Subject
Nikto Botkin
From
Date
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It probably was Andrew Field who first noticed "Nikto" in Botkin in his
"VN" (1986, p. 346).
He thought that extra "b"["Nova Zembla, poor thing, with that B in her
bonnet" as VN wrote before] went to "Zembla"! (that would be a nice
Scrabble move). "Nabokov, of course, strongly denied all this," Field
wrote (!).
"Nikto b" was also already mentioned in NABOKOV-L rather long time ago
(see exchange below).
On the other hand, did anybody notice that "Nikto Botkin" ["Nobody
Botkin"] forms a perfect palindrome? You only have to substitute "V."
(Botkin's first name) for Nikto.
Or, if you wish Nikto to be the last name, make an anagram "B. NIKTO"
and, as a bonus, read "B." in Russian where it is of course "V."
There is a nice Botkin article on Zembla by Josh Kaplan,"A Delineation
of Botkin's Role in Pale Fire, & His Fate Beyond"
(http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/kaplan1.htm)
Victor Fet
****************************************************************
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 12:19:04 -0800
EDITOR's NOTE. Although Anatoly Vorobey's point (re "hyperexegesis") is
well-taken, the Botkin/Nikto(b) is not so far-fetched.
--------------------------------
From: Anatoly Vorobey
> KINBOT - BOTKIN - NIKTO B.(NIKTO - Russian word "nobody", B - ?)
> EDITOR's NOTE. Yes, it has been noted although not frequently. There
is a slight fly in the ointment in that in English the name is spelled
KINBOTE with an E at the end thus marring the anagram.
Hey, no worries. With KINBOTE, we get NIKTO E.B., which means of course
that Nabokov has inserted a hidden message for us telling that his
sister,
Elena Vladimirovna (V being B in Cyrillic) is a nobody (wish Nietzsche
did that with *his* sister!).
Nothing can stand in a way of someone who is determined to find
significance.
> It is a theme for reflections.
It is indeed.
--
Anatoly Vorobey,
mellon@pobox.com http://pobox.com/~mellon/
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 11:40:52 -0800
Reply-To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Donald Barton Johnson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Query: KINBOT-NIKTO B. (fwd)
EDITOR's NOTE. Yes, it has been noted although not frequently. There is
a slight fly in the ointment in that in English the name is spelled
KINBOTE with an E at the end thus marring the anagram.x
--------------- From:
Has it somewhere been remarked that the name of the main character of
the novel "Pale Fire", KINBOT is an anagram in which his name turns to
nought.
KINBOT - BOTKIN - NIKTO B.(NIKTO - Russian word "nobody", B - ?)
2 main characters - Shade (Whose?) and Botkin - Nikto B (Nobody B)
It is a theme for reflections.
Best regards, Sersak
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
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
"VN" (1986, p. 346).
He thought that extra "b"["Nova Zembla, poor thing, with that B in her
bonnet" as VN wrote before] went to "Zembla"! (that would be a nice
Scrabble move). "Nabokov, of course, strongly denied all this," Field
wrote (!).
"Nikto b" was also already mentioned in NABOKOV-L rather long time ago
(see exchange below).
On the other hand, did anybody notice that "Nikto Botkin" ["Nobody
Botkin"] forms a perfect palindrome? You only have to substitute "V."
(Botkin's first name) for Nikto.
Or, if you wish Nikto to be the last name, make an anagram "B. NIKTO"
and, as a bonus, read "B." in Russian where it is of course "V."
There is a nice Botkin article on Zembla by Josh Kaplan,"A Delineation
of Botkin's Role in Pale Fire, & His Fate Beyond"
(http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/kaplan1.htm)
Victor Fet
****************************************************************
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 12:19:04 -0800
EDITOR's NOTE. Although Anatoly Vorobey's point (re "hyperexegesis") is
well-taken, the Botkin/Nikto(b) is not so far-fetched.
--------------------------------
From: Anatoly Vorobey
> KINBOT - BOTKIN - NIKTO B.(NIKTO - Russian word "nobody", B - ?)
> EDITOR's NOTE. Yes, it has been noted although not frequently. There
is a slight fly in the ointment in that in English the name is spelled
KINBOTE with an E at the end thus marring the anagram.
Hey, no worries. With KINBOTE, we get NIKTO E.B., which means of course
that Nabokov has inserted a hidden message for us telling that his
sister,
Elena Vladimirovna (V being B in Cyrillic) is a nobody (wish Nietzsche
did that with *his* sister!).
Nothing can stand in a way of someone who is determined to find
significance.
> It is a theme for reflections.
It is indeed.
--
Anatoly Vorobey,
mellon@pobox.com http://pobox.com/~mellon/
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 11:40:52 -0800
Reply-To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Donald Barton Johnson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Query: KINBOT-NIKTO B. (fwd)
EDITOR's NOTE. Yes, it has been noted although not frequently. There is
a slight fly in the ointment in that in English the name is spelled
KINBOTE with an E at the end thus marring the anagram.x
--------------- From:
Has it somewhere been remarked that the name of the main character of
the novel "Pale Fire", KINBOT is an anagram in which his name turns to
nought.
KINBOT - BOTKIN - NIKTO B.(NIKTO - Russian word "nobody", B - ?)
2 main characters - Shade (Whose?) and Botkin - Nikto B (Nobody B)
It is a theme for reflections.
Best regards, Sersak
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
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