A.Sklyarenko:In his article "On Milton and Chateaubriand's
translation of Paradise Lost" (1836, published next
year in Sovremennik No. 5, the first issue
of The Contemporary that came out after the poet's death) Pushkin
mentions Walter Scott [ ] In 1791 Chateaubriand left Revolutionary
France for North America. North America is the setting of Chateaubriand's exotic
novels Les Natchez (written in 1793-99, publ. 1826), Atala
(1801) and René (1802).In The Contemporary, 1836, vol. III, Pushkin
published his review of John Tanner's A Narrative of the
Captivity and Adventures of John Tanner during Thirty Years Residence Among the
Indians (1830).* [ ] I notice that the date of Chekhov's death, July
4, is also the day when Chateaubriand died. If Chateaubriand had lived
two months longer, he would have turned eighty.
*Pushkin read it in French: Mémoires de John Tanner, ou trente années dans les déserts de
l’Amérique du Nord, traduits sur l’édition original, publiée á New York, par M.
Ernest de Blosseville, auteur de l’histoire des Colonies pénales de l’Angleterre
dans l’Australie, vols. I, II. Paris,
1835.
Jansy Mello:
There's also a reference to Ch. in Pale Fire (besides ADA, Lolita and...?): For
CK note to line 691:
"(amid an ovation of crickets and that
vortex of yellow and maroon butterflies that so pleased Chateaubriand on
his arrival in America)"
and in a not very old posting
(May,2013)
J.M: Robert Ropert's
query about John Tanner mentioned Pushkin's "affection" for A Narrative of
the Captivity and Adventures of John Tanner (1830). The name
Tanner
seemed to ring a bell for me and I tried to check why [ ] perhaps,
Pushkin's interest in the book could be derived from his critical point of
view.: "As an essayist Pushkin was prolific but most of his writings
remained in draft form...Chiefly Pushkin concentrated on literature and
history, but he did not develop a systematic philosophical view – it has
been said that Pushkin lacked "central vision".... The responsibility of
the Decembrist Rebellion Pushkin shifted onto foreign
influences. He
was fascinated by democratic republicanism but perceived the tendency to
idealize the natural state of life, as exemplified both in the work of
James Fenimore Cooper and in political discussion in the United States, as
was shown in his essay "Dzhon Tenner" (1836, John Tanner)." [Some rights
reserved Petri Liukkonen (author) & Ari Pesonen. Kuusankosken
kaupunginkirjasto 2008] . America as seen through European eyes must have
interested Nabokov, at least
there are suggestive paragraphs in
"Lolita" (dealing with Chateaubriand, tigers and wide plains, if memory
serves me right.)
C.Kunin: I did find
several copies of the Tanner book (1830) for sale with a detailed description
which I will copy below. I can only speculate that in the American "red Indian"
Pushkin found something similar to the natives in his "Prisoner of the
Caucasus." Kavkazkiy Plennik, I believe. I'm sure the Georgians would not
be thrilled at the comparison. VN was also fascinated by Chateaubriand who
also wove romances about the aboriginals in America. Pushkin on Chateaubriand?
Anyone? A Narrative of the Captivity and Adventures of John Tanner
(U.S. Interpreter at the Sault De Ste Marie), during Thirty Years Residence
among the Indians in the Interior of North America. JAMES, Edwin (Edited)
[TANNER, John].
btw: AS, can you please inform from
where did you get the information that South American Viedma was founded by a Russian admiral? (the context
places this town in the Argentine)