Content-Type: message/rfc822 Date: Sat, 04 Oct 2008 19:19:08 -0400 From: "jansymello" To: "Vladimir Nabokov Forum" Subject: [NABOKV-L] Nabokov shares with Chekhov a fanatical eye for detail ... Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="=__PartC2EB60FC.1__=" --=__PartC2EB60FC.1__= Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="=__PartC2EB60FC.2__=" --=__PartC2EB60FC.2__= Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Re: [NABOKV-L] Nabokov shares with Chekhov a fanatical eye for detail ...S = K-Bootle :[...]As I mentioned, the same word is being used for different = entities: coincidences in fact; coincidences in fiction. An author of = fiction makes definite decisions when he/she invents a narrative [...] = VN's own novels, each in a distinct way, create their own mix of internal = and external "reality" to which he is uniquely and teasingly honest. JM: I doubt it that VN could always be "uniquely and teasingly honest" in = his internal and external 'reality", in life and in his novels, except at = the conscious level. Besides every coincidence, and also any lapsus, = demand a witness to give them this name.=20 Perhaps this is what CM Carnot is referring to [I have found that the = Terra/Antiterra doubling works similar to the unreliable narrator which is = used throughout VN's work. This works through the form of the novel [...]. = Back on Earth we are accessing a document that reports information from = Antiterra. The final document (Ada) is just as flawed through a similar = method of access and, as it were, translation.]=20 Actually, already in the first part of Ada, or Ardor, we are informed = about split time and space "because a gap of up to a hundred years one way = or another existed between the two earths" and, two paragraphs later, we = read that "two chess games with identical openings and identical end moves = might ramify in an infinite number of variations, on one board and in two = brains, at any middle stage of their irrevocably converging development" = (A,18). To bring these two sentences closer may be fruitful. The assertion = about the "sliver of light" of infinite variations that lie between the = "darknesses" of a definite ending and end might be as true for chess = matches as for the convergence of the parallel spaces of Terra and = Antiterra ( and a pair of incestuous siblings?), should we accept that = these two chess games, or characters, represent a single one, now doubled = because it is apprehended by the two different brains that are exercising = themselves on only one board.=20 Is it possible that here, too, when the book is closed, the players depart = and the game is over, planets and siblings disappear along with pawns and = kings. In ADA, it's clear that the reader is expected to discover or see = what Van could not to "translate" and interpret it. Joseph Aisenberg: Appel interview: "Ideally, how should a reader experience= or react to 'the end' of one of your novels, that moment when the vectors = are removed and the fact of the ficition is underscored, the cast = dismissed? What common assumptions about literature are you assaulting?" = Nabokov's response [...] I think that what I would welcome at the close of = a book of mine is a sensation of its world receding in the distance and = stopping somewhere there, suspended afar like a picture in a picture: The = Artist's Studio by Van Bock." [...]Appel [...]was so stuck on the idea of = Self-reflexivity in Nabokov's work that he tended to see everything N. = wrote in terms of parodying the "realism" of the illusionary in fiction, = which is undeniable on one level [...]--the characters and narrators of = the novels seem to lose a sense of themselves as discrete beings and feel = themselves dissolving[...] to be right on the verge of recognizing that = they are projections of Nabokov, but don't quite..." JM: Thank you, in particular, for bringing up that interview about = dismissed vectors and cast and VN's "receding world...a picture in a = picture". When he wrote about "happy novels" Nabokov joined "Glory" and = "Ada", but I think that only in the latter did he achieve the effect he'd = been originally striving for, already hinted by an optimistic moment in PF = (lines 849-852) The pen ...physically guides the phrase...toward faint = daylight through the inky maze. =20 =20 S.E.Sweeney referred us to her "The V-Shaped Paradigm: Nabokov and = Pynchon" where she points out from the start "that the novel's structure, = as Nabokov's narrator describes it - 'two lines which have finally tapered = to the point of meeting' - is shaped like a letter V" . While also noting that VN's relations with students were distant and = magisterial ("precluded genuine contact") she examines if "fate brought = them together", as in SK's novel and, in particular, in S's novel = mentioned in the novel: "Success".=20 Since The V-shaped paradigm exemplifies "the detective story's formal = design" Sweeney concludes, by applying her paradigm to these works, that = "the metaphysical detective story may be the quintessential postmodernist = text." =20 Although both Pynchon and VN "deviate from the expected detective-story = ending", they shared "affinity for epistemology, self-reflexivity, = experimental form, and generic parody" which locate these novels "precisely= where two other lines - modernism and postmodernism - also taper 'to the = point of meeting' " . Her scholarly "detection" offers lots of precious = information, surprises and contrasting perspectives that sometimes = con-verge and sometimes, deliberately, di-verge to create a new and = unexpected pattern. obs: In relation to former posting on "Vanishing Point", Catherine = Texier's review of David Markson's "The Last Novel" can be found at: = www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/books/review/Texier.html?ref=3Dreview - Vanishing point in German is "Fluchtpunkt". In French, "point de fuite". I = wonder what Russian terms in VN's 1932 "Podvig" were rendered "fugal = theme", as I harbor other doubts about the original meaning of a couple of = sentences, as on p.24: " Martin was faced with two alternatives" (?) and, = p.33, "not conducive to viatic excitement" (the word "viatic" reappears in = "Lolita"). 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 Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/ 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 Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/ --=__PartC2EB60FC.2__= Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Description: HTML Re: [NABOKV-L] Nabokov shares with Chekhov a fanatical = eye for detail ...
S K-Bootle :[...]As = I=20 mentioned, the same word is being used for different entities: coincidences= in=20 fact; coincidences in fiction. An author of fiction makes definite = decisions=20 when he/she invents a narrative [...] VN=92s own novels, each in a = distinct way,=20 create their own mix of internal and external  =93reality=94 to which = he is=20 uniquely and teasingly honest.
 
JM: I doubt it that=20 VN could always be "uniquely and teasingly honest" in his internal = and=20 external 'reality", in life and in his novels, except at the = conscious=20 level. Besides every coincidence, and also any lapsus, demand = a=20 witness to give them this name. 
Perhaps this is what CM Carnot = is=20 referring to [I have found that the Terra/Antiterra doubling works = similar=20 to the unreliable narrator which is used throughout VN's work. This = works=20 through the form of the novel [...]. Back on Earth we are accessing a = document=20 that reports information from Antiterra.  The final document (Ada) is = just=20 as flawed through a similar method of access and, as it were, translation.<= /EM>]=20
Actually, already in the first part of Ada, = or=20 Ardor, we are informed about split time and space =93because a gap of up to a hundred years one way or another = existed=20 between the two earths=94 and, two paragraphs later, we read that = =93two chess games with identical openings and identical end = moves=20 might ramify in an infinite number of variations, on one board and in = two=20 brains, at any middle stage of their irrevocably converging development=94=20 (A,18). To bring these two sentences closer may be fruitful. The = assertion=20 about the "sliver of light" of infinite variations that lie=20 between the "darknesses"  of a definite ending and end = might be=20 as true for chess matches as for the convergence of the parallel spaces of = Terra=20 and Antiterra  ( and a pair of incestuous siblings?), should we = accept=20 that these two chess games, or characters, represent a single one, now = doubled=20 because it is apprehended by the two different brains that are exercising= =20 themselves on only one board.
 
Is it possible that here, too, when the = book is=20 closed, the players depart and the game is over, planets and = siblings=20 disappear along with pawns and kings.  In = ADA,=20 it's clear that the reader is expected to discover or see wh= at=20 Van could not to "translate" and interpret it.
 
Joseph Aisenberg: Appel= =20 interview: "Ideally, how should a reader experience or react to 'the = end'=20 of one of your novels, that moment when the vectors are removed and the = fact of=20 the ficition is underscored, the cast dismissed? What common assumptions = about=20 literature are you assaulting?" Nabokov's response [...] I think = that=20 what I would welcome at the close of a book of mine is a sensation of its = world=20 receding in the distance and stopping somewhere there, suspended afar like = a=20 picture in a picture:  The Artist's Studio by Van Bock." [...]Appel=20= [...]was so stuck on the idea of Self-reflexivity in Nabokov's work that = he=20 tended to see everything N. wrote in terms of parodying the "realism" of = the=20 illusionary in fiction, which is undeniable on one level [...]--the = characters=20 and narrators of the novels seem to lose a sense of themselves as = discrete=20 beings and feel themselves dissolving[...] to be right on the verge of=20 recognizing that they are projections of Nabokov, but don't=20 quite..."
 
JM: Thank you, = in=20 particular, for bringing up that interview about dismissed = vectors=20 and cast and VN's "receding world...a picture in a picture". When he = wrote=20 about "happy novels" Nabokov joined "Glory" and "Ada", but I think that = only in=20 the latter did he achieve the effect he'd been originally striving for, = already=20 hinted by an optimistic moment in PF (lines 849-852) The= =20 pen ...ph= ysically=20 guides the phrase...toward faint daylight through the = inky=20 maze.  
 
S.E.Sweeney referred us to=20 her "The V-Shaped Paradigm: Nabokov and Pynchon" where she = points=20 out from the start "that the novel's structure, as = Nabokov's=20 narrator describes it - 'two lines which have finally tapered to the point = of=20 meeting' - is shaped like a letter V" .
While also noting th= at VN's=20 relations with students were distant and magisterial ("precluded genuine contact") she examines if = "fate=20 brought them together", as in SK's novel and, in particular, in S's no= vel=20 mentioned in the novel: "Success".
Since The V-shaped paradigm exemplifies = "the=20 detective story's formal design" Sweeney concludes, by = applying=20 her paradigm to these works, that "the metaphysical detective = story may=20 be the quintessential postmodernist text." 
Although both Pynchon and VN "deviate from = the=20 expected detective-story ending", they shared  "affinity = for=20 epistemology, self-reflexivity, experimental form, and generic parody"= =20 which locate these novels "precisely where two other lines  - = modernism=20 and postmodernism - also taper 'to the point of meeting' " . = Her=20 scholarly "detection" offers lots of precious information, surprises=20 and contrasting perspectives that sometimes con-verge = and=20 sometimes, deliberately, di-verge to create a new and unexpe= cted=20 pattern.
 
obs: In relation to former = posting on=20 "Vanishing Point", Catherine Texier's review of David Markson's = "The=20 Last Novel" can be found at: www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/books/review/Texier.html?ref=3Dr= eview=20 -
Vanishing point in German is "Fluchtpunkt= ". In=20 French, "point de fuite". I wonder what=20 Russian terms in VN's 1932 "Podvig" were rendered "fugal = theme",=20 as I harbor other doubts about the original = meaning=20 of a couple of sentences, as on p.24: " Martin = was=20 faced with two alternatives"  (?) and, p.33, "not conducive to viatic excitement"= (the=20 word "viatic" reappears in "Lolita").
 
Search the archive Contact the = Editors Visit "Nabokov = Online Journal"
Vi= sit Zembla View = Nabokv-L Policies Manage subscription = options

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

Search the archive Contact the Editors Visit "Nabokov Online Journal"
Visit Zembla View Nabokv-L Policies Manage subscription options

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

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