Hello,
To the question about his choice, VN replied in the 1964 Playboy interview, reprinted in Strong Opinions (p. 26, 1st US edition):
“The double rumble is, I think, very nasty, very suggestive. It is a hateful name for a hateful person. It is also a kingly name, but I did need a royal vibration for Humbert the Fierce and Humbert the Humble. Lends itself also to a number of puns.”
In his Keys to Lolita (pp. 8-9), Proffer discusses briefly these names, and I remember an extensive note in Appel’s The Annotated Lolita regarding the name.
A. Bouazza
From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU] On Behalf Of Jansy
Sent: vrijdag 15 maart 2013 18:03
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Subject: [NABOKV-L] Desultory query: Humbert Humbert's appositives
While I was going through "Lolita" ( searching for references to ombre, hombre, umber) my attention was called to the list of appositives used to qualify Humbert Humbert, like those adjectives that are appended to the names of heroes, knights, royalty (one third begin with the letter H). Their appearance in the text is not regular (it's to be found mainly in the first chapters and I didn't check to see if related to the diary he kept)
Does anyone know about any article related to this subject that could send us a reference or link?
Humbert, the Terrible and Humbert, the Small
Humbert, le Bel
Humbert, the Hoarse
Humbert, the Wounded Spider
Humbert, the Humble
Humbert, the Hummer
Humbert, the Hound
Humbert, the Cubus
Humbert, the popular butcher
PS: I hope I got the correct word for "appositive"
All private editorial communications are read by both co-editors.
All private editorial communications are read by both co-editors.