:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=3Den

Contact the = Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: = http://www.libr= aries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblack= we/EDNote.htm

Search the Nabokv-L archive with Google

Contact the Editors

All private editorial communications, without exception, are read by both co-editors.

Vi= sit Zembla

View = Nabokv-L Policies

Search the Nabokv-L archive with Google

Contact the Editors

All private editorial communications, without exception, are read by both co-editors.

Visit Zembla

View Nabokv-L Policies

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