Subject
I'll take that Euro
From
Date
Body
Mr. Powelstock.
I find it very interesting that you recommend me an intertext without having
read the text itself (Evison's *Lulu*).
As a matter of fact, I'll take that euro.
I admit that Will Miller (Evison's protagonist) is arguably as much like Van
Veen as he is like Humbert Humbert. However Lulu doesn't resemble Ada Veen
in the least. Ada is haughty, intelligent and articulate—above all, she
consents to her eventual sexual relationship with Van. For goodness' sake,
she helps write the book.
Evison's Lulu, on the other hand, is fractured, sentimental and helpless.
Largely voiceless, she is a child, much like Dolores Haze is a child, being
wrecked by the lusts of a family member.
So even though Will and Lulu are coevals, the configuration of their
relationship much more closely mimics that of Humbert and Lolita than that
of Van and Ada.
Mr. Kelly-Bootle.
First. Evison, age 39, isn't as young as you might think. He has been
writing screen plays and radio shows for most of his adult life.
As regards Humbert's remorse: my criticism was not that Will (Evison's
protagonist) should, like Humbert, feel shame. Rather, I merely suggest
that Will's actions should be considered in their moral dimension. As it
stands, the book is morally anaerobic, which (I think) is irresponsible.
As regards being derivative: I have no trouble with Evison's borrowing or
writing in a mould - but he needs, at least, to add something original,
something of interest, differentiate himself. He does not.
John Minervini
Begin forwarded message:
*From: *David Powelstock <pstock@BRANDEIS.EDU>
*Date: *August 8, 2008 10:41:28 AM EDT
*To: *NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
*Subject: **Re: [NABOKV-L] borrowed from Vladimir Nabokov¹s Loli ta ...*
*Reply-To: *Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Well said, SKB. Let me add that you can find concrete dinosaurs not quite in
the middle of, but certainly at the edge of, the desert outside of Los
Angeles. Is California quirky? You bet. As SKB suggests, with polite
restraint, given the plot of *Lulu*, *Ada *would probably be a more likely
intertext. I'll bet anyone a Euro that the reviewer hasn't read *Ada*.* * And
the reviewer's bald statement that "Humbert Humbert narrates Lolita out of
deepest shame for what he did to an innocent girl " is certainly open to
debate. I haven't read Evison's novel, but I certainly wouldn't let this
superficial review dissuade me from cracking it open up!
David Powelstock
*From:* Vladimir Nabokov Forum
[mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU<NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
] *On Behalf Of *Stan Kelly-Bootle
*Sent:* Friday, August 08, 2008 8:35 AM
*To:* NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
*Subject:* Re: [NABOKV-L] borrowed from Vladimir Nabokov¹s Lolita ...
Am I alone in finding this review unsatisfactory?
Search the archive<http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en>Contact
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I find it very interesting that you recommend me an intertext without having
read the text itself (Evison's *Lulu*).
As a matter of fact, I'll take that euro.
I admit that Will Miller (Evison's protagonist) is arguably as much like Van
Veen as he is like Humbert Humbert. However Lulu doesn't resemble Ada Veen
in the least. Ada is haughty, intelligent and articulate—above all, she
consents to her eventual sexual relationship with Van. For goodness' sake,
she helps write the book.
Evison's Lulu, on the other hand, is fractured, sentimental and helpless.
Largely voiceless, she is a child, much like Dolores Haze is a child, being
wrecked by the lusts of a family member.
So even though Will and Lulu are coevals, the configuration of their
relationship much more closely mimics that of Humbert and Lolita than that
of Van and Ada.
Mr. Kelly-Bootle.
First. Evison, age 39, isn't as young as you might think. He has been
writing screen plays and radio shows for most of his adult life.
As regards Humbert's remorse: my criticism was not that Will (Evison's
protagonist) should, like Humbert, feel shame. Rather, I merely suggest
that Will's actions should be considered in their moral dimension. As it
stands, the book is morally anaerobic, which (I think) is irresponsible.
As regards being derivative: I have no trouble with Evison's borrowing or
writing in a mould - but he needs, at least, to add something original,
something of interest, differentiate himself. He does not.
John Minervini
Begin forwarded message:
*From: *David Powelstock <pstock@BRANDEIS.EDU>
*Date: *August 8, 2008 10:41:28 AM EDT
*To: *NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
*Subject: **Re: [NABOKV-L] borrowed from Vladimir Nabokov¹s Loli ta ...*
*Reply-To: *Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Well said, SKB. Let me add that you can find concrete dinosaurs not quite in
the middle of, but certainly at the edge of, the desert outside of Los
Angeles. Is California quirky? You bet. As SKB suggests, with polite
restraint, given the plot of *Lulu*, *Ada *would probably be a more likely
intertext. I'll bet anyone a Euro that the reviewer hasn't read *Ada*.* * And
the reviewer's bald statement that "Humbert Humbert narrates Lolita out of
deepest shame for what he did to an innocent girl " is certainly open to
debate. I haven't read Evison's novel, but I certainly wouldn't let this
superficial review dissuade me from cracking it open up!
David Powelstock
*From:* Vladimir Nabokov Forum
[mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU<NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
] *On Behalf Of *Stan Kelly-Bootle
*Sent:* Friday, August 08, 2008 8:35 AM
*To:* NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
*Subject:* Re: [NABOKV-L] borrowed from Vladimir Nabokov¹s Lolita ...
Am I alone in finding this review unsatisfactory?
Search the archive<http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en>Contact
the Editors <nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu>Visit "Nabokov Online
Journal" <http://www.nabokovonline.com/>Visit
Zembla<http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm>View
Nabokv-L Policies <http://web.utk.edu/%7Esblackwe/EDNote.htm>Manage
subscription options <http://listserv.ucsb.edu/>All private editorial
communications, without exception, are read by both co-editors.
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
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/