Subject
Fw: Fw: Nabokov's Worst Novel?
From
Date
Body
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dane Gill" <pennyparkerpark@hotmail.com>
>
> ---------------- Message requiring your approval (106
lines) ------------------
> Okay, so one liners don't cut it here, I see. I guess it is no longer
> acceptable to simply say that one did not like something because it was
> boring. Glory bored me (compared to VN's other works) so I didn't like it
as
> much. I didn't realize people would attempt to remove "worst" and replace
it
> with as many "less harsh" words as the dictionary offers. I have a hard
time
> joining in on the other more literary minded coversations (also boring)
and
> attempted to play a little "What's Yer Top Fave" for the fun of it.
> Obviously I was incorrect. And obviously, Nabokov can do no wrong in
> anyone's eyes here. I mean I'm sure I enjoy Nabokov's work as much as
anyone
> here, but I still have a favorite and a least favorite/worst pic. If
nobody
> wants to play my game then perhaps I'll leave you all to discuss the
> literary meaning of Ada spelt backwards (it is spelt forward here...don't
be
> confused) , or Lolita's choice of footwear (size 5 two-toned?!!) and its
> importance to that novel. DAne Gill
>
>
> >From: "D. Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net>
> >Reply-To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> >To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> >Subject: Fw: Nabokov's Worst Novel?
> >Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 21:17:23 -0700
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Rodney Welch" <rodney41@mindspring.com>
> > >
> > > ----------------- Message requiring your approval (56
> >lines) ------------------
> > > It may sound like ducking the question, but I agree "worst" does sound
> >harsh
> > > -- if only because several Nabokov novels, in my experience, work
better
> >the
> > > second or third time than the first.
> > >
> > > Interestingly, when I've heard certain of Nabokov's novels downgraded,
> >it
> > > tends to be the ones that maybe work a little too well on the first
> >reading,
> > > that perhaps lack the intricacy we have come to expect. I remember
Brian
> > > Boyd ranked "Laughter in the Dark" as among the least -- he found it a
> > > little too Hollywooden -- and if memory serves he, and other readers I
> >know,
> > > have a rather slighting opinion of "Bend Sinister."
> > >
> > > Nabokov himself, in a roundabout way, seemed just slightly
condescending
> > > toward "King, Queen, Knave" in his introduction to that book. "Of all
my
> > > novels this bright brute is the gayest," he wrote. (The quickest scan
of
> >the
> > > introduction also reminds me that he rewrote parts of it, forty years
> >later
> > > -- Joyce Carol Oates was in the news last week for doing the same with
> >her
> > > earlier novel "Earthly Pleasures," and for the same reasons: the
older,
> > > wiser writer saw more possibilities than the younger self.)
> > >
> > > Personally, I like all of the above, if only because they all have a
> >strong
> > > narrative pull. The same goes for the stories -- amidst the more
complex
> > > creations are a number that work on a more basic level, that read
rather
> > > easily. "Cloud, Castle, Lake" or "The Aurelian" or "A Dashing Fellow"
> >are
> > > not as tricky (I found them tricky, anyway) as "The Vane Sisters" or
> >"Lance"
> > > or "Ultima Thule."
> > >
> > > I've only read "Glory" once and yes, the ending rather eluded me; but
I
> > > didn't think there was something about "Mary," either, the first time
I
> >read
> > > it; I thought it was slight and precious. But, some years ago, Jeff
> >Edmunds
> > > and I went through it a few times and had a wonderful time, not only
for
> >the
> > > story itself but all the little touches that were reflected in later
> >books.
> > > And it wasn't until I read "Despair" a second time that I saw it as a
> >comic
> > > masterpiece; I have a most unexpected source -- the actress Elizabeth
> > > Hurley, in an interview -- to thank for arriving at that insight.
> > >
> > > Rodney Welch
> > > Columbia, SC
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > From: "D. Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net>
> > > > Reply-To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> > > > Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 19:30:38 -0700
> > > > To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> > > > Subject: Fw: Nabokov's Worst Novel?
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "George Shimanovich" <gshiman@optonline.net>
> > > >> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (9
> > > > lines) -------------------
> > > >> Nabokov's worst novel is constantly written by his single line
> >critics
> >to
> > > > no
> > > >> avail.
> > > >>
> > > >> George Shimanovich
> > >
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE*
> http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail
>
From: "Dane Gill" <pennyparkerpark@hotmail.com>
>
> ---------------- Message requiring your approval (106
lines) ------------------
> Okay, so one liners don't cut it here, I see. I guess it is no longer
> acceptable to simply say that one did not like something because it was
> boring. Glory bored me (compared to VN's other works) so I didn't like it
as
> much. I didn't realize people would attempt to remove "worst" and replace
it
> with as many "less harsh" words as the dictionary offers. I have a hard
time
> joining in on the other more literary minded coversations (also boring)
and
> attempted to play a little "What's Yer Top Fave" for the fun of it.
> Obviously I was incorrect. And obviously, Nabokov can do no wrong in
> anyone's eyes here. I mean I'm sure I enjoy Nabokov's work as much as
anyone
> here, but I still have a favorite and a least favorite/worst pic. If
nobody
> wants to play my game then perhaps I'll leave you all to discuss the
> literary meaning of Ada spelt backwards (it is spelt forward here...don't
be
> confused) , or Lolita's choice of footwear (size 5 two-toned?!!) and its
> importance to that novel. DAne Gill
>
>
> >From: "D. Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net>
> >Reply-To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> >To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> >Subject: Fw: Nabokov's Worst Novel?
> >Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 21:17:23 -0700
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Rodney Welch" <rodney41@mindspring.com>
> > >
> > > ----------------- Message requiring your approval (56
> >lines) ------------------
> > > It may sound like ducking the question, but I agree "worst" does sound
> >harsh
> > > -- if only because several Nabokov novels, in my experience, work
better
> >the
> > > second or third time than the first.
> > >
> > > Interestingly, when I've heard certain of Nabokov's novels downgraded,
> >it
> > > tends to be the ones that maybe work a little too well on the first
> >reading,
> > > that perhaps lack the intricacy we have come to expect. I remember
Brian
> > > Boyd ranked "Laughter in the Dark" as among the least -- he found it a
> > > little too Hollywooden -- and if memory serves he, and other readers I
> >know,
> > > have a rather slighting opinion of "Bend Sinister."
> > >
> > > Nabokov himself, in a roundabout way, seemed just slightly
condescending
> > > toward "King, Queen, Knave" in his introduction to that book. "Of all
my
> > > novels this bright brute is the gayest," he wrote. (The quickest scan
of
> >the
> > > introduction also reminds me that he rewrote parts of it, forty years
> >later
> > > -- Joyce Carol Oates was in the news last week for doing the same with
> >her
> > > earlier novel "Earthly Pleasures," and for the same reasons: the
older,
> > > wiser writer saw more possibilities than the younger self.)
> > >
> > > Personally, I like all of the above, if only because they all have a
> >strong
> > > narrative pull. The same goes for the stories -- amidst the more
complex
> > > creations are a number that work on a more basic level, that read
rather
> > > easily. "Cloud, Castle, Lake" or "The Aurelian" or "A Dashing Fellow"
> >are
> > > not as tricky (I found them tricky, anyway) as "The Vane Sisters" or
> >"Lance"
> > > or "Ultima Thule."
> > >
> > > I've only read "Glory" once and yes, the ending rather eluded me; but
I
> > > didn't think there was something about "Mary," either, the first time
I
> >read
> > > it; I thought it was slight and precious. But, some years ago, Jeff
> >Edmunds
> > > and I went through it a few times and had a wonderful time, not only
for
> >the
> > > story itself but all the little touches that were reflected in later
> >books.
> > > And it wasn't until I read "Despair" a second time that I saw it as a
> >comic
> > > masterpiece; I have a most unexpected source -- the actress Elizabeth
> > > Hurley, in an interview -- to thank for arriving at that insight.
> > >
> > > Rodney Welch
> > > Columbia, SC
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > From: "D. Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net>
> > > > Reply-To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> > > > Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 19:30:38 -0700
> > > > To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> > > > Subject: Fw: Nabokov's Worst Novel?
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "George Shimanovich" <gshiman@optonline.net>
> > > >> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (9
> > > > lines) -------------------
> > > >> Nabokov's worst novel is constantly written by his single line
> >critics
> >to
> > > > no
> > > >> avail.
> > > >>
> > > >> George Shimanovich
> > >
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE*
> http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail
>