Annotations by Alexey Sklyarenko

The characters in VN's story Kartofel'nyi El'f ("The Potato Elf," 1929) include Zita and Arabella, the acrobat sisters:

Describing his life with Lolita, Humbert Humbert (the narrator and main character in VN's novel Lolita, 1955) says that he dwelled deep in his elected paradise - a paradise whose skies were the color of hell-flames - but still a paradise:

After the dinner in 'Ursus' and the debauch à trois in Van's Manhattan flat Ada calls Cordula Tobak (Van's former mistress, born de Prey) "a polecat:"

Describing a game of poker that he played at Chose (Van's English University), Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN's novel Ada, 1969) twice calls Dick C. (a cardsharp) "milord:"

In 1885, having completed his prep-school education, he went up to Chose University in England, where his fathers had gone, and traveled from time to time to London or Lute (as prosperous but not overrefined British colonials called that lovely pearl-gray sad city on the other side of the Channel).

At the end of his commentary to Shade's poem Kinbote (in VN's novel Pale Fire, 1962, Shade's mad commentator who imagines that he is Charles the Beloved, the last self-exiled king of Zembla) mentions a million photographers:

"And you, what will you be doing with yourself, poor King, poor Kinbote?" a gentle young voice may inquire.

Describing his first meeting with Shade (the poet in VN's novel Pale Fire, 1962), Kinbote (Shade's mad commentator who imagines that he is Charles the Beloved, the last self-exiled king of Zembla) mentions a bottle of good college ale with which he would content himself:

Describing the torments of poor mad Aqua (the twin sister of Van’s, Ada’s and Lucette’s mother Marina), Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) mentions a lieu de naissance plainly marked X in Aqua's dreams:

Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN's novel Ada, 1969) begins to perform in variety shows as Mascodagama (when he dances tango on his hands) as a Chose student. Describing his performance, Van mentions Oxford (a women’s college nearby):

Describing a game of poker that he played at Chose (Van’s English University) with Dick C. (a cardsharp) and the French twins, Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN's novel Ada, 1969) mentions green Serenity Court and his slightly overweight conscience: 

According to Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969), Daniel Veen (the father of Van's and Ada's half-sister Lucette) was prone to explain at great length — unless sidetracked by a bore-baiter — how in the course of American history an English ‘bull’ in the maiden name of his mother had become a New England ‘bell:’